With a few more laps at Top Gear’s test track, the Bohema might have even outrun the Aston Martin Valkyrie
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- The Praga Bohema is powered by a modified Nissan GT-R engine producing 700 hp.
- Lightweight carbon fiber construction helps keep its weight down to just 2,300 lbs.
- It outpaced the 1,600 hp Koenigsegg Jesko on Top Gear’s original Dunsfold test track.
Not every record-breaking supercar comes from a household name or a glossy PR campaign. Sometimes, it’s the lesser-known underdogs that quietly show up, go fast, and leave a few heavyweights wondering what just happened.
The little-known Praga Bohema has set a new lap record for a pure combustion-powered car at the old Top Gear test track and in the process, usurped the much more powerful Koenigsegg Jesko and came close to the Aston Martin Valkyrie. That’s not bad from a company that we suspect most car enthusiasts have never even heard of.
Also: Praga Proves Bohema Is No Vaporware By Delivering First Production Car
The lightweight Bohema is made almost entirely from carbon fiber, similar to the Aston Martin Valkyrie, and comes wrapped in detailed, purpose-built bodywork aimed at squeezing out as much downforce as possible. Power comes from a reworked 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 lifted from the Nissan GT-R, tuned by Litchfield to crank out 700 horsepower. All of that gets funneled straight to the rear wheels.
Eager to see just how quick the car is, Praga recruited Ben Collins, the former Stig, to lap Dunsfold Aerodrome in the Bohema. He’s driven the car before, so it didn’t take long before he was able to put all of its power to good use.
On his first flying lap, he clocked a 1:12.3, enough to beat the Ferrari 488 Pista’s 1:12.7, but still behind the hybrid Ferrari SF90’s 1:11.3. Not bad, but the Bohema clearly had more to give. Collins kept pushing, shaving off time with each lap until he hit 1:10.9. Then, on what became his fastest run, he delivered a 1:09.8. That put the Bohema just two-tenths of a second behind the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
Not Exactly a Level Playing Field
Of course, there’s a small caveat. During the Top Gear TV era, The Stig typically had just one flying lap to post a time. In contrast, Collins completed several laps in the Bohema, allowing him to get better accustomed to the car. As a result, it’s not really an apples-to-apples comparison. But, for a small brand like Praga, it’s an impressive achievement nonetheless.
