Plastic Surgeon-Designed Youabian Puma Steals LA Auto Show
Designed by a plastic surgeon, the Youamian Puma shocked journalists attending the LA Auto Show’s press days event.
Hey, E3 Spark Plugs fans – Remember the scene in Forest Gump where Gump happens upon a college football practice session and streaks across the field leaving players in the dust and catching the astonished eye of the team’s top brass?
“Can you believe it? I got to go to college, too,” Gump says.
Well, we’re betting that somewhere in Los Angeles, Plastic Surgeon Kami Youabian is leaning back with a cigar and a celebratory glass of cognac, thinking aloud, “Can you believe it? I got to go to the LA Auto Show, too.”
Oh, yes he did! And like Gump, Youabian and his $1.1 million fully custom Puma earned some serious where-the-heck-did-that-come-from street cred, upstaging even the best of high-dollar carmakers like Jaguar, Porsche and Mercedes at the LA Auto Show’s pre-show press days event.
Sculpting faces and bodies by day, Youabian had long dreamed of sculpting the perfect ride, too. And his vision was inspired by the animal considered the greatest of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, the puma. The car’s shape looks a bit like a puma crouching, ready to bust out a high-speed, powerful pounce on some unsuspecting prey – which is just what this extravagant sports car did.
Formed from a 20-foot -long piece of zaftig fiberglass, the Youabian Puma is built atop a steel and aluminum chassis and boasts a 505-hp, 7-liter Corvette V-8 engine. The rear-wheel-drive 6-speed automatic is carried on 20-inch wheels and 44-inch tires specially designed for cruising both on the boulevard, where it can hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, and on the California desert sand. Front winglets, extra fog lights, scoop-contoured doors and oversized rear fender assure the Puma will never be confused with another ride on the road. The interior features all the standard luxury car accoutrements, but also offers up a few surprises including a push-button transmission shifting
Project manager Onnik Hovansian says plans are in place to offer the Puma built-to-order. But fast-driving buyers will have to exercise a bit of patience. New Pumas may take 18 to 24 months to deliver.
What do you think, E3 Spark Plus? Would you drive Dr. Youamian’s Puma? Post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.
