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Ares Design, the company co-founded three years ago by former Lotus chief Dany Bahar, has released details of six coach-built models of high-end cars that it intends to sell to clients around the world, from its new facility in Modena, Italy.
Ares says it has taken ownership and developed the bespoke factory as part of a new business model, that sees coach-building projects begin and end at a dedicated global headquarters. The six cars in question, for instance, were all developed, designed and constructed through a network of suppliers under instruction and guidance from Ares Design, with the sextet coming back to Modena in January for a final technical and quality sign-off.
The first six cars from the Ares Design Technical Centre are: a Bentley Mulsanne four-door turned into a coupe by the coachbuilders, that will be sold in limited numbers; a one-off demonstrator C2 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray that has been modernised for performance, ride/handling and interior fittings over the course of more than 3,500 hours of work, showcasing Ares' capabilities for wealthy customers; the Ares Design X-Raid, a Mercedes-AMG G 63 with overhauled looks inside and out; the Ares Design Porsche 964 Targa... and no, your eyes are not deceiving you - it's a 1991 911 Carrera 2 Targa, made to look like the latest 991-generation model; and two bespoke versions of the Land Rover Defender, one with supercharging and one without, that will be built in a run of 53 cars along with Land Rover specialist JE Motor Works.
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Bahar, CEO and co-founder of Ares Design, said: "Presenting our amazing new facility and ten Ares projects either on the road, in-build or at concept phase and due for release later in 2018, was an incredibly proud moment for me and our shareholders. We believe we have found a sweet spot for bespoke automotive production: both in our location in Italy at the heart of the world of luxury cars, and in the market place for coach-building. Our technological advances and global headquarters allow for new levels of personalisation that deliver cars in weeks, not years, at prices that respect our clients. We have seen great interest in our projects for 2018 and it was amazing to see our first cars take to the roads."