There have been instances of automobile start-ups and one-off production cars that have blown us away with the level of engineering bestowed upon it. Some are mind-boggling, while others are just outlandishly priced cars that are based on cheaper machines. In the latter case, you pay the premium for exclusivity and added performance (if it's materialized!).

Well, the Laraki Epitome (a ghost car and most probably unknown to many), was an example of a niche car that weirdly slots into both, being outlandishly skeptical but with mind-boggling numbers in terms of performance. Laraki Automobiles SA is a Moroccan automaker that comes under Laraki - a name that is quite synonymous in Morocco for its luxurious yachts. Before coming forth with the mental-looking Epitome, Laraki had tried their hands in the arena of performance machines with the Fulgura that was based on a Lamborghini Diablo, and Borac which was an in-house designed grand tourer.

Performance figures are the focus points that were quite attention-seeking in both the Fulgura and Borac, but it was with the Epitome that all hell broke loose (at least on paper!). As interesting and cool as everything about the Laraki Epitome sounds, it was a car that was shrouded with a lot of controversies and let-downs. But it sure is a bold looker and its various numbers are what brings it to the spotlight.

Laraki Epitome was a Moroccan supercar with a jacked-up heart of a Chevy C6 Corvette pumping out 1,200 horses and a price tag of $2 million!

A Brief On The Moroccan Automaker - Laraki Automobiles SA

Laraki Epitome side view
Via: Photoscar.fr

Laraki roots its way back to 1999 when a Moroccan entrepreneur started the venture by using the wealth he accumulated by importing and selling cars from 1973. The company was then taken over by his son Abdeslam Laraki, who is also a designer who had was keen on cars and yachts. He started off by building extravagant yachts before slowly venturing into the field of automobiles.

Laraki Automobiles SA's first-ever car was the Flugura that had the underpinnings of a Lamborghini Diablo. This packed a Quad-turbo Merc 6.0L V12 that pumped out 730 hp and did 0-62 mph in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 217 mph.

Next was the Laraki Borac which was showcased in 2005 at the Geneva Motor Show and was a grand tourer with a front-engine layout. It packed the same 6.0L V12 but was naturally aspirated and was slated to produce 540 hp and do 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Bold numbers, but both these cars didn't make it past the  Geneva show. But things changed with their third offering, the Epitome which boasted some even bolder figures!

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Only 9 Were Ever Planned For; Rapper French Montana Bought One

French Montana flaunting his Laraki Epitome
Via: Gatsbyonline.com

Only 9 Laraki Epitomes were ever planned to be made and famed Moroccan-American Rapper - French Montana was the first one to get delivery of one. But the weird part is that he was the only person who ever got one. Seeing the Laraki Epitome on the roads was a sight to behold, firstly for its insane yet obscure looks, and secondly, a Laraki actually made it to production! But suspension erupted when the automaker was not able to provide any info regarding the remaining 8 cars, and it was eventually understood that the one that was made was actually a show car, with French Montana helping them market it.

Laraki Epitome Looks Complicated, To Say The Least

Laraki Epitome front third quarter accelerating view
Via: Autonews.ru

Laraki Epitome has a lot going on in terms of design. It is a very dramatic looking machine, and from the above image, it is hard to not relate it to an Aston Martin One-77. From any other angle, it looks like those fast cars from the open-world games like Grand Theft Auto.  There were a lot of fake fins, and air-vent situations going on here, and the build including the lighting was way too cheap for a car that was asking $2 million! Nevertheless, the car sure did turn heads, and the one that exists looks sinister in the red-black combination.

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Laraki Epitome's Interior...Well...Unacceptable For A $2 Million Car

Laraki Epitome interior view
Via: Yaplakal.com

Nope. This is not what you expect from the interior of a car that costs $2 million and counting! The color combination is out of place, looks too dull, has a lot of odd cheap-looking bits, and looked worse than even a Honda Civic Type R's interior! Luxury sure was given the only importance here, but that too was satisfactory at this price point. There is no instrument cluster in view and the only screen was placed at the wrong place. Ironically, the screen didn't work on the show car, and Laraki didn't post any images or videos of the same. So, it's safe to say, that the interior was a disaster and functionless.

Its Mental 1,750 Hp-Capable Corvette C6 Engine Is What Tickled Us - Our Favourite Feature

Laraki Epitome engine bay view
Via: Thechive.com

Despite all those letdowns which are a lot, it is the performance numbers and powertrain layout that left people dumbstruck here. The Laraki Epitome was built on a C6 Corvette platform and even shared the same engine, albeit in a heavily tuned state. The heart was a 7.0L LS7 V8, the one found in the C6 Corvette, but Laraki went ahead and added twin-turbocharged to take its power figures to an unreal 1,200 hp with 91 octane fuel.

Laraki Epitome hd car wallpaper
Via: Wallpaperup.com

That's not all, as it could pump out an insane 1,750 hp with 110 octane fuel which was stored in an additional gas tank. Yup, the Epitome had two gas tanks and could be toggled with a switch. These figures were unreal for a car from 2013, which is why it never bore fruit! After all the buzz, Laraki vanished from the scene, and with no website or contact points, we are pretty sure it was a well-orchestrated stunt show with no output.

Sources: Wikipedia.org, Topspeed.com, Carbuzz.com, Moroccoembassy.org.au

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