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The term “hypercar” arose when “supercar” failed to capture the surprising effect of the next generation of the world’s fastest and most exotic sports cars. This grander superlative fits perfectly with the craziest crop of electric vehicles: while supercars come from pioneers. Like the high-performance Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and the V-12-powered Lamborghini Miura, futuristic battery-powered hypercars harness the noise, vibration, and harshness of internal combustion to achieve paradigm-shifting degrees of performance.
As a sign of the current situation, these atypical electric vehicles place more emphasis on four-digit strength and ultra-slick aerodynamics, while introducing cutting-edge design elements that bear little resemblance to those found in more familiar vehicles from six and seven. miniature sleighs. The following examples, presented in ascending order of strength, not only constitute some of the most luxurious road vehicles in the world, but also provide insight into some of the features and styling that will inevitably carry over to other high-end segments. of the industry.
McMurtry Automotive’s comic-style hypercar looks more like anything you’d place in the back of a cereal box than a world-class functional car, however, the Spéirling, whose styling name means “storm” in Irish, is a joke. Seat’s electric vehicle generates around 1,000 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 1. 4 seconds (making it the car with the fastest acceleration in the world). It can also generate a staggering 3G of lateral acceleration (thanks to dual turbines that create a pavement-absorbing aerodynamic force). ). The Spéirling is athletic enough to have broken the Goodwood Festival of Speed Hill Climb record in 2022, leaving the final say to the company’s founder, Sir David McMurtry.
Classic car enthusiasts will recognize the Hispano-Switzerland designation as a premium logo founded in 1904. The first Spanish-Swiss car manufacturer combined aircraft engines with competitive bodies for its vehicles, but devoted itself entirely to the construction of aircraft. The company has been resurrected in the 21st century, removing the hyphen of its nickname and adding electrification in the form of the Carmen hypercar, created in 2019.
The newest variant of the Carmen is the Sagrera, a track-focused derivative with a lighter battery, 1,100 horsepower, as well as improved cooling and brakes to tackle the laps. Four examples of the $3. 2 million Carmen models have already been delivered. , and new depositors will have to wait nine months to get the Sagrera version.
Ariel Motor Company is likely to be known for its tubular chassis and gas-powered Atom and Nomad models, but the British brand’s expected maximum offering will be powered entirely through electrons. The upcoming Hipercar avoids some of the ultra-high-end elements of electric vehicles. The hypercar comes back down to earth with a glued aluminum chassis and the choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Designed with all the subtlety of a freight train, the Hipercar will produce 1,180 horsepower and 1,330 lb-ft of torque. This force is said to be capable of taking the device from 0 to 60 mph in just over 2 seconds.
While the vast majority of electric hypercars claim a seven-figure MSRP, BYD’s Yangwang U9 stands out with a starting price of just under $250,000. The four-engine, 1,290 hp two-seater is expected to reach one hundred km/h in 2. 36 seconds. .
It has dihedral doors, like other cars in its class, but it also has a fully active suspension that can make the vehicle “dance” at low speeds by tilting and swaying the body, like many lowriders. And why not? The long series of electric hypercars will likely be complemented by more sophisticated features like the U9.
From Lamborghini, the leading manufacturer of noisy gasoline sports cars (and creator of the supercar genre, with the Miura), comes the all-electric Lanzador. Unveiled at Quail 2023, a motorsports gathering, the Lanzador concept attracted the crowd with its tall four-door configuration.
“We call it GT 2 2 elevated,” Lamborghini marketing director Federico Foschini said at the model’s unveiling, adding to Robb Report that “it’s more of an elevated sports car. “While the Revuelto Hybrid V-12 maintains the grumpy signature Lamborghini range, the 1,340-horsepower Launcher satisfies the less track-oriented desires of Lamborghini folks who wouldn’t get caught off guard in a competing EV.
Electric cars designed and manufactured in China tend to make headlines due to their affordable mass-market appeal. Nio defies the stereotype with the $3 million EP9, which boldly claims a megawatt, or 1341 hp, of power from its 4 electric motors. The EP9 features a carbon fiber chassis, active suspension, and a transmission coupled to each of its 4 engines.
It is also so speed-oriented that it is not rated for road use and demonstrated its functionality by setting a lap record on the Nürburgring Nordchleife in 2017. It is the first electric vehicle to break the record at the time, and surpassed by the hybrid. McLaren P1 LM a while later. However, the EP9 stands out as a 100% electric hypercar that has managed to stand out in its country of origin despite monetary difficulties and single-digit sales.
In 2019, the Pininfarina Battista emerged as a select edition of the Croatia-based Rimac Nevera. Since then, special editions have been introduced with themes that draw inspiration from the company’s Italian coachwork roots. Despite having a sleeker silhouette than the Nevera, Pininfarina’s 1,900-horsepower four-motor beast has the same platform and is capable of equally important figures: 60 mph in 1. 79 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph.
The new special edition pays homage to the 1955 Lancia Florida, whose style year is called the Cinququantacinque. Prospective owners of Battista might be attracted to the Blu Savoia painting of the period and the contrasting ceiling by Bianco Sestriere, but it is the functions of this Pininfarina that will win them over.
Rimac Automobili’s 15th anniversary proves that time flies in global automotive progress and marks a remarkable milestone in the parabolic expansion of ultra-high-functionality electric vehicles. Rimac’s 1,914-hp Nevera claimed 20 records for functionality, the name of the world’s fastest-accelerating production. car (with a time of 0 to 60 mph in 1. 74 seconds).
The Nevera set a record in 2023 when it became the fastest road-legal production car up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, in 49. 32 seconds. This year, the Czinger 21C hybrid broke Rimac’s record in just a fraction of a second, proving that the war for bragging rights will continue to break out between battery and gasoline.
This Japanese electric vehicle does justice to the term hypercar by offering a dizzying top speed of 440 km/h, which beats the record of the Rimac Nevera. Hailing from Aspark, the company founded by entrepreneur Masanori Yoshida, the Owl has four engines that generate a total of 1,985 horsepower and 1,475 lb-ft of torque. The low-lying electric vehicle can also accelerate up to 60 mph in 1. 7 seconds. Although the initial value of the Owl is $3. 1 million, the first specimen that has been publicly indexed on an online auction site, but it did not achieve the reserve.
Lotus carved out a niche for itself by building fearsome racing cars and feathered road cars, but replaced its formula with its first electric vehicle, the Eletre. If a 905 HP crossover is rarely your extreme concept, the 2,011 HP Evija X ticks a few more boxes. This flagship Lotus saw its first visiting delivery to former Formula 1 champion Jenson Button, and the exclusive X variant underlined its supremacy by setting a lap record at the Nürburgring last April.
The Evija, which produces 1,257 lb-ft of torque, recently faced public ignominy when it crashed into a hay bale at the Goodwood Festival of Speed after a burnout that lasted just 1. 5 seconds. It turned out that the traction of the Lotus with the large wing was disabled. Let’s hope the lesson has been learned.
Basem Wasef is a journalist and car and motorcycle photographer with two books to his credit: Legendary Race Cars and Legendary Motorcycles. Contributor to publications. . .
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