Have you heard of YES!? No? Neither had we, until Funke & Will AG brought its wares to the 2008 Chicago auto show.
Apparently the German company has been producing little sports cars since 2001, when the first generation of the YES! Roadster was introduced. Beginning this summer, American buyers will be able to purchase version 2.0 of the low-volume two-seater already available in countries throughout Europe as well as Japan and New Zealand.
The Roadster comes in two flavors: normally aspirated 3.2 or 3.2 Turbo. Both are powered by an Audi-sourced 3.2-liter VR6 that's mounted in the rear. The hand-built car uses an aluminum spaceframe that was developed by Herbert Funke and Philipp Will, the company's namesakes. At around 2000 lbs, weight is similar to that of a Lotus Elise.
Performance is also Lotus-like, though price tags are about one and a half times those of comparable Hethel-built cars. The $77,995 Roadster 3.2 makes 255 hp and will reach 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. An extra $20,000 will get you the turbocharged version that produces 100 more hp and lowers the 0-to-60-mph time to 3.8 seconds. Not quick enough? Add the $7995 turbo upgrade for a total of 415 hp.
So it's not cheap, especially when you consider that creature comforts are all optional, ostensibly to keep weight down. A removable hard top, heated seats, and a navigation system are all available at an extra cost.
Click the link below for high-resolution Roadster 3.2 images.