Ariel ‘Hipercar’ will be an 880kW monster

No, it’s not a typo. Ariel is building a ‘Hipercar’.

That’s not actually going to be the model name when it is officially released, but the pre-production name does have meaning.

It stands for High Performance Carbon Reduction, and that’s because this little beast is going to be electric.

But unlike other electric cars, the Hipercar is going to score 880kW of Tesla-thrashing grunt, with a mind-blowing 1800Nm of torque.

So, 0-100km/h in only 2.4 seconds sounds about right, then. Or, to really drive the point home, 0-241km/h is claimed to take just 7.8 seconds.

It’ll also be available in two or all-wheel-drive, with each wheel being driven by a 220kW/450Nm electric motor.

It’s also going to weigh, well, not much if the aluminium folded and bonded chassis is anything to go by. Electric motors are heavy, but they’re not exactly dead weight.

“Like other Ariels we want Hipercar to represent excellent value for money for the remarkable performance on offer,” Ariel founder Simon Saunders says.

“It will be an expensive car because of the technology involved but when compared to £1m+ supercars, which it will outperform, it’s going to represent excellent value for money.

“This is the first true electric supercar that will cross continents, drive to town and lap a race track.”

It’s slated to be ready for production in 2020 alongside Ariel’s other creations, the Atom, Nomad, and Ace.

Ariel Hipercar Specs:
Engine: 2 or 4 electric motors
Power: 220kW per motor
Torque: 450Nm per motor
0-100km/h: 2.4s (claimed, AWD)
Price: TBC, but “expensive”