That isn’t a typographical error.
The last time you heard ‘turbine’ and ‘supercar’ in the same sentence, it was likely sometime in the late 1970s (when Chrysler was still working on an application for it in an everyday car). It appears that the gas turbine has a little life left in it yet, with nascent specialist carmaker Ariel announcing to the world that it’s working on an electric supercar capable of mind-boggling numbers, supplemented by a turbine-generator.
“We’re building tomorrow’s aspirational car using our small-company agility to beat the big companies. We love the Ariels we make now, but we know we have to embrace new technology. If we don’t, in 20 years we’ll be making antiques, and we could even be legislated out of existence.” — Simon Saunders, founder, Ariel Motor Company
Essentially a range-extender electric-vehicle, the supercar (dubbed the ‘P40’ according to internal codes) will be capable of hitting 100km/h from rest in just 2.4-seconds (eat that, Tesla Model S P100D), before hitting a top-speed limited to 258km/h (set here because “no one needs to go faster”). The fruit of a three-way project and backed by the UK government, the ‘Hipercar’ project will go into production come 2020, according to an Autocar report.
The drivetrain and chassis of the Hipercar is the result of a three-year project, with the finished product to receive its global debut at the Cenex Low-Carbon Vehicle show at the Millbrook Proving Grounds. With an aluminium monocoque construction, the Ariel Hipercar is expected to tip the scales at around 1600kg, and will be dressed with carbon fibre body panels in a design that has yet to be finalised.
The Hipercar will be powered by a setup comprising of four electric motors, one in each wheel, each capable of 220kW. These batteries are fed juice by a 42kWh battery pack, that’s liquid-cooled and mounted in the base of the car. With all-wheel drive and a low centre of gravity, it’s expected that hard-cornering will result in face-bending antics.
Aside from the all-wheel drive model, Ariel is considering a slightly less-potent, two-wheel drive model with a bigger battery pack, as part of a secondary project that it has taken on with UK government backing, dubbed project ‘Amplifi.’
Regardless, both cars will employ the same range-extender turbine engine, producing a maximum of 35kW and placed above the two rear motors. The main reason for the range-extender is, in the name, to extend the range of the car, as it’s expected to deplete its battery reserves in about 15-minutes of flat-out track-driving, which would then require almost an hour of fast-charging to top it back up again. It’s said that Ariel’s Hipercar isn’t aimed primarily at track-day drivers, though with performance figures as they are, it’d be nigh-on impossible for it not to get thrashed on a track from time to time.
“We want the project to be a poster-boy for new technology. It’s risky, because the car is packed with new stuff that needs to be proven, but we want it to be seen as tomorrow’s supercar. The performance will be astonishing; Our mission is to be braver, and quicker to react than bigger manufacturers. Enterprises like this project have the potential to build a virtuous circle.” — Simon Saunders, founder, Ariel Motor Company
With a 14-month waiting list for the Atom sports-car, Nomad off-roader, and Ace motorcycle, it seems that Ariel would have flourished if it just stayed in the now. But this sort of forward-thinking project will definitely keep it on the map for years to come.
Stay tuned to CarShowroom as we bring you more updates as they come.
