2020 Ares Design Panther ProgettoUno
Did Ares Design get the Panther ProgettoUno’s design right?
The Ares Design Panther ProgettoUno is beautiful. Let me get that out of the way before I start slobbering all over myself. Ares Design managed to give the Panther a proper modern-day look while also adapting retro-inspired details that blend surprisingly well together. No more is that exemplified by the supercar’s headlight setup that’s made up of slit-like LEDs in the front and pop-up headlights just above them.
The Panther’s wedge-shaped posterior also gets a proper tribute, and to Ares Design’s credit, the company managed to seamlessly incorporate that iconic design detail to the rest of the sleek-shaped body without compromising the supercar’s overall design integrity.
Does the Panther ProgettoUno’s interior look familiar to you?
You can tell by certain elements — the sliding central tunnel chief among them — that seeds of the Lamborghini Huracan are still there even after Ares Design’s aesthetic overhaul of the Huracan’s interior.
For the most part, though, Ares Design successfully blended design traits from two eras, mixing retro-styled leather and Alcantara with more modern aesthetic bits like the carbon fiber trim, aluminum switchgear, and a digital instrument panel that’s definitely straight out of 2020. A high-definition Daniel Hertz audio system is also part of the Panther ProgettoUno’s interior.
The real treat, though, is Ares’ option for personalization. Since only 21 units are going to be made, it’s entirely possible that each of the 21 units will be unique from one another. Company boss Dany Bahar said as much in a conversation with Top Gear back in 2019. “Each car will be individualized and personalized to the maximum,” Bahar was quoted as saying. “No request or demand from the customer is too hard.”
How much power is sitting under that hood?
With Ares Design using a lot of the Lamborghini Huracan’s parts and pieces, it’s no surprise that the Panther ProgettoUno is powered by the same 5.2-liter V-10 engine that Lamborghini uses in the Huracan. The Panther ProgettoUno’s V-10 does produce more power — 650 horsepower to 602 horsepower — than the Huracan. Ares made that possible by tweaking the engine’s ECU and adding a new exhaust system into the fold. The seven-speed DSG gearbox remains the same, sending power to all four wheels of the car.
All told, the Panther ProgettoUno can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds before peaking at a top speed of over 200 mph.
Check out the table below to see how the Panther measures up against the supercar on which it’s based.
| Model | Engine | Horsepower | Torque | 0 to 60 MPH | Top Speed | Dry Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ares Design Panther ProgettoUno | 5.2-liter V-10 engine | 650 horsepower | 442 pound-feet (estimate) | 3.1 seconds | Over 200 mph | 1,423 kilos (3,137 pounds) |
| Lamborghini Huracan | 5.2-liter V-10 engine | 602 horsepower | 442 pound-feet | 2.8 seconds | 199 mph | 1,422 kilos (3,135 pounds) |
Based on the figures, the Panther ProgettoUno and the Huracan carry the same dry weight — what are the chances, right? — so neither has the advantage over the other. The Ares supercar, though, packs more power than the Lamborghini but that power advantage does not reflect in performance times. The Huracan can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds while the Panther ProgettoUno can do the same in 3.1 seconds.
Of course, these figures aren’t exact to the millisecond so it could be closer than the suggested times offered by both automakers. It’s the same story with top speed where the Panther ProgettoUno’s “over 200 mph” top speed is slightly higher than the Huracan’s 199-mph top speed.
How much does the Ares Design Panther ProgettoUno Cost?
With only 21 models expected to be built, the Ares Design Panther ProgettoUno is going to come with a steep price. A very steep price. No exact price has been laid out, but it is believed that you’re going to have to shell out at least $700,000 to own this raunchy exotic. By comparison, a 2019 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 carried a starting price of around $300,000. That’s more than two Huracans for the price of a Panther ProgettoUno.
Final Thoughts
I was too young to remember the De Tomaso Pantera, and by the time that I had enough recall to remember cars, the Pantera was a shell of its older self. My love for the Italian sports car came from the posters I saw and the stories I was told. Those were enough for me to fall in love with the original Pantera so when news came out that there was a company that was looking to revive the model, albeit with a modern touch, I was all in on the project.
Turns out, my faith was rewarded. The Ares Design Panther ProgettoUno is beautiful in ways the original Pantera was beautiful. The design comes with a certain charm that’s hard to shake off. You look at it, and you immediately want to drive it, never mind the fact that it costs around $700,000.