Saturday, March 10, 2007

Paragon Artega GT

GENEVA — German automotive supplier Paragon unveiled a new rolling showcase of its capabilities at the Geneva auto show. Its Artega GT coupe was engineered entirely in-house and is backed by industry heavyweights.

Paragon Artega GTParagon Artega GT 2Klaus-Dieter Frers, CEO of Paragon, looked very pleased at the Geneva show. His Artega was penned by former Aston designer-turned coachbuilder and industrial stylist Henrik Fisker, and it attracted the serious attention of a few carmakers at the show who were particularly attracted to the new dashboard layout. Paragon supplies air-conditioning systems, instrumentation and other components to the auto industry, and it incorporated all its knowledge in the Artega.

The Artega is powered by a 300-horsepower 3.6-liter Volkswagen engine that propels the sleek coupe to a claimed 167-plus mph. Apart from the engine, all components were built in-house, including the aluminum space frame and the six-speed direct-shift gearbox.

Paragon hired Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, who has previously worked for BMW, Rolls-Royce, Fiat and other carmakers. His presence highlighted Artega's debut and provided even more publicity opportunities for the company.

There'll be just a limited run of Artegas produced. Deliveries will start next summer, and final specifications will be revealed closer to the on-sale date.

© Source: article on insideline
Feel free to leave your comments below >>