An Orlando-based auto company that goes by the name Exotic Rides has completed the development of a 626-horsepower supercar->ke177 called the W70. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we still don't know if the car is actually headed for production. That’s normally a recipe that would lead us to be a little cynical about the status of the W70, but we’re going to give it the benefit of the doubt because we actually want to see Exotic Rides make a name for itself in the industry.

Here’s what we know about the W70. Its design was penned by an Australian automotive designer named David Williams. The renderings of the supercar makes us think that Williams used the Ferrari Enzo as the inspiration behind his creation. It’s a little more subdued than the Enzo, but a lot of the elements, including the shape of the headlights and the scissor doors are present in the final version of the supercar.

With the build of the car now complete, the next step for Exotic Rides is to actually build a business plan for it. There's no timetable for that yet, but given the enormous business challenges that the company still faces, I think it would be premature to assume that the W70 will be terrorizing the roads of America in the near future.

Click past the jump to read more about the Exotic Rides W70.

Exterior

The exterior of the W70 is unique in the sense that Williams was able to design it while also integrating elements from various supercars. The most obvious of these references comes from the Ferrari Enzo. For instance, the front has plenty of design nods towards the Enzo. There’s the sculpted hood with the inverted triangle cut that runs down to the nose of the car. The front headlights package is new, but the massive air intakes are two more nods to the Enzo.

To the side, the large wheel arches are the attention-grabbers. The rear arches, in particular, extend a little further out than the Enzo’s. Even the rear vents are larger, presumably on account of the larger engine of the W70 and the nod to the F1-style side pods that the Enzo also used. 20-inch wheels are fitted in the front and rear and are wrapped in 235/55/20 and 235/30/20 tires, respectively.

The rear section of the W70 also features numerous similarities and differences to the iconic Ferrari supercar. It’s got a flat surface that optically looks wider because of the thin, horizontal bar flanking the two circular taillights. The W70 also has massive diffusers similar to the Enzo. They look a bit different because of the former’s bumper configuration, but the function of both diffusers remain the same. The W70 also has two tailpipes compared to the four on the Enzo. Both are found in the same location though so that’s another similarity to cross off the checklist.

Interior

For a company that has just built it’s first supercar, Exotic Rides surprisingly made a pretty slick interior that looks ergonomically cleaner than I anticipated it to be. The company played it smart and kept the cockpit clean with the dashboard and roof linings covered in Alcantara. It also added a sporty steering wheel that sits in front of a large digital instrument cluster. There aren’t a lot of buttons and switches either, further adding to its smooth appearance. In place of all those buttons, the tuner opted to have a Tesla-like vertical digital display that slides from the top of the dash all the way down to the center stack. There are only two seats inside, which is largely due to the mid-mounted nature of its Chevrolet-sourced LS7 engine.

Drivetrain

Exotic Rides announced in 2014 that the W70 would be carrying a General Motors->ke1024-sourced, 7.0-liter, LS7 V-8 that packs an impressive 626 horsepower. It’s nice to know that the company didn’t call an audible on the engine because the size and corresponding output number is right in line with what you can expect from a supercar. No performance numbers have been announced, but considering the size of the engine and its output number, it’s reasonable to expect a 0 to 60 mph sprint in the mid- to high-three second range, with a top speed of around 190 mph. The mid-mounted engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, ensuring that drivers of the W70 will get to experience the thrill of driving the supercar without a lot of driving aids that have become prevalent in the supercar game these days.

Safety

On account of the massive V-8 of the W70, Exotic Rides designed the supercar's suspension to include racing coilovers with adjustable ride and camber. An iLIFT Intelligent Suspension Lift System was also installed. This system comes with automatic ground clearance sensors under the vehicle - found under the front bumper and rocker panels - that automatically raise and lower the car to provide extra space for clearance between the car's underbody and the road. This system will come in handy, especially in less-than-ideal road conditions.

Pricing

It's still unclear if Exotic Rides has priced the W70. Considering its status as a niche supercar that will likely be built in limited quantities, it's probably best if those interested in buying the car contact Exotic Rides directly to at least get a price quote on the W70.

Competitors

Godsil Manhattan V16

The Godsil Manhattan V16 is a perfect example of a planned supercar that hasn't amounted to anything. Godsil dropped the first teaser of the Manhattan V16 in December 2013 and with it came a scheduled unveiling for 2014. Well, we’re now in 2016 and we haven’t heard a whole lot from Godsil. It’s a shame because the Manhattan V16 looked like it had loads of potential. The teaser hinted of a “super luxury car” that had the makings of a neo-retro exotic with a sloping roofline, a long hood, and muscular wheel arches.

The Manhattan’s V16 title also suggested that it would carry a massive 16-cylinder under that hood, which would have probably been good enough to produce as much as 900 horsepower and about 660 pound-feet of torque. To be fair to Godsil, those output numbers were our estimates, but still, the Manhattan V16 hasn’t exactly “brought glory back to the automobile” like Godsil promised it would.

Read our full review here.

VLF Automotive Force 1

One of the more recent examples of a niche supercar to get some attention is the VLF Force 1. The car actually made its debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show as the brainchild of VLF Automotive, a new iteration of the VL Automotive brand that was actually responsible for the design of the 2013 Destino. The Force 1 is VLF Automotive’s first supercar product and, just like the W70, it features plenty of influences from the sports cars and supercars of today.

The model itself is based on the Dodge Viper, although you wouldn’t be able to notice that because of the radically different exterior and interior design of the Force 1. What’s important about the Force 1 is its 8.4-liter, V-10 engine. The output from that engine was tweaked to deliver 745 horsepower and 638 pound-feet of torque. These numbers allow the Force 1 to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in three seconds to go with a top speed of 218 mph.

Read our full review here.

Conclusion

The default reaction when it comes to niche performance cars like the Exotic Rides W70 is to take a wait-and-see approach on whether the company behind it actually has plans to build production models of the car. On the surface, it appears that Exotic Rides is determined to go that route, especially now that the W70 appears to be ready to hit the road. But again, until we see the car on the road, there are still no assurances. I like what Exotic Rides did with the W70. Now I’m waiting to see if it can really move the needle as an actual production model.