The Man Who's Building the $2 Million Car

To Alfred DiMora, designing, building and selling a $2 million limited-production super-exotic sedan seemed like a good enough idea in 2007.

The economy was flush and more than enough hedge fund captains and assorted other Masters of the Universe were spending money like water and buying-up (while speculating on and often ruining the market for us regular folks) private jets, classic cars, restored steam engines, fleets of ocean-going yachts with helicopters (and landing pads) and all other manner of expensive, one-of-a-kind "transportation."

And, he says, he already has 37 orders for the "Natalia SLS 2" (Natalia being his mother's maiden name). Far be it from him to disappoint these early-adopter customers.

(Computer rendering of DiMora Motorcar's $2 million Natalia SLS 2).

He's the founder of DiMora Motorcar, based in Palm Springs, CA, and creator of Starbridge Systems, which developed what he says is the world's fastest FPGA supercomputer.

When we asked DiMora yesterday why, in light of the world economy, he hasn't stopped or at least delayed the venture, he told us, "Creating any car is a five-year project, and now that I'm 2 ½ years into this one, I'm determined to see it through."

Yes, he's done something similar before.

DiMora is well-known in the auto industry for designing mid-1970's high-end, high-concept "neoclassic" cars with a 1930's-style design theme, including the Clenet and Sceptre.

Some automotive purists consider both cars sacrilege, with a retro-styled body placed over a clunky, Detroit-built, rear-drive large car platform. DiMora says they sold almost 500 Clenets and Sceptres combined, which were highly-priced for their times (up to $65,000).

(Alfred DiMora).

What kind of people bought them? Many years ago, while driving through Hollywood, I saw Lyle Waggoner (from the old Carol Burnett TV show) in his two-seat, open-top Clenet, with vanity license plates reading "Mr. Cool."

That about said it all for me as far as the car (and Waggoner) were concerned; but just because I didn't much like the car's looks, or have much respect for the people that bought them, obviously, other people did.

With his electronics and automotive backgrounds, DiMora thinks he has the right blend of experience to create the Natalia, planned to be a hand-built-to-order super-exotic with a powerful V16 engine and the latest in technology.

(One of DiMora's 1970's design efforts, the neo-classic Clenet).

DiMora knows that even as the world economy continues to tank, there are segments of society which can ride out almost any financial storm and continue their profligate ways. At least he hopes so.

In the supercar production arena, the Bugatti Veyron is currently the priciest of the lot at about $1.6 million. Who buys these kinds of cars? A Veyron owner is Simon Cowell of American Idol fame.

(American Idol's Simon Cowell exits his $1.6-million Bugatti Veyron, somewhere in Los Angeles).

And Palm Springs itself owns an important footnote in the history of American automotive design.

The original and still-futuristic Studebaker Avanti, which management prayed would save the company, made its advent in 1962 as a 1963 model.

The fiberglass-bodied Avanti was engineered and styled in 1961 during an intense five-week session led by famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy, whose streamlined locomotives, Greyhound busses and the Coke bottle, among many other products, quickly became American classics. Avanti was even named the Official (honorary) Pace Car of the 1962 Indianapolis 500; alas, it was for naught, as Studebaker died soon after the radical new car's advent (though Avanti lives on today in various iterations from the many companies which have held the rights to the car since).

Though almost every major car maker now has a design studio in Southern California, Palm Springs was the first So Cal city which gave America a look at some aspects of the automotive future. So DiMora believes in the good karma of the place for his project.

(An original Studebaker Avanti in the carport outside Raymond Loewy's 1946 Albert Frey-designed modernist house in Palm Springs, CA; and yes, this car was painted to match the house's typical desert-toned color).

DiMora is building what is essentially a virtual car company (and some say Natalia might well remain a virtual car); instead of large, experienced parts developers and suppliers going through the traditional process of building production facilities near a plant where Natalia would be assembled, DiMora says he is challenging private industry and universities across America to come up with all-new materials and parts for the car at their existing research and development labs.

"Because of the cost of each car," DiMora, 52, told us, "we really have no hard and fast budget to hold to when it comes to its parts. It's sort of 'anything goes.'"

The Rochester, NY, native says the following companies are among those involved in Natalia's parts process:

- A Palm Springs company, Champion Bearing, will supply high-tech silicon nitrate ball bearings for many of the car's critical parts;

- Brembo, the Italian brake-maker, is working on a system which can capture the heat from braking and transfer it into energy for Natalia's electronics, similar in some ways to the newly-mandated Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) soon due in Formula 1 race cars;


(Another computer-generated view of the Natalia SLS 2).

- Prometal is creating the all-aluminum 855-cubic inch V16 1,200-horsepower "Volcano" engine (I can already hear Jay Leno's jokes about that name);

- Epner Technologies will produce 24 carat gold leaf for the engine compartment both to provide a sharp appearance and possibly be used as heat-protection on a future 1,600-horsepower turbocharged Natalia;

- American Glass Products will supply their Vario-Plus product for the car's windows and its glass roof, which can be adjusted to allow in only as much light as Natalia's driver and passengers desire;

- Barotex will incorporate a new production method for the car's unibody chassis called D-tack, which makes use of volcanic rock, which DiMora claims is similar to carbon fiber in its weight and strength, and,

- Clemson University's CUI-CAR, their International Center of Automotive Research, is working to supply Natalia's light and strong titanium suspension bits.

