Over the summer of 2017, British moto marque-turned supercar purveyor Ariel pulled the cover off of a cutting-edge EV concept car dubbed the “HIPERCAR” — an acronym for “High Performance Carbon Reduction.” Though the car was slated for a release in 2020, the persistence of a global pandemic threw a wrench in the works for Ariel. However, after a few years of delays, the boutique vehicle maker has finally revealed the near-production-ready Ariel HIPERCAR.
Crafted around a lightweight aluminum, bonded chassis structure with removable aluminum front and rear subframes, the HIPERCAR is a state-of-the-art EV hypercar that draws from a Cosworth-developed 62-kWh Lithium-ion battery running off of an 800-volt architecture. The car is offered with either a pair of 290-hp Equipmake APM electric motors feeding a rear-wheel drive setup or a quad-motor, AWD version with a motor in each wheel that puts down a collective 1,163hp and 1,327ft-lbs of torque. Ariel is also offering an optional 35-kW Catalytic Generator turbine range extender — also produced by Cosworth — with a rear central-exiting exhaust.
This cutting-edge EV powertrain ultimately affords this fully-electric hypercar some wildly impressive performance figures in the form of a 2.09-second 0-60mph time, a 0-100mph time of 4.4 seconds. Alongside its performance capabilities, another major highlight of the HIPERCAR is undoubtedly its ultra-unique and thoroughly sleek bodywork. Crafted entirely from carbon fiber, the vehicle boasts a pronounced aero kit with a series of wings, splitters, intakes, and wings, all keeping the car pinned to the tarmac while looking like something straight out of the future.
Ariel has yet to reveal full specs, pricing, or availability for its forthcoming HIPERCAR, however additional information is expected to trickle out over the coming months.
