Powered by a naturally aspirated straight-six engine, the collaborative model will comprise only 12 examples.
The Ares Wami Lalique Spyder isn’t a regular luxury vehicle. It doesn’t chase record-breaking zero-to-60 mph times or boast shocking power figures, and it doesn’t have any state-of-the-art tech, driver modes, or even a hybrid power train. It also doesn’t really look like a new car. Instead, the smooth, generous curves, soft, elegant side profile, and old-school wire wheels firmly reference a mid-century aesthetic.
Underneath, there’s a similar story. Forget turbochargers; the Wami has a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter straight-six engine that puts out just 231 hp. The engine, instead, has been chosen for its characterful feel and classic sound, which Ares suggests is befitting of the 1950s-roadster look.
But back to that bodywork. It’s the first thing you notice when you see the car and the last thing you’ll remember. While it might appear to wear hand-beaten aluminum, the car is in fact made entirely from carbon fiber, and has been designed in Ares’ Modena Centro Stile factory in Italy. The long bonnet and gaping front grille are said to reference the Maserati A6GCS Frua, one of the most beautiful of the Italian marque’s back catalog—and rarest. Elsewhere, the sweeping side profile and vents tip their hat to another classic, the Ferrari 250 GT California, while the wire wheels and chrome accenting complete the vintage feel.
It was an idea dreamt up by Ares executive chairman Waleed Al Ghafari, who’s always admired those classic machines and wanted to offer a tribute with something new. “As a young child, I was captivated by the cars driven by the film stars in the 1950s and 1960s, during that carefree and wonderful era known to all as La Dolce Vita,” says Al Ghafari. “It was this admiration that led us to design and develop a car like no other—a retro-styled roadster that not only pays homage to some of the most beautiful cars ever created but one that incorporates remarkable artistry and craftsmanship from Lalique.”
Speaking of Lalique, the French crystal maker has of course contributed to the car’s name. But it’s also influenced its design, with a total of 13 handmade crystals applied to its bodywork, wheels, and interior. It’s the first time Lalique has completely outfitted a production car, only adding to the Wami’s rarity.
“Thanks to the perfect marriage between Lalique’s bespoke crystal design and Ares’s high level of excellence in car design and technology, the result of this collaboration is the ultimate luxury accessory,” says Silvio Denz, Lalique’s chairman and CEO. “This very special collaboration perpetuates the work of René Lalique, whose iconic car mascots were some of his best-known pieces created in the roaring twenties.”
There will only be a total of 12 examples of the Ares Wami Lalique Spyder produced, making it just as rare as the 1950s legends it emulates. While its underpinnings won’t rival the engineering of a sports car at half its price, it’s an interesting new alternative to the restomod trend that has seen the likes of Singer and Alfaholics scratch the vintage itch. Part show car, part art piece, there’s nothing else quite like it on the market today.
