700-HP Praga Bohema Supercar Takes On GoodwoodPraga"How are you getting in?" a spectator asks. It's a reasonable question. The Praga Bohema's doors look impossibly small, and the carbon-fiber side pods sit just below my waist. Somewhere inside the narrow cockpit, Ben Collins, the famed Stig from Top Gear, is waiting to drive me up the hill at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed.I sit on the side pod, swing my legs into the cockpit, and lower myself into the passenger seat affixed to the carbon tub. After trudging across Goodwood's sunbaked aluminum trackway in the middle of a heatwave, I'm already drenched in sweat. But the moment my hips settle inches above the ground, the heat becomes a secondary concern.The Bohema's ride height is approximately 3.9 inches at the front and 4.3 inches at the rear, and it weighs roughly 2,200 pounds and produces 700 horsepower. I've ridden in and driven plenty of supercars, but I can't remember the last time I had to look up to see virtually every car surrounding me.PragaWhat's a Praga?Praga may not be a well-known brand, but it has a long history of building racing and performance vehicles. The automaker unveiled its first car, called the R1R, in 2013, and the Bohema continues the engineering philosophy behind it. Collins and I are sitting in one of only 89 Bohemas the Czech company plans to build.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe former Stig turns on the air conditioning. Jan Martinek, Praga's technical director, later tells me that a proper passenger seat and air conditioning were among the features people requested after experiencing the company's earlier road-legal R1R prototype. Even at 6 feet tall, I fit comfortably, though it's more than a little cozy.After a brief delay, we're moving. To approach the starting line, we must follow a procession of cars and turn around at a cul-de-sac. The Bohema's limited steering lock forces Collins to make a three-point turn. He helped develop the car, so despite the minor hiccup getting things straightened out, neither the Bohema nor the road ahead is unfamiliar to him.PragaHill Climb Time"Are you ready?" he asks as we approach the starting line on the Duke of Richmond's long driveway."Let's do this!" I reply, giving him a thumbs-up.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Bohema launches. My stomach drops with the same weightless sensation as an initial plunge of a roller coaster. The first corner, which looked distant from the starting line, was suddenly rushing toward us. Collins stays on the throttle. Just as I pretend to stomp on the brake pedal from the passenger seat, we turn right.This is where the Bohema's obsessive weight reduction begins to make sense. Praga rejected active aerodynamics partly because the system would have added roughly 55 pounds. Its engineers believed low mass and carefully developed passive aerodynamics would allow the car to corner and stop at least as well.PragaNot even five seconds have passed, and I can feel the sweat. The Praga's Nissan GT-R-derived 3.8-liter V-6, mounted directly behind us, fills the cabin with a glorious engine note as Collins taps into its 700 horsepower and 535 lb-ft of torque. Its six-speed sequential gearbox is aggressive, with each upshift snapping my head against the headrest.We're halfway through the 1.16-mile hill climb when we make a left turn and pass beneath the first set of trees. The sunlight is so intense that the shadows ahead look like black holes, but Collins knows exactly where he's going. He seems calm. He's driven the hill climb multiple times already since the festival began, and he isn't taking this run easy.AdvertisementAdvertisementJust as my eyes adjust to the light, I see a massive flint wall fast approaching. Collins brakes, turns right, and gets back on the power. From my seat, the side pod looks inches from the stones as they blur by.The short, final straightaway is the longest part of the course, where the car feels the fastest. I see nothing but a straight road surrounded by trees, and then suddenly, it's all over as we cross the finish line. It feels like we've just finished a Formula 1 race. A sign flashes "Slow Down," and Collins eases onto the brakes until we reach parking-lot speeds."Wow!" I yell. "My hands are sweaty."PragaWhat a Way to Go UpCollins' helmet hides his face, but his eyes crinkle at the corners. He's smiling. He gives me a thumbs-up. All I can hear is the engine, which even when idling makes it hard to have a conversation.AdvertisementAdvertisementWe wait for the remaining cars to complete their runs before heading back down, this time at parade speeds. Collins waves at the crowd, and I follow his lead. The crowd waves back.Back in the paddock, cameras turn toward us as the Bohema inches between rows of Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Paganis. Despite all the other, more famous models posing, the little-known Czech car draws a huge crowd.I climb out the same awkward way I entered, with the outlines of the shoulder straps traced in sweat across my shirt. Martinek had told me nobody had ever stepped out of a Bohema asking for more power. After 45 glorious seconds blasting up the Goodwood Hill, the mere thought of asking for any more seems patently absurd.Photo credit: PragaPhoto credit: PragaPhoto credit: PragaPhoto credit: PragaAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: PragaPhoto credit: PragaPhoto credit: PragaPhoto credit: PragaAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: Praga
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