Praga Bohema revealed: Track monster from the Czech Republic
This is the Praga Bohema, a road-legal track day car with a carbonfibre chassis, race-derived suspension and a twin-turbo V6 engine borrowed from the Nissan GT-R. Due to enter extremely limited production next year, the Bohema will act as a flagship model for the 115 year-old company and represents the next step in its road-car program after the R1R. Priced from a cool £1.32 million, Praga will wrap up its development early next year with production following shortly after.
All Bohemas are built on a carbonfibre monocoque chassis wrapped in yet more carbonfibre panels. Like all Pragas, keeping weight to a minimum is paramount in its design, with every element of the car’s construction scrutinised to keep weight as low as possible. The cabin, for instance, might be more commodious and comfortable than any Praga before it, but it’s built up from just 56 individual pieces of carbonfibre that together weigh just 34kg. All-in, Praga has targeted a weight figure of just 986kg wet, with an empty fuel tank.
The suspension is a pushrod setup with passive coilovers that are mounted horizontally to help keep the bodywork as low to the ground as possible. These are hooked up to bespoke carbonfibre wishbones and control arms. The standard wheels and tyres are a staggered 18- and 19-inch setup running a set of Pirelli Trofeo R tyres, but a full set of 18-inch wheels are available to suit full racing slicks for track use. The braking package consists of 380mm carbon ceramic discs on the front axle, gripped by six-piston calipers.
Its engine is sourced from Nissan, who ships factory fresh twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 units directly to British tuner Litchfield. Here, the engines are converted from wet to dry-sump, helping reduce the height of the engines by 140mm and ensuring consistent oil supply during hard cornering on track. Litchfield also replaces the turbos, to which a bespoke titanium extractor and exhaust system are then bolted. At its basic specification, the Bohema is rated to 700bhp at 6800rpm, with torque peaking at 725Nm between 3000 and 5000rpm.
The engine is then connected to a six-speed semi-automatic transmission from Hewland, who has specifically designed helical cut gears and internal reinforcements to keep things resilient while being more refined for road use. This, together with the engine, is mounted in its own dedicated subframe, rather than the carbon structure itself, again for the benefit of on-road refinement.
Praga hasn’t detailed specific performance figures, aside from the fact it’s capable of over 300kmph despite its aggressive aero package. This aero has been honed with the use of an F1 wind-tunnel, and is capable of creating up to 900kg of downforce at 250kmph.
To reinforce the Bohema’s on-road practicality, Praga has created two dedicated luggage spaces just ahead of the rear wheels. Like that seen in a Pagani or the McLaren F1, there are dedicated cases specifically shaped to fit these voids. Interior ambiance has also been paid attention to, with new milled controls, soft Alcantara and coordinating stitching.
Praga has a planned production run of 10 units in 2023, with a maximum of 20 units being produced annually. A total of 89 units will be built, inspired by the company’s victory in the 1933 road race 89 years ago.
