Remember the Ariel Atom? Most car enthusiasts may recall the track toy, along with its off-road going Nomad stablemate, as the no-frills, maximum fun offerings from British car company Ariel Motors.
But while the Atom and Nomad may look like playthings to most folks, Ariel wants to make it clear that it, too, has a conscience. This is why it is reportedly working on an electric hypercar scheduled for release within a few years. But according to the Autocar news report, Ariel isn’t just working on any sluggish electric golf cart. Rather, it will unveil a hypercar with an earth-shattering 1,180hp and 1,800Nm of torque.
The staggering figures are made possible by using four electric motors that produce 295hp each. The motors draw power from a 42kw/h centrally-mounted battery. This allows the two-seater, carbon fiber framed number to rocket from 0-100kph in 2.4 seconds and 0-160kph in 3.8 ticks.
This being a fully electric racer, Ariel deemed it wise to fit the P40, as it is codenamed, with a turbine range extender, placed atop the rear axle. This gives the car an extra driving distance of about 193kms. One can even race around the track for roughly 15 minutes before the topping up. Charging time takes approximately 50 minutes.
The project is made possible with the help of the British Government, along with a company named Hipercar. This is an acronym for High-Performance Carbon Reduction. The endeavor is reportedly set to be unveiled within this month. The actual Ariel P40 hypercar, meanwhile, will be revealed by 2020.
