This is the unbelievably rare 1990 Aurora Berlinetta 122-C Turbo (0001), which was a two-seater, rear-wheel drive sports car developed by 1989 by Aurora Projetos Automobilísticos Ltda., from Valinhos, Brazil. The unique-looking 122-C was designed by founder of Aurora Projetos Automobilísticos Ltda., Oduvaldo Barranco, with assistance from two other Argentinian competition car designers by the name of Raúl Napoli and Ladislau Haida. It’s reported that the development of the Aurora 122-C project took a lengthy 3 years, and costed somewhere in the range of around $3,000,000. The ambitious project included both a chassis and engine developed in-house, which was based on the 2.0L 4-cylinder engine found in the Chevrolet Monza, which was a Brazilian hatchback and sedan (based on the Opel Ascona). During development, the engine was modified to have a longer stroke crankshaft, special connecting rods, and a number of other alterations in order to increase the displacement of the engine to 2.2L. Also added into the engine bay was a Garret 357 T3 Turbocharger which reportedly allowed for the 122-C to produce around 215-250 horsepower. The chassis of the 122-C was developed using a fiberglass reinforced plastic monocoque, and the body of the car clearly shows some inspirational lines of the iconic Ferrari F40. If the unique-looking design and considerable performance doesn’t already have your attention, well, you’ll be happy to find out that the 122-C actually came offered with a set of custom-made luggage, which was set behind the driver and passenger seats, amongst a number of other interesting features and elements such as a computer system which managed all of the cars electrical and climate controls. Notably, 122-C racing cars were used during the 1992 Mil Milhas Brasil, which is an annually held endurance race in Brazil since 1956.
How many made? 1 of 3
Engine: Chevrolet Monza derived 2.2L 4-cylinder turbo - 215-250hp
Debut: XVI Salão do Automóvel 1990
Top Speed: 126mph
0-60mph: 8.9 seconds
Photo Credit: @napoli_edu (the son of one of the designers of this car! Argentinian competition car designer Raúl Napoli) & @lkexotics
Research: @rarecarsonly