As a refresher, the 650-hp, Viper-based coupe was unveiled last year in Pebble Beach and was due to go into limited production this year in Southern California. We even had the chance to go for a spin the GTX late last year after one of the prototypes set a lap record at Laguna Seca. Devon hoped to thrust America back on the main supercar stage with the bespoke coupe, but without a source for the chassis and 8.4-liter engine, those plans have apparently been dashed. We're hoping to get more details directly from Devon, so stay tuned for an update.
The report of the GTX's demise comes from a "source close to the project," and not an official company statement, but without production of commercial Viper parts, the operation is unlikely to be self-sustainable at the volumes a 650-horsepower hand-built supercar can generate--Devon had planned on a maximum of 36 cars per year.
UPDATE: We've just heard back from company founder, Scott Devon, and the rumors are unfortunately true – the Devon GTX is dead. However, Devon Motorworks will live on, focusing instead on apparel and an upcoming motorcycle project. So what will happen to the one-time Laguna Seca lap-record-holding Devon GTX? One of the two prototypes will be put on display at the company's flagship store opening in Beverly Hills this April. The other might see track duty in the hands of development driver Justin Bell. Here's the official response from Devon:
The Viper platform being discontinued and the inability to amortize tooling costs are the key reasons. But we have two beautiful prototypes and might still race the Laguna Seca car with Justin Bell in GT2. However, our Devon brand plans have expanded to include jeans, leather jackets, watches, scents, and eyewear. Our Beverly Hills flagship store will open this April. We also have a line of motorcycles being made by legendary builder Shinya Kimura. And the black and chrome GTX will be in the store as a display piece of automotive art. I wish we could have gone into production but have no regrets and feel we achieved a significant contribution in auto design along with the Laguna Seca record.
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