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Spanish style, Viper V10 muscle?

Why are the Spanish trying to usurp their Latin cousins with a slew of fetching supercar designs? We don’t know, but we like it.

Way back in 1995, a Spanish engineer took four Yamaha R1 superbike engines, configured them together in a W16 formation, and gave the world Spain’s supercar, the 412kW Jimenez.

After the crazy Jimmy, things went a bit quiet in the land of the elaborate lunch break with regards to supercar engineering. Recently though, Spain’s automotive industry seems keen on a supercar rejuvenation.

Track certified designers

Aspid’s Supersport takes a cue from the best of lightweight British performance cars – and does it in a thoroughly contemporary way with stunning digital control. Following this, GTA's Spano is attempting to make founder Domingo Ochoa’s dream of a Catalonian supercar come true.

GTA honed its performance tuning skills for 20 years in the motorsport arena, and chief engineer Sento Pallardó’s Spano design is liberally brandished with race track hewn design cues.

Beyond the radical styling (is it just us or does it have a lot of Lotus and Ascari about it?) the chassis and suspension control units are pure track certified items.

The chassis is a carbon-fibre, titanium and Kevlar blend formed into an extremely rigid tub, with wheels suspended by double-wishbones at each corner. Featuring 80mm of height adjustability, the GTA can be set up for beachfront commuting or high-speed track work - depending which end of the hydraulic suspension’s setting table you're working towards.


We don't know many 8.3l V10 engines, so this supercharged one GTA is using to power the Spano must be a close relation of the Dodge Viper V10...

Dodge Viper V10 power?

Powering the Spano is a longitudinally mounted 8.3l V10 engine. GTA says they designed this engine specifically for the Spano, yet are curiously coy concerning the exact details.

We’re pretty sure it’s a Dodge Viper-sourced unit (the architecture is just too similar) and after Spano has supercharged this oversized V8, power figures factor into the realm of fantasy – 626kW and 920Nm.


Not real pretty from the rear, but does have plenty of nifty aerodynamic design elements that you'll appreciate around 350km/h...

Bodywork is fashioned into a strikingly aerodynamic design, which feeds as much airflow as possible into the engine bay to cool the dynamic components nestled there, aided by oil coolers too – especially important considering the heat generating properties of the 8.3l V8’s copious swept capacity in operation.

Transferring Spano’s ridiculous reserves of power to the road is a seven-speed transmission, either in sequential, paddle shift or a traditional H-gate configuration. With such trick aerodynamic design (incorporating dual air brakes around the rear of the Spano) and massive power, the 0-100km/h sprint in 2.9 seconds and 350km/h top speed seems entirely feasible.

Smart detailing

Other clever design touches include the frameless doors opening by depressing a simple GTA logo, which in turn ushers in a very spacious interior, which GTA claims can accommodate drivers up to 2m tall with ease.

Borrowing ergonomic design direction from Aspid, GTA’s Spano employs a customer-customised LCD readout for all functionalities, with a joystick control actuating lights, indicators and other controls.



Perhaps the most ingenious engineering feature has gone into the Spano’s greenhouse architecture, featuring electric window control – and no, it’s not what you think in the normal powered window frame of things.

Spano’s large glazed surfacing around the cabin blends with an interior lighting and crystal shading system that, via electronically adjustable sun visors set into the glass, keeps the interior lighting ambience at a desired level.

To ensure optimal exclusivity GTA says it will produce a run of only 99 cars, and has allegedly already formed distribution agreements with partners in China, the United Arab Emirates, USA, Russia, Germany and Italy.



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