And, yes, he's already making plans for various alt fuel and hybrid versions of the car.

It's easy to doubt DiMora, but he's also a great PR man and marketer; he enthusiastically sells himself and his ideas, with the ability to quickly turn doubters into true believers.

The $2 million price tag is a gimmick, to be sure, as is the Volcano engine name, both used to get media attention - and it's worked; Natalia has been written-about in scores of newspapers and magazines and on websites worldwide. Google the DiMora or Natalia name and see what happens.

And the fact remains that DiMora has been involved in successfully building small runs of very expensive specialty cars before.

Will DiMora actually build his $2 million car? He says he hopes to deliver the first ones in 2011. And remember those 37 orders.

In the car world, stranger things have happened.

Comments

[JScott]

Yup and there's still that revived Packard that's not going anywhere.

For the most part they are all air.....

computer generated pics no specifics on the mechanicals other that flowery ad prose

I'm thinking it's just like all the PR in the buildup to the introduction of the..............


EDSEL!

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

Someone owns the Duesenberg name and is asking $1 million for it, last I heard. And the checkered past of the Avanti, once shopping mall owners and others of that ilk got hold of the name - and tooling - is certainly a cautionary tale.
Don't think anyone is bdding for the Edsel name, though ... At least not yet.
Steve

[Arthur954]

Obama should appoint Alfred as the new car czar

[dadw5boys]

EXCUSE ME CURVE AHEA AHHHHHHHHH­HHHHHHHHHH­HHHHHHH.

[KillTheMessenger]

Yawn. It's not even good looking. The sole value for the customer is the "I got the money! Admire me!" factor. And that can be fixed way cheaper with a hundred or so therapy sessions.

[Dystopic]

and the Pimps rejoice

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

There's an old saying in the car business relating to a model which is way more expensive than others in the showroom, especially if it's not the best-looking car ever made. Let's use a phony car maker as an example. When the executives decide to build the car and ship it to their stores, they say, in so many words, "Well, every one of our dealers knows ten people rich and stupid enough to buy one!"
Buick Reatta, anyone?

[Dystopic]

I would counter the Reatta with the Caddy Allante.

[JScott]

KInda wonder why, the ultra high end market is so crowded now with really really impractical vehicles.
I can't understand a Veyron that goes blisteringly fast (when you can find a road where you can) but you can only do it for 15 min. before the fuel tank empties. Same with this proposed car.
I mean really if you wanta go that fast and have the money you just buy a private jet.
And jeez the simple laws of physics will limit wheeled vehicles to about 300 mph anyway, and even at that you are frying your tires. And you just know ultra high end buyers would find the million dollar proposed 'flying car' from Moller (google it) would be far cooler that just some pedestrian wheeled vehicle and half the price. Wonder if Maybach makes MBZ any money at all I've only see 3 since they went on sale (besides they look ugly).

[KillTheMessenger]

If you want to go really fast you can always take a ride in a MIG-29.

http://www.incredible-adventures.com/dreams.html

It's cheaper, too. And soon you'll get the suborbital flights, anyway.

[Dystopic]

I had a buddy go do that. the assigned pilot wasn't allowed to fly because he was so stinking drunk. Once the pilot issue was dealt with, he had a blast.

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

I agree with all you say - but the most-popular displays at auto shows are always the ones with the most futuristic concepts and high-po cars. I thought a little dream-time was called-for in this Blog; most all the other news is so frightening. And we can get back to that, well, today ...
Stev

[Dystopic]

the Veyron is not designed for the daily commute. It is for racing airplane from the Riyadh to Dharan highway.

Maybach is a "halo" vehicle for MB. I wish they would bring back the Pullman

[jerrypl]

And so, does the paint chip, or the body capable of dents, the frame susceptible to corrosion, or interior able to get torn, ripped, scraped or stained? Does an owner drive it or sit in the driveway and pretend to drive it. The owners must drive around their quarter mile circular driveways wondering why they ever spent that much money on a car they cannot take anywhere. Such pretension is disgusting. I am not impressed!

http://eye-on-washington.blogspot.com

[customgreen]

Not needed not really interesting. Just another in a long line of guys who fiddle and play with money in the exotic car market. The sad thing is a V16 855 CI and it only gets 1200 HP? Hell I can get 750 out of my iron block 69 Mopar 440 with fairly little investment. When I see things like this it makes me wonder what ever happened to the vaunted Tomahawk superbike, or the ME 4/12? Can't remember the exact names of the prototypes.

[Dystopic]

I get 1000 from my 3.0L 2JZ-GTE Supra. There are TONS of Supras that are 1000HP and alot of them are over 1500HP (usually with a Titan Motorsports 3.4L stroker kit). The 2.8L RB28DETT (JDM Nissan Skyline GT-R) that are well over 1200HP (chassis dyno).

the ME 4/12 (not the correct name, i'm sure) was destroyed in a car carrier crash.

[KillTheMessenger]

Except that the last 800 of your hp go to nothing but to grinding your tires into shreds. Power without control and proper power matching means exactly nothing.

:-)