If you’re looking for pure, all-electric speed, then look no further than the Ariel Motors “Hipercar” – a no-frills performance monster.
British manufacturer Ariel Motor Company doesn’t make a ton of vehicles — they’re mostly known for their Atom and Nomad, which are both very skeletal-looking, stripped-down performance vehicles. Well now Ariel has surprised everyone with its new Hipercar prototype, which looks like a bonkers Batmobile.
First off, don’t get upset at the spelling of “Hipercar” — it stands for High Performance Carbon Reduction, thank you very much.
The bugnuts body is made from an aluminum chassis and subframes, while the body structure is made from carbon fiber. Ariel says that the look is the result of working to achieve maximum drag efficiency and cooling. The vertical fins stick up from each corner, with one more running along the centerline of the rear deck. Meanwhile, the roof-mounted scoop directs air toward the turbine.
The Hipercar’s power comes from a Cosworth 62.0 kWh battery pack that runs on an 800-volt architecture. The range is an estimated 150 miles, but Ariel will also offer an optional Cosworth turbine engine as a range extender.
Buyers could get rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, with a 290-hp Equipmake APM electric motor stationed at each wheel. Total output for the RWD version is 581 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, while the AWD version gets 1,163 hp and 1327 lb-ft.
This is still a prototype, but Ariel says that while the actual model name might not be “Hipercar” when it goes into production, the bodywork as we see it now will be on the production model. We don’t have any hard numbers on pricing yet, but Ariel is aiming to price this below £1 million ($1.12 million).
Ariel Motor Company Hipercar
SOURCE | IMAGES: MOTOR1.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. Learn more.
