Thursday 13th January 2011

New 170mph Electric Supercar

Detroit show car mixes NASCAR engineering and eco-fluff

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Electric cars come in all shapes and sizes but the Li-ion Inizio at the Detroit show looks more interesting than most. Hand crafted by NASCAR-schooled engineers in North Carolina, the Inizio will hit 0-60mph in just 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 170mph.

The only thing more interesting than that? The fact that it was presented to us at the Detroit show by a female NASCAR driver by the name of Leilani Münter (yes, really and, no, she's not) who describes herself as a race car driver, biologist and race car driver. Only in America and all that, her business card bears the slogan 'never underestimate a vegetarian hippie chick with a racecar'. Uh, OK then...

Combining as she does both glamour and environmental credentials, Münter is an obvious spokesperson for the Inizio, as the scissor-doored supercar is an unusual combination of tree-hugging pretensions underpinned by good ol' NASCAR engineering. As such there's a burly tubular spaceframe chassis underneath that dramatic skin (optionally available in carbon), Audi TT rear lights and Porsche Carrera GT-esque rear deck fairings among what's best described as a mish-mash of influences.

Under the huge rear clamshell of the range topping RTX version is a two-motor 290Kw electric drivetrain with 550lb ft of torque and a four-speed, paddle shifter gearbox. Proper gears on an electric car? Why yes, says project manager Paul Daigrepont, the better for both ballistic acceleration and top-end clout - a video of the Inizio burning rubber on a screen beside the car underlining the point at the show.

Costing from $139,000, the full beans RTX version will cost $249,000. Its range is said to vary between 150 and 200 miles, and the charge time is as little (Pardon? Ed) as four hours with the optional charging station that can be installed in your garage at home. Sales are due to start in September.

 

[theyoungupstart]

For a car that's knocking on the door of a quarter-mil, I'd expect a dashboard and interior that doesn't look quite as horrible and tacky as that. It looks like a 5 year old designed it with a crayon.

[Pixel-Snapper]

Good god this is what F1 needs...

http://leilanimunter.com/Galleries/LuckyJeans/inde...

[kambites]

Interesting car, but you couldn't call it pretty, could you?

[SamPet]

Pixel-Snapper said:

Good god this is what F1 needs...

http://leilanimunter.com/Galleries/LuckyJeans/inde...

Granted she's better looking that Bernie, but she ain't "all that"

[Fuelbrother DC]

Forget the car!

Look at that fabulous chick!

[Pixel-Snapper]

SamPet said:

Pixel-Snapper said:

Good god this is what F1 needs...

http://leilanimunter.com/Galleries/LuckyJeans/inde...

Granted she's better looking that Bernie, but she ain't "all that"

Sure as hell wouldn't kick her out of bed though.

[Zircon]

Does it have a range of 5 miles between charging?

[CosworthV8]

Those rear lights look familar.

[Fury1630]

"and the charge time is as little as four hours with the optional charging station that can be installed in your garage at home."

More normally called a "power station"

[Sixpackpert]

Zircon said:

Does it have a range of 5 miles between charging?

150-200 miles according tthe article...

[kambites]

CosworthV8 said:

Those rear lights look familar.

As, indeed, the article states.

[CosworthV8]

kambites said:

CosworthV8 said:

Those rear lights look familar.

As, indeed, the article states.

Oops, reading the article might have helped

[ewenm]

I wonder how long it can run at 170mph for on one charge... IIRC the Veyron has some rather short range at vMax, I wonder if this car's range at vMax is shorter

[944fan]

SamPet said:

Pixel-Snapper said:

Good god this is what F1 needs...

http://leilanimunter.com/Galleries/LuckyJeans/inde...

Granted she's better looking that Bernie, but she ain't "all that"

No and she's a bloddy tree hugger.

[kambites]

The Crack Fox said:

Tell me, anyone, why would you have one of these over (say) a similarly priced Ferrari, Mazzer, top spec 911, Corvette or one of the many other options ?

If anyone buys them, I suspect interest in technology will be the main reason. Same as with the Tesla, really.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 12th January 12:23

[MattjK]

But since it's American, it probably won't be as good as it could be. And I doubt it'll do that kind of range, unless it's packed so full of batteries that you'd need a roof box to pack your toothbrush.

[thinfourth2]

The Crack Fox said:

So, 0-60 in 4ish secs, 170 mph tops, prices upwards from £100k. A name no-one has heard of, nasty interior, unproven reliability, 4 hours to refuel, poor range, with the main USP being some obscure sandal wearing bint with an unfortunate name.

Tell me, anyone, why would you have one of these over (say) a similarly priced Ferrari, Mazzer, top spec 911, Corvette or one of the many other options ?

Why would you buy a similar priced Ferrari when a radical would be quicker and cheaper with enough change for a nice sensible diesel estate car for the road?

Or maybe buying a supercar isn't sensible

[soad]

CosworthV8 said:

Those rear lights look familar.

They sure do.

Looks fairly okay, basic interior aside

[anonymous-user]

..nuff said!!!!

[soad]

FullofBeans said:

..nuff said!!!!

Mmmmm