FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Aspark Owl
Is this the world's fastest car? Mad Japanese EV swoops in to Frankfurt priced at $3.3 millionCars like the Aspark Own pique our interest. Beautifully designed with aerodynamic flourishes, tiny dihedral doors and a face inspired by one of the most mysterious birds of prey.
It's also an electric car, powered by a pair of electric motors that drive all four wheels help it reach 100km/h in just 2.0 seconds. Yep, the 2.5sec Rimac Concept One finally has a real competitor. Sort of.
Dreamed up by Masamichi Yoshida, a Japanese tech tycoon, the car is based around a motorsport-inspired space frame. The project is being undertaken by Ikeya Formula, which previously built bespoke race cars.
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Expected to cost around 3.3 billion Yen, or around $AU3.3 million, the car was shown in Frankfurt and would outpace the likes of the McLaren P1 and Bugatti Chiron to 100km/h, not to mention the Rimac. But the question is, will it become a reality?
Priced at more than $3 million it's not cheap and with very little provenance behind it, Aspark will need very good salespeople to shift more than a few models.
Making use of all-wheel drive to attain its ridiculous acceleration, it will also need a lot of grip, which is where 275 front and 335 rear aspect ratio tyres come in.
Peak power is said to be around 320kW (430hp), which doesn't sound like much - only a handful more herbs than a Holden Commodore SS - but the company has also adopted a lightweight ethos with the car, which is said to weigh around 850kg or 1900lb.
Peak torque is claimed to be 760Nm which is a lot of twist at a theoretical zero revs per minute, which is what will propel the car to 100km/h in around 2.0secs. Range is less impressive, the company suggesting the car will good for 150km before the batteries require recharging.
There a real mystique surrounding the Aspark Owl. It could be a world-beater, but it could also turn out to be nothing more than vapourware.
What do you think, will the Aspark Owl acceleration break records or will it ever become more than Yoshida-san's dream? Use the comments section below to voice your opinion.
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