Check out the doors on Rezvani’s new ‘Beast Alpha’

You may not have heard of Rezvani. But even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, the names that the automotive design company have worked with definitely will.

Supercars from Aston Martins to Ferraris have benefitted from the creative input of the Californian carmaker but, when the brand launched the Rezvani Beast last year, it marked the first time that they have built a car of their own.

This week, at the Los Angeles motor show, Rezvani revealed an updated version of the Beast, a car described on its initial debut as the automotive equivalent of piloting a fighter jet.

The new coupe version of the 500bhp sports car is called the Alpha, and boasts unique ‘sidewinder’ doors – which swing out and slide forwards to sit parallel with the front wings of the car. Developer and company owner Ferris Rezvani explained the odd design move by claiming that the larger aperture created by these innovative doors made it easier to enter and exit the vehicle.

To further ease the process of getting into the Beast, the sill has been narrowed – with care taken to maintain the strength of the chassis. A removable roof panel, the introduction of air conditioning and more airbags also give the upgrade more of an everyday vehicle feel.

But is that really what you want? With a 500bhp 2.4-litre supercharged Honda engine, six-speed manual gearbox and weight of just 884 kilograms, this isn’t a car you want to take to the supermarket. Instead, it’s a car for speed and adventure, with a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds and no confirmed top speed as of yet (take that as a challenge).

The new Beast will set you back £132,500, with options including adjustable suspension, carbonfibre seats and steering wheel, and a Sadev sequential manual gearbox. And, if you wait until next year, a 700bhp Beast X is planned – twin-turbocharged and even meaner than this monster.