The PHEV James Bond would drive.
Austro Daimler is a name that you most definitely have not heard of. Even if you are a tome of automotive trivia, at the very least, it’s a moniker that has not entered your mind in quite a while. More pressingly, though, is the fact the recently revived Austrian marque have revealed a brand new car.
It’s called the Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand and uses a medley of their own technology and that plucked from Mercedes-AMG to create a high performance plug-in hybrid capable of a system output of nearly 900kW and able to scratch 200mph (330km/h) flat out.
The car was designed to keep as much weight at bay as possible, with aluminium used for its space frame and most of its body. Still, the relatively heavy battery and electric motor package has nudged the otherwise lithe European coupe to a curb weight of 1,650kg.
Its aesthetics are clearly evocative of classic grand touring luxury sports cars of the past with a long bonnet and roofline rising from the windscreen to the rear window. And while the gull wing doors and almost breadvan-esque profile may hide its size, in person the ADR 630 is no pushover, measuring 4.5 metres end to end and 2 metres wide.
There’s also a strong resemblance to the Mercedes-AMG GT, which is hardly a coincidence.
There are plenty of other goodies on offer to celebrate, such as its 3.0-litre turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine. Sourced from AMG and shared with such cars as the CLS 53, the M256 motor has been mounted low and as far back as possible while retaining its cab rearward layout.
Assuming that Austro Daimler has left its factory outputs alone, the six-pot can be assumed to produce around 320kW and 770Nm on its own. However, it’s where that combustion power is augmented by the tricked-up hybrid system is where things get interesting.
A powerful single electric motor helps drive the rear axle and supplement the power already coming from the combustion engine, meanwhile there are two supplementary motors dedicated to each front wheel. All 600kW of electric motive force are reined in by the SERIPA hybrid drive unit controller developed specifically for the car.
In terms of power, the grand total comes to 893kW and 1600Nm dormant behind that right foot pedal and, assuming that wheel spin is quelled adequately enough, propels the car to 100km/h in 2.5 seconds.
Even better, because it’s a hybrid instead of a full-on battery-powered electric, it doesn’t need a multi-hour time out when the charge reserves get low. Rather, it’s able to leech energy from the petrol engine to slowly replenish itself, during which point the car won’t be able to access its full performance.
A quicker option would be to plug it into the mains once you’ve reached a destination, but given it packs a sizeable 55kWh battery, which is larger than standalone EVs such as the Nissan Leaf, MINI Cooper SE, and the upcoming Honda E, that could still take a few precious hours. That is, unless it is connected to a fast charge station to take advantage of its 150kW maximum charge rate.
On a full tank of petrol and with the batteries charged to capacity, the Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand boasts a WLTP cycle real-world total range of up 1,000km. If the 3.0-litre straight-six is not invoked, the car has an impressive purely electric range of 250km.
Inside, the cabin is clearly meant to be a classy and cosseting space to comfortably cruise through continents. Cozy as the accommodations may be, it certainly does also take minimalism quite seriously with very little of its analogue switchgear visible.
There’s no word on when exactly Austro Daimler plans to have the Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand on sale, and even less of how much of a finished car this pre-production version is. That said, more will be revealed during its formal showing at Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace in September. Naturally, just expect it to be very rare and very expensive.
