Fancy something a bit different for your next track day?

Monday, 9 August 2021

Ben Collins, racing driver and ex-Stig from BBC Top Gear, discusses the Praga R1 and racing in Australia.

If you’re considering spending some of this year’s tax return on a new track car, why settle for a Porsche Cayman or a stripped BMW M3? Instead, what about the awesome Praga R1?

The niche Czech maker has announced Melbourne-based Praga Racing ANZ will be responsible for dealing with all Oceanic enquiries, meaning there’s now an easier way to get the R1 race car into New Zealand.

It will be run by Nik Manukyan the owner and principle of Euro MotorSport (EMS) and Rick Campbell, racing car driver and CEO/owner of various technology consulting firms.

Fancy something a little more special for your new track car? You can now get a Praga R1 in New Zealand.

Mark Harrison, Head of Commercial Operations for Praga Cars said: “We are really pleased to have agreed terms with Rick and Nik and look forward to helping them grow the Praga brand in the region.

**READ MORE:

The R1 makes more power than a Honda Civic Type R and weighs about a third of one too.

* Radical has been unleashed upon New Zealand

* Kiwi car makes its UK track debut

It probably won’t make it to New Zealand but Praga also builds a mental Dakar truck.

* Volvo's gorgeous P1800 has been reborn as a road-racer

“The R1 is a cost-effective and easy to run mini-LMP style carbon racer that is now really starting to take off in the UK and I expect the same to happen in Australia and New Zealand in the coming years given the historically close motor racing links between our countries.”

Praga Racing ANZ will take delivery of the first two R1s in the third quarter of 2021 with a view to participating in a national race series in Australia commencing in early 2022.

It also wants to offer an “end-to-end proposition for the purchase, servicing and support of the Praga R1 for both track days and those wishing to race the ultimate in high-performance, lightweight and aerodynamically advanced race cars at an affordable price.”

The R1 itself uses a bespoke, turbocharged, mid-mounted four-cylinder engine, good for 272kW/395Nm. Thanks to a lot of carbon fibre in the body and chassis, the car only weighs 643kg before fluids.

Praga says the engine will last 4500km before needing a rebuild.

A six-speed automatic transmission is standard, with paddle-operated shifts, flat-shift and auto blipping.

While it’s unclear what else will be offered in ANZ, Praga also builds a cross-country Dakar truck (probably not) and a small plane (almost definitely not).