Ariel is getting into the Hypercar game with an insanely powerful entrant


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The maker of the tiny, yet ridiculously fast Ariel Atom is at it again and this time it with a Hybrid!

The company that normally fits their flagship sports car with a turbo charged 2.4 liter Honda 4 cylinder is switching gears and going hybrid. Ariel is planning on using a turbine range extender instead of a more traditional piston engine hybrid drive. The hypercar will be all-wheel drive with four total electric motors. Feeding the motors will be a 42 kWh battery that will be located in the center of the car and mounted low. This combination is expected to produce an insane 1,180 horsepower and 1,328 lb-ft of torque catapulting the car to 0-60 mph in 2.4 seconds. Top speed is limited to 160 mph but it can reach 150 mph in just 7.8 seconds. All electric battery range is said to be around 100 miles and on a track the battery is expected to last around 15 minutes.

The chassis will be made of aluminum and body panels are expected to be carbon fiber. Don't expect this to be as light as the 1,450 pound Ariel Atom S3. Due to the massive battery and electric motors, they estimate this car to weigh over 3,500 lbs.

Ariel is calling this "Project P40," and at this point, styling and aerodynamics are sill in development. If you're not familiar with Ariel's styling here is one of their current creations.

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No word on pricing just yet, but if a base Atom 3s starts at $90,000 you can bet this car will be well into the six figure range.