Ariel is an English-brand of motor-bikes and speedsters, And with their 150-year heritage, Ariel has been hard at work with new supercars all the time. From the Ariel Atom to the Ariel Nomad, there’s plenty of quality to be had in the realm of supercars. This quality showcases the most exotic entries in supercars. Let alone, high performance off-road vehicles.
There’s plenty to love about Ariel as a brand. Being that their cars typically weight between 1359 and 1800 pounds, allowing for a power to weight ratio that comes regardless of the model. Handling and braking happen to be very well affected by reduced mass. So it’s essentially an exclusive, elusive brand. As we have seen with the Atom and the Nomad alike, Ariel rarely compromises.
So it’s no surprise that the Hipercar is joining the Ariel family. It was supposedly going to go on sale in 2020, with a hybrid powertrain incorporating both gasoline and electric energy into the system. But then it got more interesting with a tiny turbine sending electricity to a lithium-ion battery pack and then more power to the in-wheel motors. However, development would continue to be difficult while there would be more bumps in the road for every new modification made.
Yet now, at last, after a global pandemic slowing down the transportation industry, there’s an evident development with the Ariel Hipercar. The title of the model is actually in reference to “High Performance Carbon Reduction.” And as for the powertrain, it’s a liquid-cooled 62.2-kilowatt hours battery pack. The battery is also supplied by a Cosworth two-radial, with inboard Equipmake APM motors fitting to the rear axle.
Piloting the Ariel Hipercar, you’ll see how each motor has the capacity to create 295 horsepower along with 332 pound-feet of torque with a total output of about 590 horsepower and 664 lb.-ft of torque.
But what makes this Ariel Hipercar stand-out?
How collectively, the all-wheel-drive allows for two additional radial e-motors to be fit into the front axle, which in turns, doubles the output. We’re talking about pushing to 1,180 horsepower and 1,328 lb-ft. Of course, the battery charge alone is likely around 150 miles. The range is intense, as you can tell that Ariel wants a full charge that can outstand about 20 minutes or so of circuit driving. Buyers have the option to get a mini-turbine range extender if that’s not satisfactory enough. Pair that in with the catalytic generator, otherwise known as the CatGen turbine. That in turn cn create another 47 horsepower while also accepting pump fuel, racing fuel and even synthetic fuel. The best part is how Ariel Hipercar shoots from zero to 60 miles per hour of 2.09 seconds with that powertrain.
Ariel Hipercar has 14.5-inch composite brake discs on the front hubs. Along with the on-off switch controls on regenerative braking system. The cabin allows for rollover protection while the dual-level wing stays in at the front fascia adds downforce, while the fins on the front fenders send air from around the side mirrors. It’s a very unique vehicle at 3,186 pounds.