The Spirra is almost here. South Korea is about to introduce its first supercar, nine years after the Proto Motors PS-II prototype was first revealed to the press. After navigating through rough seas, including being bought out by a company called the Oullim Group, Proto Motors (now Oullim Motors) is confident of a 2010 summer market introduction.

Maximum power will come from a V6 motor with four different outputs. At its meekest, it will produce 129kW (173 bhp/ 175 PS) and torque of 245 Nm (181 lb-ft) at 6,000rpm. The second configuration features a small turbo that helps it push 243 kW (325 bhp / 330 PS) and 471 Nm (347 lb-ft). At the third-highest level is a power output of between 294 kW (395 bhp/ 400 PS) and 309 kW (414 bhp/ 420 PS), assisted by a bigger turbo. Peak torque for this engine is 490 Nm (361 lb-ft).

The most powerful of them all is persuaded by two turbos encouraging between 331 kW (444 bhp/ 450 PS) and 368kW (493 bhp/ 500 PS). The maximum torque is 539 Nm (398 lb-ft). Drive is through the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox. At its quickest it goes from 0 - 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds. Top speeds range from 212 km/h to 310 km/h.

Road grip is provided by 225/40R 19 front and 275/40R 19 rear tyres. The Spirra has a mid-engine layout and is constructed by hand.

The body is made from carbon fibre, enclosing a tubular spaceframe. It is all lightweight but very stiff at the same time. The Korean auto industry does not yet have a well-developed supercar heritage and as such, these manufacturing technologies are not common for the general market.

The hand-built Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans will be built with an engine that produces over 600 horsepower (447 kW / 608 PS) and up to 590 ft-lb (799 Nm) of torque.  Developed by American niche manufacturer Panoz, the car will be limited to 81 vehicles, and is guaranteed to be street legal in Asia, Europe, Middle East and South America.

Not coincidentally, the 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race will take place in 2013, presumably with the limited edition car in the pack.

"This is culmination of equal parts time, effort and dreams," said company founder Don Panoz.  "The Panoz brand always has prided itself on hand-building and delivering an exotic automobile and experience to our customers. Our new offering takes this to a completely new level."

The as-yet undisclosed engine will be mounted at the front, though an advanced radiator will be mounted at the back.  The car's body uses a multi-layer composite material instead of carbon fiber because it is lighter, just as strong, more resistant to damage, and recyclable.  While a progression on the Panoz Esperante GTR-1, the car does have its own unique progressions.  Items like the dual front split and the carved front end have been seen before, but not in the way portrayed here.  The elimination of the front headlight bulbs, in place of LED lighting strips, looks interesting, as do the side sills.  A nice revision can be seen at the back, where the rear end has styling that better matches the front.

Personalization will be a big aspect of this car, though the company did not state what aspects would be customizable.  A nice bonus is that customers will be able to receive driver training at the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans, while getting VIP treatment at a 24 Hours of Le Mans event.  Pricing for the Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans has not been disclosed.