This 650-HP Lightweight Supercar Looks Like The Real Deal

These days, supercar manufacturers are a dime a dozen. Well, to be honest, there are many companies out there that promise they can build the world's next supreme supercar, but very few of these supercars ever make it past the design phase. Fewer still are ever seen in production form, and it's rare to see a company that isn't Ferrari or Lamborghini producing something new that's also something good.

Naturally, some companies hail from the most unexpected areas that blow our minds (Rimac is from Croatia and Koenigsegg is from Sweden), and one of the latest vying for our attention is Swiss brand Picasso Automotive with its 660 LMS lightweight supercar.

We first heard of this company at the start of last year, when a prototype of the company's first product, the PS-01, was teased. Now, we have the production version (named the 660 LMS) to ogle, and it appears that the company has achieved what it set out to, namely the production of a lightweight supercar with no electric assistance. The car was revealed during a private event at the Top Marques Monaco and is reportedly now available to order.

We don't know very much just yet, but we do know that the platform this thing sits on is constructed of "an unprecedented level" of carbon fiber and aluminum, while the monocoque is made of carbon fiber alone.

Impressively, Picasso says that the car was designed and engineered in-house at its factory in San Vittore, Italy. Picasso says that the two sides of the body are made with the longest carbon fiber panel ever built for a car (10.5 feet), which has helped the 660 LMS keep weight down to just 2,160 pounds, or under a metric ton. In combination with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 supplied by Italian firm Autotecnica Motori, performance is sure to be astonishing. The engine has been developed to Picasso's expectations and generates 660 metric horsepower (650 hp) and 541 lb-ft of torque. "The track is the natural environment" of this engine, and the 660 LMS is the first road-legal car to make use of it.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed Sadev sequential transmission, but this hint to its track-ready potential is only scratching the surface. The aero package includes a manually operated rear wing, a flat floor leading to an enormous diffuser, and a front splitter that is sure to chop ankles as people walk past. All of this helps the car produce 2,116 pounds of downforce at 196 mph, which suggests that the top speed is around 200 mph. When it's time to stop, the 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires are slowed using Brembo six-piston calipers in front and four-pistons at the back. Ohlins suspension was fitted to the PS-01 prototype and likely features here too.

We have no images of the cabin at this point, but we are told that the design is race-inspired and features six-point harnesses, a unique carbon fiber steering wheel trimmed in Alcantara, and a rotary selector for the adjustable ABS and traction control systems. This tells us that a novice should be able to enjoy the car and progressively work their way up to turning all the aids off. In something that weighs less than an Alfa Romeo 4C and produces as much power as an Aston Martin DB11, this feature is a good idea.

Then again, with just 21 units to be built at a retail cost of €820,000 before taxes (around $879,000), it's doubtful that too many buyers will be pushing the envelope. Deliveries are planned for the second half of 2023.