Swiss company Picasso unveiled the 660 LMS supercar at the 2022 Top Marques Monaco.
A new company has emerged to compete with existing supercar manufacturers. Its name is Picasso Automotive.
Picasso, based in Saint Vittore, Switzerland, unveiled its first product Wednesday in the form of the 660 LMS supercar. The debut took place at the 2022 Top Marques Monaco.
The 660 LMS is a no nonsense circuit machine that can also be driven on public roads, and unlike many of the fanciful electric hypercars seen in recent years, it is based on proven technology and has a good chance of becoming a production car.
The car was designed by Picasso from the ground up, drawing inspiration from the world of Le Mans sports prototypes. The goal of the project was to create a raw and brawny supercar that professional drivers and amateurs could enjoy on the road and on the track, according to the company's CEO and founder, Stefano Picasso.
The car is constructed entirely of carbon fiber and weighs only 2,160 pounds. To save so much extreme weight, Picasso chose to make the rear frame out of carbon fiber and not steel like most supercars (even those with carbon fiber monocoque structures). Picasso even chose to omit the metal brackets on the body panels.
Power came from a custom-built, mid-mounted 3.0 twin-turbo V-6 engine tuned to deliver 651 hp peak output and 531 lb-ft of torque. This may not sound like much compared to today's hybrid supercars, but the lightweight 660 LMS can claim a power-to-weight ratio of roughly 1 hp for every 3.3 pounds of weight.
The billet aluminum engine is sourced from Italy's Autotecnica Motori and features dry sump lubrication, an 8,000 rpm redline, and a titanium exhaust. Drive is to the rear wheels only, via a Sadev 6-speed sequential transmission.
Suspension consists of aluminum double wishbones with pushrod dampers at both ends, and forged 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. Standard tires are Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R 245/35 front and 315/30 rear, and brakes are Brembo with 6-piston calipers and 13.8-inch rotors at the front and 4-piston calipers and 14-inch rotors at the rear. Interestingly, sensors on the brake pads can alert the driver if the temperature gets too high.
The exterior design clearly follows the law of form follows function. The car looks like an LMP2 race car, which probably helped the team in creating an impressive level of downforce. Thanks to active aerodynamics, peak downforce reaches 1,985 pounds at a top speed of 195 mph.
The internals are minimal. Carbon fiber is used on nearly every surface, including the seats with six-point harnesses made by Sabelt. The steering wheel is also made of carbon fiber, with Alcantara grips and carbon fiber shift paddles. Key information is provided by a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster with touch functionality and a digital rearview mirror. Rotary dials provide easy control of key functions such as ABS, traction control, and engine mapping.
Picasso plans to produce just 21 units of the 660 LMS and said that deliveries will begin in late 2023. Prices start at 820,000 euros (about $877,200).
