Artega Automobil GmbH & Co. KG was a German sports car manufacturer, based in Delbrück, Germany. It was founded by Klaus Dieter Frers in 2006. The company's first product was a mid-engined sports coupé released in 2007. In early 2010, a private equity and venture capital firm that already held a stake in Artega took full control. Artega filed for bankruptcy in July 2012. It was reacquired by a company under Frers's control that same year and eventually resumed production, specializing in electric vehicles. In 2022, the German electric vehicle company ElectricBrands acquired Artega, marking the end of the brand.
Company
Artega was founded by Klaus Dieter Frers, a mechanical engineer who worked for AEG-Telefunken before moving to Nixdorf Computer to oversee their production facilities from 1983 to 1987. Frers established a company called paragon electronics GmbH in 1988, and another called paragon AG in 1999, into which paragon electronic GmbH was merged. paragon AG specialises in electronic modules, controls and display systems for the automotive industry. Frers is also one of the principals of Voltabox Deutschland GmbH, as well as a car collector and competitor in historic racing.
Frers founded Artega Automobil in 2006. The name of the company was suggested by Manfred Gotta, a German brand-development expert. The company previewed their first sports car, the Artega GT, at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show as an engineless prototype. A production-ready version appeared at the Geneva Auto Show one year later, labelled the Intro 2008 special edition. Production of the car started in 2009.
In interviews in 2008, chief adviser Karl-Heinz Kalbfell indicated that the next models anticipated were a soft-top version and a 4-cylinder car.
On 25 January 2010, Mexican investment firm Tresalia Capital assumed control of Artega. At a later date there was a change in management, with Frers leaving the company and Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Ziebart, former Head of Continental AG and Infineon AG, becoming CEO of Artega.
In March 2011, Artega unveiled an electric version of the GT called the Artega SE (for Sports Electric).
A Targa variant of the GT with a glass roof was shown at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2012. In July of the same year the company filed for bankruptcy protection, and what was expected to be the final GT built rolled off the production line in September.
On 1 October 2012, Paragon AG assumed control of Artega. This put Frers once again in charge of the car company. The decision was described as an acquisition of Artega's technology, staff and other assets, with no plan to restart automobile production.
At the 2015 International Motor Show in Frankfurt Artega showed two new products; the Scalo, a fully electric sports coupé, and the Karo, an ATV-like vehicle that was also electric.
In 2017, Artega brought the new Scalo Superelletra three-seat coupé to the Geneva Auto Show.
In December 2018, Artega announced the acquisition of the production rights for the Swiss electric car Microlino.[1]
In 2022, the German electric vehicle firm ElectricBrands acquired Artega with the goal of starting production of the Karo-Isetta (now renamed the Evetta) in the next year. Instead, the brand never was able to bring its own vehicle, the XBUS, or the Evetta to market after it filed for insolvency in 2024.[2]
Models
GT
The Artega GT was a two-seat hardtop coupé with a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The car was built on an aluminum space-frame chassis, with carbon-fibre-reinforced bodywork. Suspension front and rear was by unequal-length upper and lower A-arms with coil-over dampers. Mechanical design was handled by Hardy Essig, formerly the technical designer for Porsche. Henrik Fisker, who had designed the Aston Martin DB9, styled the car.
Power came from a 3598 cc direct-injection version of Volkswagen's VR6 engine. In the GT this engine was mounted transversely behind the driver and produced 300 hp. Maximum torque of 350 Nm was produced at 2400 rpm. Power went to the rear wheels through a 6-speed Volkswagen DSG transaxle. The Artega GT weighed 1100 kg without passengers. Artega claimed that the GT could accelerate from 0 - 100 kph in less than 5 seconds and had a top speed of more than 270 km/h. In Germany the Artega GT was priced at €74,948 or $104,000 with taxes.
SE
The Artega SE was an all-electric battery-powered, short-lived version of the GT, using the same aluminum space frame and basic bodywork, but was powered by a pair of electric motors producing a combined 280 kW. On-board energy storage was a water-cooled battery pack that weighed 310 kg and stored 37 kWh at 350 Volts. At 1400 kg, the SE weighed more than the GT, but had slightly greater acceleration. The car's range was estimated to be 200 - 300 km, depending on driving style. Artega said that the price would be €150,000 (approx. US$212,500).
Scalo
The Scalo first appeared at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show. A refined version of the SE, the Scalo was considered the successor to the GT by Artega. Power came from two Voltabox electric motors that combined to produce 300 kW and 575 ftlb. The actively-cooled battery pack could store 37 kWh of energy at 411 volts and combined lithium-ion battery cells with supercapacitors. The name of the car was borrowed from that of a famous racehorse.
