Syrena Sport: Polish sports car pays tribute to a classic, is really a Nissan 370Z in fancier duds

By Stephen Edelstein Published April 24, 2013

Poland isn’t exactly known as a haven for performance automobiles, but this sleek machine could change that. The Syrena Sport should be able to back up those looks too, as long as buyers aren’t looking for Ferrari levels of performance.

Underneath the bespoke bodywork are the engine and chassis of a Nissan 370Z. That means a 3.7-liter V6 is providing the power, specifically 330 or 450 hp, depending on the model. The stock 370Z has 332 hp and 270 pound-feet of torque.

The Syrena Sport will do 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 180 mph. That’s a major improvement over the 370Z’s 5.1 seconds and 157 mph.

Then there’s the styling. The 370Z isn’t exactly ugly, but designer Pavlo Burkataskyy has made better use of its fantastic long-hood-short-rear-deck proportions.

The Syrena Sport is a conventional coupe with a lower roofline, and Burkataskyy seems to have borrowed some styling cues from haughtier nameplates. There’s a bit of Ferrari California in the front end, and even a bit of BMW Zagato Roadster in the side surfacing.

When it goes on sale, the Syrena Sport will probably have a price to rival those exotic roadsters. Its patron, entrepreneur Rafal Czubaj, hasn’t announced a price, but the cars will be made to order.

This isn’t the first Syrena Sport, though, or even the first Polish car.

FSO was formed in 1951 by Poland’s then-Communist government. It started out building copies of the Russian GAZ M20, and later achieved an ironic fame for building a Fiat 125 copy called the Polski Fiat, and the Polonez compact.

The Syrena Sport takes its name from a sports car prototype FSO built in 1957. Based on the two-door Syrena sedan, FSO’s first car to be designed in-house, it had fiberglass bodywork and an air-cooled, two-cylinder boxer engine.

It’s a big leap from a side project at a state-run commie car factory to limited edition automotive fashion item, but the reincarnated Syrena Sport might just have the looks and the power to win over buyers.

Let us know what you think of the Syrena Sport in the comments.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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