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PGO Hemera, because classic good looks never go out of style
Click above for more shots of the PGO Hemera
PGO, a French automaker that many have likely never heard of, has spilled the beans on its latest new car, which actually looks a lot like an old car. In this case, though, we'll forgive PGO for copying another automaker's styling, as the Porsche Speedster that the Hemera gets its good looks from happens to be one of the most classic and perfect designs ever. To our eyes, the Hemera looks more like a modernized 356 than any current Porsche does, and that's not a bad thing. The \Hemera has another thing in common with the classic Porsche: light weight. Coming in at just 2,160 pounds, the Hemera achieves its sporty performance in much the same way that Lotus does, meaning that the Hemera's natural gas-fed, Peugeot-sourced, mid-mounted powerplant that makes all of 140 horsepower is sufficient to accelerate the car to 60 in under 7 seconds and up to a top speed of 124 miles per hour. Sure, it's not going to break any records, but that's plenty to have some fun with. Pity us here in the States - this one's a Euro-market car only and will go on sale early next year.
[Source: 4 Wheels News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mobius_1 12:36PM (11/23/2008)
He pretty much nearly filled up my inbox. Watch out about yours.
BTW this car is pretty cool, although the chrome accents do kinda make it look cheap and rice. Otherwise, beatiful car, pretty decent performance, and that weight is just what the modern world needs.
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James 5:49PM (11/23/2008)
what the heck?
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Brandlesmith 1:25PM (11/23/2008)
Classic, indeed - looks more like an update to the VolksAru:
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/14/ebay-find-of-the-day-the-volksaru/
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Kitko 1:35PM (11/23/2008)
Hemera as in Hemroids????
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Jim 7:09PM (11/23/2008)
So if a European company copies another European company, it is called inspiration from a classic. If a Japanese or Chinese company does it, it is called a knock off? Porsche should sue.
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john 1:44PM (11/23/2008)
EPIC FAIL!
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BoxerFanatic 1:55PM (11/23/2008)
Are you KIDDING?
This looks about as much like a porsche as a semi-truck.
it is tall, awkward, mis-fitting, and generally ugly.
I've seen a 356, and this is no 356.
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X3SoB 2:46PM (11/23/2008)
It's good to see that Sharone can so easily be removed, you missed one: OPINION: How much does a unionised... Anyway, the Hemera (as in Chemera, not roid) looks like a pleasing fusion of 356, E-type, and Z3 coupe, not a bad thing. The windshield is a little too upright though.
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patrick 1:52PM (11/23/2008)
Love this design! We need more funky car designs. A shift back to design that is less homogenized and more rooted in passion with performance.
If only there was a new American car maker who could really shake the car world up.
Hmmm... I wonder if GM went bankrupt if somehow it could completely reinvent itself...
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0mega 2:02PM (11/23/2008)
Cute, but those rims need to burn in the fires of hell.
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Arturo 2:53PM (11/23/2008)
nice cars, this somehow looks like the spyker would have looked 30 years ago or so.
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sean collins 2:06PM (11/23/2008)
Agreed. Given that the 356 is probably my all time favourite, I've always been dubious about PGO. They've had the good sense not mess too much with it before (& I prefer the coupé anyway), but this is an abomination.
The P22 concept (http://wikicars.org/en/PGO_P22_Concept) wasn't great - and still owed a lot to the 356 - but it was at least their own design and didn't taint 356's by association. If they were changing that much anyway, why not go the whole hog?
The further back you got the worse it gets. As far as I can recall this is the first time they've attempted anything with a roof, which may be why I don't remember the windscreen being that bad. The window graphics and that bolted on tail are appallingly bad. They've even managed to pick wing mirrors that are too big and ugly - that takes a special talent.
Porsche should sue them just to force them to put a different nose on it.
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Bluestreak 2:22PM (11/23/2008)
Definitely doesn't evoke the 356, but it's cool nonetheless. I like the fact that the drivetrain is pretty humble, perfectly befitting such a lightweight car. Mask the brightwork (flat black or body color) and it would look better. Terrible wheel choice, IMO.
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dachshundtooateez 2:26PM (11/23/2008)
You all have to be kidding me, because that car is absolutely disgusting... If the original 356 looked like that, it would not be a style icon.
I get why people lust after old cars, but not why they lust after "retro" designs that look as if the old car was beaten by an ugly stick, then given botox and collagen; the entire car held together only by nostalgia, stupidity, and usually a bit of marketing might...
Then again I suppose history has proven me either wrong or right in terms of the above design strategy, I can't tell which. It's not like the street will be littered with those things anytime soon, so why complain...
Thankfully It's not as if accurate 356 copies aren't available in lieu of that abomination. And there are plenty of other cars on the market that do the weird/appealing niche thing better.
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Tony 2:57PM (11/23/2008)
"To our eyes, the Hemera looks more like..." Drink much? That thing is nasty.
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smarkle 3:44PM (11/23/2008)
Wow -- I like the front almost as much as I hate the back... I can see a little of the iconic 356 in the front -- the back looks like it was inspired by the Munster-mobile.
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Stephan Wilkinson 3:59PM (11/23/2008)
Do you people have any idea what a Porsche 356 Speedster actually looked like? This thing looks a tiny bit like a 356 Coupe, but to say it was inspired by the Speedster makes me wonder how young you are.
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sean collins 6:53AM (11/25/2008)
Stephan
I think the Speedster reference is to how PGO made their name: dodgy plastic speedster knockoffs. The bit of the 356 mostly closely copied here - from the top of the front radiator to the base of the windscreen (though the surfacing is a bit off, the lights flush and no 356 ever left the factory with wheelarch lips...) - is common to both.
I think we can assume they are familiar with the 356, so the fact these bozos turned their back on something like this - http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chino-porsches-n-planes/1112939/ - and went their own way speaks volumes about their aesthetic judgement
James 4:47PM (11/23/2008)
The idea of a new car that "evokes" a classic just seems counter intuitive to me. Why would you buy this when you could actually get a classic car? Maybe you can't afford an original copy of a 356, but surely one that looks much better than this?
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Biz 7:36PM (11/23/2008)
They should of made the backend like the PGO Cevennes as well as made it a proper Coupe tbh, rather then "trying" to be unique with the ugly backend and Shooting-brake style ruining what is otherwise a very good looking car.
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