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Panoz Unveils Z8 Alternative

20 April 2000

America's Premier Independent Auto Manufacturer Unveils Z8 Alternative at 2000 New York International Auto Show

     HOSCHTON, Ga., April 19 America's premier independent auto manufacturer, 
Panoz Auto Development, unveiled the production-ready Panoz Esperante today at 
the New York International Auto Show.  The Esperante is the
only viable domestic entry in the ultra-exclusive market segment that includes
the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB7.  With an MSRP of $79,868, its value is
unchallenged.

    The handcrafted, aluminum intensive Esperante luxury sport convertible was
intentionally styled to recall images of European sports cars from the 1950's
and '60's, when cars were built as art.  Aimed at the discerning enthusiast,
it combines the romance and exclusivity of those coachbuilt high performance
cars with today's standards of reliability and tomorrow's technology.  It is
the second production automobile from the Georgia-based company in ten years.
    
   Performance is among the world's best.  Initial tests show that with its
320-horsepower, 32-valve aluminum V8 the Esperante will outrun a Ferrari F355
Spyder to 60mph.  It also stops shorter than an Acura NSX and has more lateral
grip than a Porsche 911 Cabriolet.*  The Esperante's lightweight aluminum body
is made using Superplastic forming, a process developed for the aerospace
industry and pioneered in the auto industry by Panoz.  Its modular extruded-
aluminum chassis is an exercise in technology and as rigid as those in most
high performance coupes.

    "I started the company because I believed such cars could be built in
America but no one else was doing it," said company founder and president,
Danny Panoz.  "We've taken everything we've learned building our first
automobile, the Panoz Roadster, and applied it to the Esperante.  That means
designing in reliability, value and performance."

    More than 160 deposits have already been placed since a prototype was
first seen last year and Panoz expects to build 250-300 Esperantes this year.
They are sold and can be serviced through a growing network of 40 dealers
nationwide, most in major metropolitan areas, and each will be backed by a 3-
year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.  Panoz can be found on the
Internet at http://www.panozauto.com .

    *Road & Track, May 2000