2009 PGO Hemera

The French created PGO Hemera made its debut at the Paris Motor Show and will be available from 2009. This is the third model in PGO's ever-expanding line-up of vehicles which includes the Speedster II and the Cevennes.

This is a unique and interesting vehicle. There is a mid-engine layout and a chassis comprised of tubular frames and a composite moulded body shell. The styling is inspired by the Porsche 359 and it has rather impressive performance figures, with a top speed in the neighborhood of 200 km/h. Zero-to-sixty takes less than seven seconds for this 980 kg vehicle. The four-cylinder engine is capable of producing 103 kw and there are ventilated disc brakes on all four corners. The car rides on 17-inch alloy wheels that come in several flavors. An automatic gearbox, parking aid, alarm, various types of paint colors, leather interior trim are offered as optional equipment. The list is rather extensive and designed to meet many customers' requests.

With its mid-engine layout, unique glass bubble, and Porsche inspired styling, this attractive vehicle is sure to capture the hearts of many buyers.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2009

PGO, despite its low-profile status, has been around for nearly twenty years. The French Company was founded by Olivier and Prevot Gilles, two driving enthusiasts who began manufacturing vehicles in limited production in the early 1990's.

A small coupe sportscar, the PGO Hemera was a comfortable, brilliant and aggressive little car that dazzled consumers. Joining the PGO lineup as the third model, the Hemera was featured alongside the Speedster II and the Cevennes. With a distinct ‘urban style', the snappy little car featured a special glass bubble look that gave drivers a brand new driving experience. The Hemera is the latest model that stands for the first truly ‘new' edition from PGO in over a decade.

The Hemera was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show by French automaker PGO. A compact, lightweight shooting-brake, the PGO had an overall length of 3757 mm, a width of 1675 mm, a height of 1300 mm and a wheelbase of 2261 mm. The compact vehicle will be available as of the first quarter of 2009 and it is powered by a 2 liter engine. The Hemera featured the identical mechanical layout as the mid-mounted Peugeot engine along with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The structure of the little vehicle consisted of a tubular frame and a composite molded body shell.

Based in Alès, PGO Automobiles has been in the business since the 1980's and is responsible for manufacturing coupes and convertibles in small series. Two automobile hobbyists, set in the mid-‘80's were the founders of the PGO company. The three models of PGO are all handmade.

The rear-wheel-drive Hemera, PGO's latest creation, comes with 2.0 liter four-banger, and 138 horsepower that brought the small compact to an amazing speed of 100 kph in barely seven seconds. The engine of the Hemera came from the Peugeot 206 and was mid-mounted, 16V twin-overhead cam and was joined to a manual five-speed transmission. For an additional fee, a four-speed automatic was available. The top speed of the PGO Hemera is rated at 200 kph.

The original concept was unveiled at Frankfurt's auto show, and surprisingly, the unveiled model barely looked anything like the PGO Automobiles P22 concept. The composite body and the contours at the front of the vehicle were the true ties between the concept and final model. A tube-frame helped to keep the weight of the vehicle down, and the Hemera weighs in at a low 980 kg. To keep the ride as bump-free as possible, a suspension system from McPherson was added. The driver could get 19.3 mpg thanks to the 17' alloy wheels.

Inside the Hemera, leather was aplenty, on the seats, the dashboard, door paneling, the control levers and on the steering wheel. Aluminum coated the gear knob, the door thresholds and the pedals. The interior was also filled with an assortment of lights and buttons to give the Hemera a very high-tech feel. With an analogue clock to match, the PGO has seven different analogue gauges for he driver to monitor, while a heated windscreen is standard.

10 different leather colors were optional items, or two-tone leather, three different alloy wheel sets, a different roof color or metallic paint. The driver can also purchase special 'club' exhaust, parking assist or an aero kit.

PGO is famous and well-known for designing unique yet functional vehicles. The all-new PGO is priced at €33,333.

By Jessica Donaldson