We had the good fortune of connecting with Iker Echeverría and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Iker, what role has risk played in your life or career?
The success of VUHL as a Project is largely due to the quantity and magnitude of the risks I took. Designing the first Mexican car in history, doing it during the automotive crisis and being just 23 years old are many risks altogether that definitely also needed an important component of naiveness!

Betting on an ultralight supercar, without a roof, doors and windshield was a risky bet on the product per se, which ended up giving it its own character and a car-motorcycle identity that is highly addictive for motorsport enthusiasts.

As founder and Technical Director during development, it took a certain kind of character to ignore fear and anxiety when taking high risks. When presenting the VUHL 05 to the world we had all eyes on us! Although in general it was a successful bet from the beginning, there were many specialized media that had a hard time accepting a new vision of what a supercar is; moving away from the conventional “race car for the road” but at the same time going back to the iconic cars of the Can Am racers of the 70s without electronic aids, without doors, roof, exposed roll bar, a lot of power and ultra light weight.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My brother and I opened ETXE, our first company 15 years ago when I was 23. It is an engineering and design agency that eventually funded the initial stage of the VUHL 05 program. We currently still own ETXE and is specialized in Automotive and Aerospace clients. 15 years later we are Co-founders or partners in other 7 companies.

Starting the VUHL project in 2008 was extremely complicated as it was amidst the automotive crisis and I was extremely naive. The development program was officially kicked off in 2010 and it turned out that the crisis had opened the mind of strategic partners and suppliers to a different approach to designing and building supercars. This was a game-changer for a startup as we cleared our minds about the concept of a traditional supercar and that enabled disruptive ideas to come up and make their way to production.

It´s been an intense, painful and amazing journey. Next year VUHL turns 10 years old as the VUHL 05 was presented in 2013 and its a huge milestone for us to celebrate our first decade! Big next step coming soon!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I enjoy driving the VUHL around Brickell area and Concours Club for the track.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout is to the outliers, early adopters, and visionary men and women around the world who are passionate about exciting high-end products that define your lifestyle.

VUHL is a high-end luxury brand that just launched a Technical Apparel spin off to the Automotive, affirming a lifestyle for people that want to stand out. VUHL is about belonging to a tribe that wants to be seen and people talk about.

Website: www.vuhlautomotive.com / www.vuhldesign.com

Instagram: @ikerecheverria / @vuhlautomotive

Linkedin: Iker Echeverria / VUHL Automotive

Facebook: @ikerecheverria / @vuhlautomotive

Youtube: VUHL Automotive

Image Credits
Daniela González

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.