New Wells Vertige: 860kg Brit sports car uprated with bigger engine

There’s also a new infotainment touchscreen, replacing the Sony unit in previous Vertiges. This is larger than previously and now fits flush with the dashboard.

Wells said the company is “working on the general quality of materials” and highlighted an expanded range of options, including the availability of Connolly leather.

Despite the tweaks, the Vertige still weighs 860kg (dry), making it notably lighter than any of its mainstream competitors: an Alpine A110 is 1103kg, a Porsche 718 Cayman is 1335kg and the Lotus Emira V6 is 1446kg.

Production of the original Vertige is soon to wrap up, with assembly of Series 2 cars due to begin next year. Prices now start from £84,995. 

Wells said the company has a capacity to build up to 25 cars per year, with each built to order according to an owner’s desire. Five customers have already placed deposits for Series 2 Vertiges – meaning there are 20 slots left for 2027.

Discussing the company’s position as a nascent manufacturer of sports cars in Britain, he said: “I’m very conscious that what I’m trying to do has been done, attempted and failed on countless occasions, and there’s no guarantee that we’ll succeed, but there’s no guarantee that we’re doomed to fail either. We’ve delivered on every single benchmark that we wanted to deliver on, and customer cars are on the road.”