Ariel Hypercar is bringing the British brand into the electric sports car segment to join the existing Atom and Nomad offerings. The vehicle in this image is still a prototype, and the company plans to deliver its first customer examples in about two years.
The hypercar will be available with a choice of all-wheel drive with four electric motors or rear-wheel drive with two motors. The four-motor setup will produce 1,180 horsepower (880 kilowatts). Ariel claims the vehicle reaches 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in 2.09 seconds and 100 mph (161 kph) in 4.4 seconds. With the planned torque vectoring system, this time will be faster, according to the company’s plan.
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The hypercar will come with a 62-kilowatt-hour battery sourced from Cosworth that offers an estimated range of 150 miles (241 kilometers) in a WLTP cycle. To increase this figure, Ariel will offer the optional Cosworth turbine range extender. It will spin at 110,000 rpm and will produce 47 hp (35 kW).
This vehicle uses an aluminum monocoque with carbon fiber body panels. With four motors, the estimated weight is 3,307 pounds (1,500 kilograms), and the two-motor variant will be under 3,086 pounds (1,400 kilograms). The suspension consists of double wishbones of unequal length at each corner with Bilstein dampers. AP Racing brakes have six pistons at the front and four pistons at the rear. To tailor the driving experience to the driver, it is possible to adjust the level of regenerative braking, traction control and torque vectoring.
Ariel says the Hypercar’s exterior style stems from the requirement to achieve the required drag and cooling efficiency. It features a vertical fin sticking out from every corner and another one running along the centerline of the rear deck. Spoons mounted on the roof direct the air to the turbine.
Hypercar stands for High-Performance Carbon Reduction, but the actual model name may differ. Although this is a prototype, the company says the vehicle is sporting bodywork for production. The final price is not yet available, but Ariel intends it to be under £1 million. Production will take place in Somerset, England, alongside Atom and Nomad.
