Old Dog, New Tricks — Sophisticated St. Louis

A century-old Czech Republic car manufacturer enters the hypercar market.

Written by Andre James / Photos by Curbstone Events and Praga

Praga is likely the oldest car brand you've never heard of. Founded in the late 1800s as a manufacturer of heavy industrial machinery, it moved into vehicle production in 1907 with its two-cylinder Praga Charon. In the following decades, Praga moved into producing motorcycles, trucks, farm equipment, single-engine aircraft, military vehicles and machinery, enduro bikes, and race cars. The company recently reached a performance pinnacle when it announced that its first road-legal hypercar—the Praga Bohema—commenced production in a dedicated facility in the Czech Republic.

The Praga Bohema, first revealed in prototype form in late-2022, will be hand-built in very limited numbers over the next four years. The company says it could well be the last all-new gas-powered hypercar. With a carbon fiber monocoque and body weighing less than 2,204 pounds and boasting 700bhp at 6,800 rpm and a top speed of just over 186mph, the mid-engine aero-driven two-seater will be a dramatic addition to hypercar collectors' garages. The company said in a launch press release that in the right hands, the two-seater "is capable of extreme high performance on track targeting GT3 race car lap times on its semi-slick Pirellis." When not traveling at breakneck speed, extreme rubbernecking is guaranteed during off-track road driving.

Praga says the inspiration for Bohema came from longstanding Praga pal and former F1 and current IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean, who challenged the company to deliver an uncompromised two-person road/track performance car, a rare creature that you can drive to the track, pull on a crash helmet (taken from the bespoke luggage fitted in each of the car's 13.2 gallon side pods), put in lap after lap at high speed on its Pirelli Trofeo R tires, and then drive home again. "On the road, you get a smooth ride, the car eliminates the bumps, you can chat with the passenger, and everything is calm and OK," said Grosjean. "Then simply switch focus, and you are on the track. The same clothes, the same car, but the feeling changes, and you are pushing the limit and collecting amazing lap times again and again."

Although race-bred, the Bohema doesn't skimp on comfort and bespoke functionality, with a hand-assembled and hand-stitched interior comprising carbon fiber, Alcantara and leather that can comfortably accommodate two 6.5-feet-tall adults. The narrow cockpit boasts a fully adjustable driver's seat, steering column, and pedal box. The custom steering wheel, which incorporates a sizeable digital display, is removable for easy entry and exit. The slim center console, launch control, built-in fire extinguisher trigger, and electronic parking brake are located within the slim center console. Hearkening to Praga's aviation division, the airconditioning controls are mounted in a 'fighter jet' style roof console.

First customers of the $1.5m road-legal hypercar were recently invited to visit Praga's bespoke assembly facility to see the hand-building process and experience the final production specification Bohema on its standard Pirelli Trofeo R tires on icy Czech roads, ahead of its public reveal scheduled for later this spring.

The first customer Bohema handover will occur in Europe in the first half of 2024, with that particular hypercar featuring a unique specification to celebrate the occasion. Customer handovers are also planned in the UAE and USA in 2024, with Praga scheduling Bohema production into 2025. Limited test drive opportunities in Europe and the UK will begin this spring before Praga activates its North American and Middle East Bohema launch programs later this year.

Praga Bohema on the track at Spa Francorchamps.

Praga Bohema on the road beside Nürburgring

Bohema production follows the completion of Praga's intensive on-road pre-production development and on-track ride-and-drive test programs occurring throughout 2023 at locations including Spa-Francorchamps, the Red Bull Ring, and Nürburgring. Praga says they sourced advice and performance expertise from some of the world's best drivers on road and track, including F1 and IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean, former "Stig" of BBC's Top Gear, and Praga's Chief Test Driver Ben Collins, and experienced GT racer, Josef Kral.

"This is an important milestone for Praga in our long 117-year history," remarked Tomas Kasparek, owner of Praga Cars. "We're especially proud to be commencing production only one year after revealing the Bohema prototype. We are monitoring every stage of the build process very closely to make sure that the Bohema production car matches, and even exceeds our customers' expectations."