How Shockingly Ugly Is The 218mph VLF Force 1?

VLF Automotive’s Force 1 had a bit of a troubled start in life. Aston Martin claimed that designer Henrik Fisker - one of the British company’s ex-employees - had copied the DB10. Fisker - who started VLF as a join venture with former General Motors chairman Bob Lutz and racing driver Ben Keating - responded by opening up a $100 million lawsuit against Aston; as you do.

But, with the car revealed in full at the Detroit motor show we can now see it looks nothing like a DB10. Not unless the DB10 you have in mind has been hooked on crystal meth for the last three years, anyway. In fact, I don’t like the way it looks at all.

It’s preposterously fussy at the front with all those lines, intakes and the tiny headlights (which remind me of the ones you find on the Mazda MX-5). The rear is better - a little Dodge Viper-esque in places - but with more particularly unsubtle gouges and vents, it still looks messy.

Yes, it has a 745bhp and 638lb ft, 8.4-litre V10 from the Dodge Viper and yes, it’ll do 218mph (as well as 0-60mph in three seconds dead). But right now I’m too distracted by the rubbish lettering they’ve used on the boot and the front wing to care. It looks like those naff, generic chrome letters they sell at your local parts store. On a $268,500 car. Seriously?

But maybe I’m being overly harsh. It certainly looks dramatic, and clearly has presence. So what do you think?