Ariel Hipercar Could Be Unveiled Before The End Of 2020

Roughly two-and-a-half years ago, Ariel previewed its Hipercar project with a rolling chassis and some big performance promises. Very little has been heard about the project since then, but thanks to Autoblog, we now have some information regarding this so-called Hipercar.

Speaking with the publication, a spokesperson from Ariel said we “can expect something later in the year, before the Low Carbon Vehicle Show.”

This annual event is penciled in for September 9 in Millbrook, England and was the same event where the Hipercar chassis was presented in 2017.

Unfortunately, the spokesperson failed to state if the vehicle will be unveiled in full at the event, but did say “certain things will have changed.” That could mean anything from its design to the powertrain or the performance claims.

Also Watch: Ariel Nomad Engages In High-Speed Off-Road Battle With Triumph Scrambler

When presented as a rolling chassis, the Ariel Hipercar featured a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain that used a turbine to send electricity to four in-wheel electric motors through a lithium-ion battery pack. Ariel said the car would be good for 590 hp and 665 lb-ft (901 Nm) of torque when running in rear-wheel drive mode and 1,180 hp and 1,330 lb-ft (1,803 Nm) with all four electric motors running.

Naught to 60 mph (96 km/h) would pass in 2.4 seconds, 0-100 mph (161 km/h) would be done in 3.8 seconds, and 0-150 mph (241 km/h) in a staggering 7.8 seconds. The vehicle’s top speed was said to be capped at 160 mph (257 km/h).

In the years since the Ariel Hipercar was previewed, a handful of other high-performance electric sports cars and hypercars have been unveiled. These include the Rimac C_Two and Lotus Evija, both of which promise performance beyond that of the ultimate Ariel.