When Bulgaria comes to mind (assuming it does at all), supercars and motor racing aren’t usually the thoughts that follow. Fun fact: The country is best known for producing almost all the rose oil consumed in the world. However, a Bulgarian supercar named the Sin R1 has quietly stepped forward over the last few years, and it’s worthy of some recognition.
The R1 is a hardcore supercar with intentions of stealing a little thunder from Ferrari and McLaren. The most extreme version of the car, R1 650, makes an awesome 650 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque from the supercharged Chevy LS9 engine mounted amidships. Sin says the power is good for a 0-60 mph run of only 3 seconds and an estimated top speed of something over 186 mph. So the speed is there, and so is a tubular spaceframe and body made entirely of carbon-fiber/composite materials.
The Sin R1’s doors fit the supercar standard of opening in a dramatic fashion.
Both a six-speed manual and six-speed sequential gearbox are on offer, sending power to the rear wheels. Supercars with manual transmissions are a thing of the past these days, so being able to buy a car like this with three pedals is exactly what we need more of.
Unfortunately, you can’t get your hands on a Sin in America for the road because they’re only sold in Europe — the plan is to produce about 30 R1s a year going forward. Pricing is a bit steep for these Bulgarian performance machines with the R1 450 (450 hp version) coming in at approximately $210,000, and the faster R1 650 ringing the bell at a bit over $257,000. So for an exotic price, someone can buy the only real performance vehicle to ever come out of Bulgaria — roses not included.
Source: Autoweek