Karo-Isetta
The Artega Karo-Isetta appeared as a concept called the Artega Karo at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto show alongside the Scalo but was renamed to Artega Karo-Isetta upon production. The Karo-Isetta is a quadricycle with electric drive. Resembling a road-going ATV "Quad", the Karo can carry a driver and one passenger riding two-up style. The battery pack has a capacity of 5.3 kWh, and the vehicle is offered with three different motors with different power levels, depending on the rider's age and skill level. For the 17 kW version the 705 lb vehicle can accelerate from 0 - 50 mph in 4.5 seconds. The Karo also comes with a built-in wireless cellphone charger and a detachable sound system.
Scalo Superelletra
The Scalo Superelletra debuted at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show. The car's name combines that of the earlier Scalo with a portmanteau of the Italian Superleggera and elettrica, indicating light weight and electric drive. Designed by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, the new car was longer than the original Scalo and featured a new carbon-fibre monocoque chassis. Motive power is still electric, with a quartet of motors, one at each wheel, capable of producing a total of 1020 hp. The car is to carry the driver and two passengers, seated three-abreast with the driver in the middle.
Related
IISB-One
The IISB-One is a car that began life as an Artega GT and was modified to accept an electric drivetrain by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology. The car received two electric motors to drive the rear wheels and a lithium battery pack to power them. Each motor was capable of delivering up to 80 kW to its associated wheel. The car was also a test-bed for a variety of charging systems, having three different systems on board.
Motorsports
Artega's racing arm, Artega Rennsport, fielded an Artega GT prepared for racing (and relabeled GTR) at the Nürburgring in 2011.
In 2014 a one-make series called the Artega GT Cup was started.
See also
External links
References
- Extra small electric car Microlino to be made in Germany 4 December 2018^
- ElectricBrands files for insolvency under self-administration 12 April 2024^
- Zach Honig. Artega fails to sell auto business, files for bankruptcy Engadget, 5 July 2012, retrieved 6 July 2012^
- Company www.artega.de, 2018, retrieved 22 July 2018^
- Damon Lavrinc. Artega sold to Mexican beer baroness www.autoblog.com, 26 January 2010, retrieved 22 July 2018^
- 2008 Artega GT Intro 2008 Series www.caranddriver.com, 3 March 2008, retrieved 24 July 2018^
- Paragon rettet Artega aus Insolvenz www.die-glocke.de, 27 September 2012, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Interview with Klaus D. Frers - The man behind Artega 2018, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Georg Kacher. Artega's new model future and interview www.carmagazine.co.uk, 8 September 2008, retrieved 22 July 2018^
- Viknesh Vijayenthiran. Artega's New Owner Ceases Production Of GT Sports Car www.motorauthority.com, 5 October 2012, retrieved 22 July 2018^
- James Ayre. Artega Unveils "Scalo" Electric Sports Car evobsession.com, 28 September 2015, retrieved 22 July 2018^
- Paragon Artega GT: Artega GT targets Porsche Cayman www.evo.co.uk, 22 April 2007, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Darren Quick. Artega SE joins growing list of all-electric sports cars newatlas.com, 22 March 2011, retrieved 24 March 2011^
- Ray Hutton. 2009 Artega GT www.caranddriver.com, June 2009, retrieved 22 July 2018^
- Fred Lambert. Artega unveiled the "Scalo"; an all-electric sports car with 250 miles of range electrek.co, 18 September 2015, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Artega Scalo www.artega.de, 2018, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Zach Doell. Artega Comes Back From the Grave with Two Electric Cars www.motor1.com, 17 September 2015, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Fred Lambert. Artega unveils an all-electric quad-bike concept at IAA 2015 [pictures] electrek.co, 21 September 2015, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Artega Karo - Technical Data retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Christian A. Artega introduces Karo electric quad-bike concept 17 September 2015, retrieved 21 July 2018^
- Kirby Garlitos. 2018 Artega Scalo Superelletra 17 August 2017, retrieved 21 July 2018^
- C.C. Weiss. Artega introduces the 1,020-hp Scalo Superelletra, the next all-electric hypercar www.newatlas.com, 15 March 2017, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- The IISB-One Electric May Be The Most Important Car You Have Never Heard About autowise.com, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Rollout des Elektrosportwagens "IISB-ONE" – Innovatives Erprobungsfahrzeug mit Straßenzulassung www.iisb.fraunhofer.de, 29 July 2015, retrieved 23 July 2018^
- Das 24-Stunden-Rennen auf dem Nürburgring 2011 www.artega.de, retrieved 26 July 2018^
- Artega GT Cup 2014 im Rahmen der FIA DMV TCC www.speed-magazin.de, 14 December 2014, retrieved 26 July 2018^
- Electricbrands to build Isetta micro-electric car 28 April 2022^