First look: Prodrive builds a sub-$100K coupe

THE Detroit motor show opens on January 9 and the Geneva show kicks off on February 28, but in between is the UK's 2006 Autosport International show - the venue chosen by global automotive performance house Prodrive to reveal its new P2 road car.

Previewed in these images ahead of its world public debut on January 12, P2 is a two-seater sports car that aimes to showcase Prodrive's engineering skill and ability to design and build a performance vehicle in less than 12 months.

Employing a Subaru Impreza STi engine, transmission and all-wheel drivetrain, P2 also features Prodrive's own active handling system, dubbed ATD, and an anti-lag system developed from its Subaru world rally cars.

The result is a predicted power to weight ratio approaching 260kW per tonne.

Prodrive says it has no plan to series-produce the Peter Stevens-designed P2 but, if built in volume production, the car could be priced as low as £40,000 ($A95,000).

P2 was designed, engineered and built at Prodrive's facilities at Banbury and Warwick in the UK and will be unveiled by Prodrive chairman David Richards.