The Youabian Puma, a rather curious car, on sale for $900,000

During the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show a great deal of ink was spilled over this particular model, which some claimed was the “ugliest car” presented at the event. These words did not sit well with the company that manufactures it, which went as far as threatening several specialist journalists who attended the show and did not hesitate to convey that impression to their readers. Despite all this, the Youabian Puma has been put on sale for a price of almost $900,000, which, to say the least, is surprising.

I am not going to say it is an ugly car. It is a curious model, based on the Volvo V70, whose bodywork has been completely reworked to give it a thoroughly novel look. It is certainly not the car a shy person should drive, but we have seen more extravagant things at various shows and customisation events, haven’t we?

To achieve this very distinctive look, the front wheel arches have been removed, leaving the front wheels exposed. The indicators sit outside the bodywork, floating in front of them and creating a somewhat strange sensation. Its bulk, typical of the car it is based on, contrasts with the supercar lines the model tries to imitate. The odd feeling it creates probably comes from the combination of these two concepts.

The engine fitted to this car is a V8 block producing 505 CV, which makes it a remarkable vehicle in terms of power. Part of the criticism it received at the time was that the chassis had not been modified enough to cope with this increase in power, which could cause more problems than advantages.

Nevertheless, sales have already begun, and the company believes the car meets all the requirements to be offered at this price, which is comparable, for example, to that of the Ferrari 599 GTO, and is $50,000 more than the Porsche 918. Will it manage to end up in some garage, after the rejection by the specialist press? As I said, I do not find it that ugly, although it is certainly too expensive for what it offers.

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