By JOYCE KHOO
The traditional superpowers of the auto (or more
specifically, sports car) industry have a new young upstart on their hands –
Russia.
The Marussia has a decidedly fierce aesthetic, and is
expected to churn out at least 240 horsepower with the help of a Nissan
3.5-litre six-cylinder engine.
Plans for an electric version are also set to be
revealed in the middle of the year – this electric version is expected to
utilize a Russian-made nanotech battery, specially created to overcome many of
the problems associated with running electric vehicles in Russia’s unforgiving
cold.
One of the men behind the development of the Marussia is
47-year-old Russian singer, television anchor and actor Nikolay Fomenko.
Fomenko is himself a former champion of the FIA GT Championship, and his GT
roots show in both the vehicle’s design, and its claim to run 248 miles on a
single charge in its electric incarnation.
Reports have pointed to the first Marussia being ready for
shipment in late 2009, and buyers can expect a minimum price tag of $100,000
for one of these new supercars.
