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Ariel goes electric with 1,100-hp Hipercar project

It'll hit 60 mph right about the time you finish reading this sentence.

Ariel

If you want to come up with a hypercar project, but you don't know what to name it, take a page from Ariel and just call it what it is.

Ariel, manufacturer of the Atom track-day weapon, announced on Wednesday that it is building an electric hypercar named, rather simply, Hipercar. The name will be changed before it receives an official unveiling, which is scheduled to happen in 2019. Production should start some time in 2020.

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It might not look like much just yet, but we're still ages away from the unveiling, so give it time.

Ariel

The Hipercar project is a battery-electric hypercar with some impressive stats and an interesting range extender. With a choice of two motors at each rear wheel, or four electric motors at each wheel, output can be as high as 1,180 horsepower and 1,330 pound-feet of torque. It's expected to hit 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and continue on until it hits 160 mph.

There will be two batteries available, in 42-kWh and 52-kWh capacities. Range is unknown at the moment, but in the event buyers have range anxiety, there's a 35-kW turbine range extender, which will be able to replenish the battery on the go.

Pricing won't be out until much closer to the official unveiling. Suffice it to say, something putting out this much power (with a damned turbine shoved in there for good measure) isn't going to come cheap. Similar-performing hypercars from traditional manufacturers can cost more than $1 million.

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Here's what Ariel wants the Hipercar to look like when it's done... and when it has a better name.

Ariel
Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.

Article updated on August 24, 2017 at 10:35 AM PDT

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Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
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