700hp Electric Rocket Arrives: Lightning GT Debuts at BIMS
One electric engine per wheel
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Comments (27)
150K? I'll pay that back in no time from saving the fuel costs!
It'll take me roughly... let me see... 13 years!
July 23, 2008 10:21 am
yes, the front looks a bit like an aston. but other than that, it looks completely different.
July 23, 2008 11:33 am
cmon guys give it a break. the greenies have actually found a viable solution and, apart from everything else, it looks great... from the front and side. the rear just doesnt work... still, looks good, 700hp is good especially as thats 700hp almost at the wheels - most cars with 700hp give about 650 at the wheels. and £150,000? ha down under thats the price of a bmw M6, and this has an extra 200hp...
July 23, 2008 11:41 am
exactly, i think it pretty very cheap for this money, I mean 700 bhp that runs on plug?? And 10 minutes of charging car last for 320 km? Not really much more time than fillng up a tank, isn't. This sounds really, really impressive, and it looks like a hardtop Z8 :)
July 23, 2008 11:51 am
Now, if we can just build a NICE looking compact car with this technology and 160hp it would be great. Oh and the guys working on this technology should try to make the cars electrically efficient as possible. Whats the point if we save money on gas, just to spend it on an incredibly high electric bill. That would just be us changing WHERE our money goes.
July 23, 2008 1:23 pm
Wow. This car is great news. Finally the solution we've been waiting for. The price is high, but as you can find out the car brings lots of important technology on the streets.
July 23, 2008 2:46 pm
I have to laugh at some of the comments I read. For one thing, obviously the person that can afford to buy this car is not going to buy it because they can't afford the cost of fuel. Prospective owners will buy it because it is beautiful, has good performance and does all of this without a combustion engine. Has it occur to folks that people who can afford the car are perhaps simply seeking a "greener" alternative. Also, as far as the technology and its limitations... manufactures have to start somewhere. All of us know the combustion engine was not so perfect 100 year ago when the first cars were being created. As with all things the technology will get better and become affordable for the masses with time. Give it all a break folks and see it for what it is.
July 23, 2008 3:28 pm
To all the enthusiasts of the coming generation of alternatively propelled automobiles, this Lightning GT is a bit of a disappointment. It's an unimaginative, "engineer"-esque solution to today's major problems -- the fuel crisis and carbon emissions. By which I mean, the Lightning GT addresses all the paper-based problems without capitalizing on the design. Appeal plays a major role in the success of an automobile -- especially if said automobile costs £150k. So why must tomorrow's sports car employ the same textbook coupe shape birthed by internal combustion? A long bonnet is a waste of space in an EV. Why is the next generation of automobile already going retro? I want to see more collaboration between large manufacturers and design studios; otherwise, I fear we'll be subject to a new generation of mediocrity. It's little wonder why smaller firms are quicker to produce green solutions, but the trend demonstrates they do not have the financial backing to be truly revolutionary... which is a shame.
July 23, 2008 5:27 pm
I agree with 'bremen_k..'
It is a shame that the design is looking back rather than to the future. Without all the drivetrain constraints it should be a totally different animal, ah car I mean.
I understand that it will allure to a specific customer base, but those are not simply all about old school luxury either. Take a look at the astonishing Wally yachts, they redefined what luxury is by design. It is dissapointing what we see ghoing on with E cars, boring tesla, tramamoto and this one now. The toyota Prius is that green icon because they decided to take a (ok, slightly) different design approach, it outsells the Honda civic by a mile and that is because people on the street recognize it as the green car - it's a statement that buyers want to make! Where is Bertone to whip one out that defines the next 20 years in cardesign based on the cool in wheel engines! please speak up design master!
July 23, 2008 6:07 pm
I would have to disagree with bremen. Sure you can make your vehicle look drastically different, but then it would lose it's appeal. Most people would rather prefer a 599/Aston looking electric car then some futuristic design nobody has ever seen before. Look at the ariel atom, an amazing design, but since it is so radical many people would never drive it.
July 23, 2008 7:08 pm
100% to rcw....the technology is still on its early stages...give it a decade or so..everything has to start somewhere..
July 23, 2008 7:51 pm
Electric motors in the wheels? What does that do for unsprung weight?
July 23, 2008 7:53 pm
i rreally like the looks of this car, even though the front looks like a ripp from aston or a 599 gtb. the only thing that bugs me is that it's electric. i think this would have more success with a 600-700 bhp piston engine. and if they wanna go green...use ethanol damn it. it gives more power to the engine and it has a cooling effect on the enigne parts...and i think its cheaper than petrol.
July 23, 2008 8:06 pm
320km and 10 minuets charging plus the look that is nice.... WCF give me this car as a gift THANKS..!
July 23, 2008 9:24 pm
norther, this car is taking two steps forward, not two steps back with ethanol. Ethanol has less energy potential then gasoline, and can be more expensive in the long run in other areas of life (corn crops going to ethanol creation drives prices up of meat, and corn that goes to the masses). Electric cars are the wave of the future, and I commend them for building the Lightning GT. It's taking the top of the line technology right now, and putting them into production which will in-turn trickle down to cheap "city cars" with a range of hundreds of miles. Not to mention you don't need a transmission, drive axle, differential, allows for better crash protection, roomier interior, better weight distribution, etc etc etc. We just now need to find a way to create a cleaner energy plant for the electricity that goes into these cars!
July 24, 2008 12:56 am









