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Jet-powered ariel hipercar revealed

A new machine unveiled by niche British firm Ariel highlights the performance made possible by electrification when little consideration is made for everyday practicality.

As with the skeletonised, open-topped and Hondapowered Ariel Atom sports car, the new Ariel Hipercar promises to be an uncompromising machine.

The Hipercar is a follow-up act to the Ariel Atom. Many manufacturers claim jet-fighter inspiration for edgy, military-look designs. But few of them have an actual jet engine to help improve performance. Ariel says the compact turbine mounted on the back of its new machine helps make the car faster not by producing thrust, but by serving as a range extender to the electric machine’s battery.

The little jet recharges the car’s 62kWh battery, allowing Ariel to keep the car’s weight to an impressive – for an electric car – 1400 kilos or so. Yes, that is a jet turbine exhaust on the back of the new Ariel.

Drive comes from a new design of electric motor that produces 220kW and 450Nm, enough to rival turbocharged hot hatches such as the Honda Civic Type R.

 

If that sounds underwhelming, consider that the Ariel has one of those motors mounted directly to each wheel, delivering a frightful 880kW of power and 1800Nm of torque in a package that weighs as much as a family hatchback. Ariel’s Hipercar has jet fighter aero.

 

The result is a car that reaches 100km/h in a touch more than two seconds. High-performance brakes and tyres help keep the thrust in check, along with adjustable suspension and a sophisticated traction control system. Available to order now, the Hipercar – a name that means high performance carbon reduction – is set to go into production in the next two years or so.

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