All Electric – New Hypercars
But the extremes to which these cars had gone were almost exhausted in the combustion engine or even hybrid technology. Only electric power offered the possibility of a new generational leap: to an almost mythical 2,000bhp. “There are no other technologies that would provide you with the kind of power that you get out of an electric motor,” says Automobili Pininfarina CEO, Per Svantesson. “So if electric motors belong anywhere, it’s in a hypercar.”
[the] C_Two hypercar […] has a top speed of 415kmph and promises 0–100kmph acceleration in the time it takes to read the words “faster than a motorbike”. For the record, 1.85 seconds.
The Evija, on the other hand — Lotus’s first all-new car in 10 years — looks in a hurry to leave its recent past behind. With its distinctive Le Mans-inspired Venturi tunnels that allow you to see through the car, aerodynamics apparently influenced by jet fighters, dramatic rear light graphics and almost sculptural bodywork, this is quite a confident way to tell the world you’re back.
The Evija’s engineering showcases many of Lotus’s historical strengths: chassis dynamics, aerodynamics, downforce and perhaps above all, weight reduction. Founder Colin Chapman’s mantra was “Simplify, then add lightness”, quite a hard thing to do with much heavier electric systems. At 1,620kg, it is significantly the lightest of the three and is the only one to officially boast that 2,000bhp figure, the other two flailing behind in the 1,900s.
A nice set of wheels.