This stylish roadster looks like a toy brought to life
What's the story
Tim Dutton, a legendary figure in the kit car industry, has unveiled his first new model in 37 years. The Phaeton 5 is a modern update of its predecessors from the late 1980s. Back then, Dutton's firm was the world's largest manufacturer of kit cars by volume. Over the years, he sold more than 8,000 kits, an average of 363 per year from 1967 to 1989.
Career evolution
A brief history of Dutton's car business
After his initial stint in the kit car industry, Dutton took a short break before venturing into building and selling amphibious cars. He started this new chapter in 1995 with models like Mariner, Commander, Amphijeep, Reef, and Surf. Over nearly three decades, he sold a total of 282 such vehicles. In 2023, he sold the project to his agent in Poland after spending years perfecting these unique machines.
New venture
The Phaeton 5 is painted green
After a brief period of restoring his old machines, Dutton and his long-time associate Jack Gorski decided to start building new cars again. The result of their effort is the Phaeton 5, which comes in a striking green color (officially called Lamborghini Verde Scandal). This model is larger than its predecessor due to Dutton's realization that people have grown bigger over the years.
Model details
Based on the Mk3 Mazda MX-5
The Phaeton 5 is based on the Mk3 Mazda MX-5, a popular choice in the kit car industry. Apart from hardware supplied by Dutton in his kit package, everything else comes from the donor car. This includes heated leather seats, switchgear, wheels and tires. You can even sell unwanted parts of the Mazda to recoup around £1,000.
Performance boost
It comes with a lively 160hp engine
The Phaeton 5 comes with a lively 160hp 2.0-liter engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. It weighs almost half as much as the MX-5 donor, giving an instant performance boost. The larger cockpit dimensions of this new model make it easy to find a comfortable driving position with plenty of adjustment options. As for pricing, the complete kit costs £9,990 (around ₹12.5 lakh).