Rezvani Automotive Designs. The Beastmaster

The Rezvani Beast: 500hp and 0-96kph in 2.7 seconds from Ariel Atom contemporary.

So this week Audi has unveiled the fastest road-going R8 it’s ever produced. As well as producing 570hp from its mid-mounted 5.2-litre V10, a 3.4-second 0-100kph time and a 319kph top speed, the R8 LMX is also the first production car to feature laser beam headlights as standard. Just 99 examples of what Audi calls its ‘pioneering design’ will be available worldwide.

Cute.

However, Rezvani Automotive Designs – a ‘boutique exotic car coach builder’ based in California – may have top trumped Ingolstadt on this occasion.

This is The Beast, a name that sounds horribly clichéd for a sports car but one that becomes more apt the further below the fur you scratch. At the heart of this carbon fibre composite bodywork for instance lies a four-cylinder engine that chucks out 500hp and 427lb ft of torque, thanks to an M62 Supercharger, Garret GTX Turbos and a six-speed manual gearbox. While this pales in comparison to the R8 LMX, the Beast’s extreme lightweight design (it weighs only 704kg) means 0-60mph (0-96kph) is nailed in just 2.7 seconds.

Neck-snapping acceleration is only part of the story, the other being that Lamborghini-esque bodyshape. All sharp edges and aggressive teenager headlights, the design is courtesy of Samir Sadikhov whose previous works include the Lamborghini Aventador J and Urus, as well as the funky Ferrari 612 GTO, Xezri, and Xeri Competizione. As well as a removable windscreen, the RAD Beast (yep, that’s it’s actual name) has no doors, meaning both driver and passenger slide through the open canopy like a jet fighter. If your back is causing you issues though, hinged doors are an optional extra.

If all this ‘boutique’ insanity sounds a little familiar, inspiration – and we’re assuming a chassis – has been drawn from the nimble and ferociously quick Ariel Atom. With prices yet to be confirmed, we’re going to go out on a limb and assume that’s all they have in common.

Availability? Slim, but if you already have your deposit cheques ready, then there’s more information at rezvanimotors.com