Launched: Bufori CS8 – Malaysia-Made Super-GT With V8 Heart, From RM2.188 Million

Launched earlier today was a brand new multi-million-Ringgit luxury super GT supercar that's made in, of all places, Kepong.

Earlier today, Malaysia-based Bufori finally unwrapped its newest metal. Christened as the Bufori CS8, the sleek, 2+2 coupe grand tourer (GT) finally debuts after a decade-long development stint – yes, it took 10 years to finalise.

If you’ve never heard of Bufori, then here’s a brief history lesson. The firm was founded in 1986 by a trio of Australian-Lebanese brothers led by Gerry Khouri – the marque’s MD. The firm is renowned for hand-building automobiles with a distinct ‘classic’ or ‘retro’ style, but with modern underpinning and tech.

Since 1998, the marque operates locally as Bufori Motor Car Company (M) Sdn Bhd, establishing a production facility in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur in the process too. Through which, the firm employs up to 108 local ‘craftsmen’, and they’re tasked with hand-building made-to-order automobiles.

Introduced at the Affin Tower, TRX today was the new made-in-Malaysia Bufori CS8. Present too was the marque's MD Gerry Khouri (right).

Yes, this posh, sleek and powerful luxury super-GT is proudly built right here in Malaysia by local 'craftstmen' at Bufori's Kepong facility.

Back to the new Bufori CS8 and, before you pass it off for anything ‘less’, we’ll point out that this luxury ‘super GT’ is comparable with the likes of the Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin Vanquish. Don’t believe us? Perhaps what we’ll detail might convince you otherwise…

Lets talk footprint first, and the Bufori CS8 is quite a sizeable thing at 4,568 MM long (2,609 MM wheelbase), 2,030 MM wide and 1,292 MM tall. Housed within which besides a posh, richly-kitted 2+2 cabin and 252-litre boot space is an equally large 100-litre fuel tank.

For reference, the Bufori CS8 sits very close in size as the Aston Martin and Bentley contemporaries mentioned – albeit slightly shorter, narrower and lower. Arguably comparable here too is styling, but we’ll let you gauge that for yourself…

At a glance, it's plain to see the Bufori CS8 rocks a sleek 'fastback' coupe styling, with its exterior being largely crafted out of lightweight carbon-kevlar composite.

Notably, the sleek traditional coupe ‘fastback’ styling is mostly styled and hand-crafted in Kepong by the local craftsmen mentioned from carbon-kevlar hybrid composite – a signature Bufori production trait.

Other notable exterior touches include forged 19-inch rolling stock, red-painted brake calipers, as well as automatic all-LED headlamps, DRLs and foglamps combo matched with distinct all-LED quad taillights cluster.

Plush hand-cut leather covers much of the cabin and the 8-way adjustable Recaro sports seats. Present too is a 13.6-inch portrait touchscreen and rotary transmission selector.

Moving to the cabin, the unit shown at today’s launch features a pair of Recaro-supplied eight-way adjustable sports seats. That, as well as the flat-bottomed sports steering wheel, and much of both the dash and door panels are wrapped in plush hand-cut leather.

Take note that the Bufori CS8 does not feature a traditional transmission shift lever, favouring a rotary selector dial plus steering wheel paddle-shifters setup instead. Matching that is an electronic parking brake (EPB) suite to keep things in the central console and tunnel looking clean and uncluttered.

As for tech, basics include keyless entry and ignition, powered steering adjustment, dual-zone automatic climate control, a ‘6.1 audio suite’, wireless phone charger, as well as a 13.6-inch portrait touchscreen infotainment boasting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The built-in Smart TAG toll card-reader is a very 'Malaysian' touch indeed. Present too are both a TPMS and built-in data-logger.

That aside, we’ll even add that the launch unit shown today came brimmed with a built-in Smart TAG toll card-reader, tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS), a posh Snap-On brand tool kit and tyre repair kit combo, as well as a built-in data-logger too.

Whilst here, Bufori has also readied a bevy of driver assists. Accounted for here are adaptive cruise control (ACC), blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning and assist, as well as 360-degree parking camera plus front and rear park assist.

All of which comes on top of basic safety features encompassing airbags and electronic stability control (ESC), amongst others. Certainly, the level of kit the Bufori CS8 boasts is convincing, but it’s the powertrain and performance-honed chassis that arguably puts the ‘super’ in its ‘super-GT’ status…

There are FIVE powertrain choices available, including a signature supercharged 6.4 litre Chrysler Hemi V8 with a whopping 810 HP and 973 NM.

Starting with powertrain, there are FIVE options in total. It starts with a 3.0-litre in-line 6-cyl twin-turbo choice outputting 550 HP and 677 NM. Above which comes a 3.6-litre V6 mill that, on its own (naturally aspirated), has 320 HP and 252 NM, or supercharged to deliver 455 HP and 495 NM.

Six-shooters aside, the choice engine for the Bufori CS8 is actually a Chrysler Hemi 6.4-litre V8 mill – hence the ‘8’ in its CS8 naming. In naturally aspirated form, this mill offers 475 HP and 640 NM, and above which is a supercharged version with a whopping 810 HP and meaty 973 NM of twist.

No matter which engine you opt for, all are paired with an 8-speed automatic box and rear-wheel-drive (RWD) setup featuring a limited-slip diff (LSD). Aptly, Bufori chose to highlight the supercharged V8 mill’s performance, which enables the CS8 to despatch 0-100 KM/H sprints in just 3.0 secs whilst enroute towards a 330 KM/H V-max.

Besides a light kerb weight as low as 1,550 KG, the new Bufori CS8 'super GT' also boasts a performance-honed chassis.

Being constructed out of lightweight carbon-kevlar composite mentioned means the Bufori CS8 has a claimed kerb weight as low as 1,550 KG – similar heft as a Porsche 911, in fact.

Besides that, the Bufori CS8 also boasts a full Brembo braking suite featuring six-piston calipers and 380 MM rotors up front plus quad-piston calipers and 350 MM rotors at the rear. It also benefits with grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres shod on each of its 19-inch forged alloy wheels mentioned.

In other words, besides sleek style and high calibre kit, the Bufori CS8 also boasts the performance heart and hardware to match. Perhaps all this also might help to justify the next bit – price.

Added agility is also promised through the full-suite of Brembo braking hardware and grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.

To commission the Bufori CS8, things start from RM2,188,000 on-the-road excluding insurance, regardless of engine choice. Besides disposable funds, you’ll also need lots of time and patience to wait for one as each unit requires over 9,000 man-hours to complete.

Certainly, said price and wait-time combination, plus the amount of customisation one might commission it with, should keep the Bufori CS8 somewhat ‘exclusive’ and ‘rare’.

What do you folks think of this made-in-Kepong luxury super GT then? Would you fancy it over contemporary choices form Bentley, Aston Martin, or even Porsche and Ferrari? Hit the comments below then…