Back in the 1920's and 30's, if you considered yourself a discerning autophile, the marque of choice wasn't Rolls-Royce or Bugatti, it was Hispano-Suiza.
Favoured by Spanish monarchs, members of the Rothschild family and Picasso, the Spanish-Swiss company's automobiles were greatly admired for their sweeping luxury and grand style.
Rival automakers coveted what lay under the bonnet as well - so much so that Rolls-Royce produced several Hispano-Suiza parts under licence for use in its Phantoms and Wraiths.
No cars have borne the name since the Second World War, however, as the company moved into aerospace design and manufacture. Nowadays it exists as a subsidiary of French manufacturing giant Safran.
As you might have noticed by now, the sleek shark-like monster pictured above bears little resemblance to a modern-day Roll-Royce.
What you see here is the pet project of former Audi engineer Erwin Himmel, who wants to relaunch Hispano Suiza (without the hyphen) as an elite sports car.
Based in Barcelona and operating under the company name Delmar 04, he envisages making only 20-25 cars a year, to be sold for the R8-million each.
The "V10 Supercharged", as it's being called in the absence of an actual model name, is powered by a heavily modified version of the 5.2-litre V10 found in the Audi R8.
Hardly feeble to begin with, the engine has been fitted with dual superchargers, boosting its power from 385 to 550kW.
This gives the Hispano Suiza a projected top speed of at least 330km/h and the ability to accelerate from 0-100 in 3.4sec, putting it solidly in the supercar league.
However, Himmel has more up his evidently lengthy sleeve. He plans to introduce a petrol-electric hybrid model as well.
This version is set to feature an additional 110kW electric motor powering the front wheels, in a move that would satisfy maniacs and moralistas alike; you could cruise through town on just the electric motor, then let all 660kW loose once you hit the open road (or perhaps a private racetrack, if you want to get anywhere near the best out of it).
At this stage, however, that's a long way off - not least because Himmel and Delmar 04 have a major speed bump to negotiate, in the form of a legal challenge from the original Hispano-Suiza company, which claims to retain all rights to use of the name.
But Himmel has vowed to continue as planned, so his creation may yet see the light of day. - London Daily Mail