Photo: Wells
Wells Vertige is the first car offered by a new automotive company from the UK, Wells Motor Cars. This is a romantic story about a man who wanted to buy the ideal sports car but could not find one on the market to suit his needs.
Robin Wells, the founder of Wells Motor Cars, decided to develop his own car in 2014. Two years in, Robin Hall from Hall Engineering became the project manager, and the team got the car ready for production after seven years of development.
The result is impressive both in style and in substance. The body has dihedral doors and looks like a mashup of TVR, several British classic coupes, and we can also see a bit of Shelby Cobra Daytona influences.
The bodywork hides a steel monocoque chassis with tubular sub-frames and a steel roll-cage. The latter works with the former to supply a torsional rigidity of 47,000 Nm/deg. With composite body panels and a size close to an ND Mazda Miata, the weight comes in at just 850 kg (1,874 lbs.).
That sounds promising, to say the least. The length of the Vertige is 4.0 meters (157.5 inches), while the width is 1.75 m (68.9 inches). So, it is a bit longer than a Miata, but it is still a short car, and it is also wider than an ongoing Miata, but you have to bring out a tape measure to notice the difference.
The good news does not stop here, as the Vertige has a double-wishbone suspension and coil-overs in all four corners. The suspension arms are made from aluminum for less unsprung mass, and the manufacturer was wise enough to fit it with 17-inch rims, which also keep the unsprung weight down. Pilot Sport 4 in 205/45 are the standard tires, but customers will probably go for semi-slicks once they get used to the car and want to exploit every last bit of grip.
Wells Motor Cars has decided to fit unassisted brakes and 280 mm (11") ventilated discs to the Vertige, so the owners will have a bit of time to get used to the stopping power of the four-piston aluminum brake calipers fitted all-round, the lack of servo assistance for the brakes, along with the clear lack of any electronic driver assistance systems.
Wells' Vertige is fitted with a naturally aspirated engine sourced from Ford. The four-cylinder unit is mid-mounted and has a 2.0-liter displacement. It supplies 211 PS (208 HP) and 210 Nm of torque (155 lb.-ft) in standard form, but customers will be able to order parts to squeeze more ponies out of the mill. Aftermarket support for Ford units is strong enough to provide a broad range of possibilites for interested parties.
Since it is a light sports car, it can sprint from 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) in 4.8 seconds, and top speed is set to exceed 140 mph (225 kph). Since this is a low volume manufacturer, the transmission is a six-speed manual. At this time, it does not look like Wells Motor Cars has plans for a DCT, but this might change later in the life of the Vertige.
With all the described specs above, the Wells Vertige seems like a promising car, and the company's engineers benchmarked it against the Porsche Cayman and the Caterham Seven. From a practical standpoint, the Vertige comes with a 206-liter (7.3 cu-ft) trunk and a 15-liter frunk (0.5 cu-ft). Miraculously, the frunk also makes room for a spare wheel. It will probably be left in the pits on track days, but it could prove handy in day-to-day use.
While air conditioning is optional for weight reduction purposes, the center console comes with a seven-inch Sony multimedia unit that features Bluetooth, DAB radio, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. There are two USB slots to charge the driver and the passenger's smartphone. In the search for a low weight, the sound system consists of two speakers, but this is not the point of the Wells Vertige. Its dash is upholstered in Alcantara, while the steering wheel is wrapped in leather.
So, how much does all of this cost? A lot, right? Not quite. The starting price is GBP 40,000 ($55,130), which sounds like a bargain for a track-ready, low-volume, mid-engined, exclusive sports car. The first seven units will be delivered by spring 2022, and each of them has been spoken for. It is worth noting that the first units will be made by Hall Engineering, while later cars will be series-produced in a new factory. Wells Motor Cars will build 25 units per year in its facility in Warwickshire, once the factory will be set for production.
The result is impressive both in style and in substance. The body has dihedral doors and looks like a mashup of TVR, several British classic coupes, and we can also see a bit of Shelby Cobra Daytona influences.
The bodywork hides a steel monocoque chassis with tubular sub-frames and a steel roll-cage. The latter works with the former to supply a torsional rigidity of 47,000 Nm/deg. With composite body panels and a size close to an ND Mazda Miata, the weight comes in at just 850 kg (1,874 lbs.).
That sounds promising, to say the least. The length of the Vertige is 4.0 meters (157.5 inches), while the width is 1.75 m (68.9 inches). So, it is a bit longer than a Miata, but it is still a short car, and it is also wider than an ongoing Miata, but you have to bring out a tape measure to notice the difference.
The good news does not stop here, as the Vertige has a double-wishbone suspension and coil-overs in all four corners. The suspension arms are made from aluminum for less unsprung mass, and the manufacturer was wise enough to fit it with 17-inch rims, which also keep the unsprung weight down. Pilot Sport 4 in 205/45 are the standard tires, but customers will probably go for semi-slicks once they get used to the car and want to exploit every last bit of grip.
Wells Motor Cars has decided to fit unassisted brakes and 280 mm (11") ventilated discs to the Vertige, so the owners will have a bit of time to get used to the stopping power of the four-piston aluminum brake calipers fitted all-round, the lack of servo assistance for the brakes, along with the clear lack of any electronic driver assistance systems.
Wells' Vertige is fitted with a naturally aspirated engine sourced from Ford. The four-cylinder unit is mid-mounted and has a 2.0-liter displacement. It supplies 211 PS (208 HP) and 210 Nm of torque (155 lb.-ft) in standard form, but customers will be able to order parts to squeeze more ponies out of the mill. Aftermarket support for Ford units is strong enough to provide a broad range of possibilites for interested parties.
Since it is a light sports car, it can sprint from 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) in 4.8 seconds, and top speed is set to exceed 140 mph (225 kph). Since this is a low volume manufacturer, the transmission is a six-speed manual. At this time, it does not look like Wells Motor Cars has plans for a DCT, but this might change later in the life of the Vertige.
With all the described specs above, the Wells Vertige seems like a promising car, and the company's engineers benchmarked it against the Porsche Cayman and the Caterham Seven. From a practical standpoint, the Vertige comes with a 206-liter (7.3 cu-ft) trunk and a 15-liter frunk (0.5 cu-ft). Miraculously, the frunk also makes room for a spare wheel. It will probably be left in the pits on track days, but it could prove handy in day-to-day use.
While air conditioning is optional for weight reduction purposes, the center console comes with a seven-inch Sony multimedia unit that features Bluetooth, DAB radio, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. There are two USB slots to charge the driver and the passenger's smartphone. In the search for a low weight, the sound system consists of two speakers, but this is not the point of the Wells Vertige. Its dash is upholstered in Alcantara, while the steering wheel is wrapped in leather.
So, how much does all of this cost? A lot, right? Not quite. The starting price is GBP 40,000 ($55,130), which sounds like a bargain for a track-ready, low-volume, mid-engined, exclusive sports car. The first seven units will be delivered by spring 2022, and each of them has been spoken for. It is worth noting that the first units will be made by Hall Engineering, while later cars will be series-produced in a new factory. Wells Motor Cars will build 25 units per year in its facility in Warwickshire, once the factory will be set for production.
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