Praga Bohema: The Full Interview with Ex Stig and Development Driver Ben Collins
Before arriving at Goodwood, many visitors had never heard of Praga. By the end of the weekend, many were asking where they could learn more. Central to that discovery was Ben Collins, the former Stig from Top Gear and Praga's development driver, who has been closely involved with the Bohema since its earliest days.
DriverReviews caught up with Collins at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026 to hear directly from him about how the Bohema came together, what makes it different from every other hypercar in the paddock, and what it is actually like from the passenger seat. His full account is below.
Watch Ben Collins on the Praga Bohema here.
Ben Collins, in his own words:
"I first met the Bohema four years ago. I was racing for Praga at the time in a series they run, like a one-make series by Praga, the 'Praga Cup'. They unveiled this car, it was well into development, but I got involved in that later stage through some fine tuning, particularly around the aerodynamics, some of how the ABS worked and the creature comforts. So, I famously added more wing, which is something I like doing.
It's got fantastic performance, 700hp, nearly a tonne of downforce at 155mph. It's a very high-performance car wrapped in a system that will work just as well on the road. So, bringing that here to Goodwood is really awesome.
Last year we did time runs, we were very fast. This year we're showboating, letting customers experience what it's like in the hot seat, scaring a few journalists, and then wiping the seat down.
The USP for the Praga Bohema is that it's so light, it weighs less than a tonne, so I think it's an approachable hypercar. I love it. I love getting locked in on the track, as well as doing what it does best, which is long distances. There is room for more than a toothbrush, the car has storage so it's pretty cool."
Breaking Down What Collins Told Us
Four years in the making, from the driver's seat
Collins' involvement with the Bohema goes back further than most people realise. He was racing in Praga's one-make Praga Cup series when the Bohema was first unveiled, already well into development, and was brought in during the later stages to fine-tune the aerodynamics, the ABS calibration and the everyday comfort of the car. His own contribution, adding more wing, is a detail that says as much about his priorities as a development driver as it does about the car itself.
Under a tonne, with a tonne of downforce
The headline numbers are striking on their own: 700hp and nearly a tonne of downforce at 155mph. What makes the Bohema unusual is the other number Collins keeps coming back to, the car's weight. At under a tonne, the Bohema sits in genuinely rare company among modern hypercars, and Collins is clear that this is the car's real identity rather than a footnote to the power figures. The Bohema runs on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, helping translate that combination of light weight and downforce into the grip levels the car needs both on track and on the road.
From lap times to letting customers experience it
Praga's approach to Goodwood has shifted in a single year. Last year was about proving outright pace with fast time runs up the hill. This year, the focus moved to letting customers and journalists experience the car directly from the passenger seat, a change that says as much about Praga's confidence in the car as any lap time could.
A hypercar built for more than just the track
Asked for the Bohema's real USP, Collins didn't reach for a spec figure. He pointed to the weight again, and to something rarer still in this class of car: genuine usability, enough storage space for more than a toothbrush, and a chassis that rewards long distances as much as a flying lap. It is a rare thing for a hypercar development driver to sell a car on approachability rather than outright drama, and it is exactly what made the Bohema one of the standout discoveries of Goodwood 2026.
Riding the Goodwood Hillclimb with Ben Collins
The interview wasn't the only access DriverReviews secured with Collins at Goodwood. A member of the DriverReviews team took the passenger seat alongside Collins for a full run up the famous Goodwood hill climb in the Bohema.
From the moment the car launched away from the start line, it was clear just how much confidence its lightweight construction, aerodynamics and Michelin tyres give the driver. It was one of the most memorable automotive experiences the DriverReviews team has ever had, and a first-hand demonstration of everything Collins described in the interview above.
常见问题
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