Top Cars

The list of small firms claiming to be on the verge of creating the next motoring revolution grows each week, but Ronn Motor Company might have the ability to back up the hype. Ronn Maxwell and a team of fabricators, engine builders and all-around car guys, wanted to create a supercar that delivered striking good looks, engaging driving dynamics and a bit of green technology to bring the supercar into the 21st century. The result is the 450-hp Scorpion and its hotter, 600-hp sibling, the Scorpion HX.

Built off a lightweight chrome-moly chassis shrouded in a carbon fiber body, the Scorpion has a seductive shape backing up its sting, along with 20-inch MOZ wheels and 12-inch Wilwood disc brakes. The 3.5-liter DOHC VTEC-equipped V6 is pulled from the 2008 Acura TL Type-S and mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual sending power to the rear wheels through an LSD. The standard Scorpion puts out 450 hp, while the HX uses a duo of turbos and a proprietary intercooler setup to bring output up to 600 hp. Preliminary 0-60 times aren't available yet (we'd guess somewhere in the 3.5-second range), but top speed should be in excess of 200 mph.

While coaxing 600 hp out of twin-turbo'd 3.5-liter V6 isn't a huge feat, the H2GO Hydrogen On-Demand system is the Scorpion's showpiece. The system produces hydrogen through the electrolysis of water while the vehicle is in motion, creating 130-octane hydrogen in gaseous form. A mixture of gasoline and hydrogen is injected into the intake manifold, along with a 30-40 percent mixture of air. That allows the Scorpion to keep emissions at a minimum while returning an estimated 40 mpg.