The U.K. is fairly well-known in automotive circles for its small-volume performance car manufacturers, but those companies’ existence moving forward will depend on their ability to adapt.
That’s why Ariel is trying to get ahead of the curve.
Ariel, maker of the P40 is set to reveal its new electric supercar by the end of August, and it surprisingly will be even more extreme than its current Atom or Nomad, according to Autocar. The all-wheel-drive EV, codenamed P40, is expected to go into production by 2020.
Propelled by four 295-horsepower electric motors, which produce a combined 1,180 horsepower and 1,328 foot-pounds of torque, the new model reportedly will hit 60 mph in just 2.4 seconds. What’s more, it will reach 100 mph in just 3.8 seconds and weight just 1,600 kilograms (3,527 pounds) — roughly the same as the current-generation Ford Mustang.
“We’re building tomorrow’s aspirational car using our small-company agility to beat the big companies,” Ariel founder Simon Saunders told Autocar. “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.”
The P40 will utilize a 42 kilowatt-hour liquid-cooled battery, giving it an estimated range of between 100 and 120 miles, and a range-extender that will produce upward of 35 kilowatts. Ariel claims it will be able to drive flat-out on a track for roughly 15 minutes on a single charge.
The British manufacturer also is considering making a rear-drive P40 variant that will have a 56 kWh battery.
Ariel’s P40 project reportedly is part of a three-company venture, dubbed High-Performance Carbon Reduction, and partly is funded by a £2 million ($2.56 million) grant from the U.K. government.
Thumbnail photo via Ariel
