Los Angeles Auto Show: 2017 Rezvani Beast Alpha shows off its 'sidewinder' doors

While the current Rezvani Beast already offers plenty with 300, 500 and 700 (Beast X) horsepower options based on the Ariel Atom, company founder Ferris Rezvani had something new to show at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Rezvani Motors unveiled an overhauled version of the Beast, called the Beast Alpha in a less punishing disguise that now comes with a targa-style roof and some creature comforts. But the most catchy feature is not the balance of power and weight or its design, it’s the doors!

Since the first Beast model was built using donor Ariel Atoms, the driver and passenger would need to climb into the seats which is why it went with an open top. With a roof in the picture and the need for some comforts, Rezvani had to figure out how to put some doors on the Alpha.

The solution is the new “sidewinder” door. They not just look cool, but look pretty functional as well. More importantly, they can accommodate and move about those thick cabin sidewalls with ease thanks to the sliding hinge. Its mechanism works similar to a minivan’s sliding door, its just that the Alpha’s doors slide forward. The company also took inspiration from the Lotus Elise platform, to accommodate the air conditioning, power locks, windows and some safety features like airbags, traction control, and stability control.

The interiors also see improvement with leather, Alcantara trims surrounding you along with an infotainment system that’s complete with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration.

The Rezvani Beast Alpha features a 2.4-litre inline-4 that now churns out 500 horsepower thanks to plenty of tweaks and custom ECU mapping. The key to Rezvani cars is being lightweight and this one weighs just 1,950 pounds which means that the car goes from 0-100kmph in 3.2 seconds. All of this engineering comes at a price which will cost you $200,000.