Lightning strikes at British motor show

The US-built Tesla (more here) may have garnered all the headlines as far as electric-powered sports cars are concerned, but a new, more potent rival has just emerged.

The sublimely sculpted coupe pictured here is appropriately dubbed the Lightning GT, and it took its bows at the British motor show in London.

It's not just a pie-in-the-sky exercise, as its maker plans to start customer deliveries by 2009 and is currently accepting deposits of $30,000 from would-be owners.

The Lightning is a veritable showcase of high-tech engineering, as power is provided by a quartet of 'Permanent Magnet' brushless motors (with 120kW each), and this set-up goes by the name of 'Hi-Pa Drive technology'.
 
The coupe has traction control and regenerative braking on all four wheels independently, while the battery is a 36kW NanoSafe unit.

Its maker isn't divulging official performance figures as yet, saying it's still in the process of developing the car. However, the company is boasting of "ultra smooth, full power immediately from zero rpm".

It goes on to say: "True to its name, the Lightning GT could be charged in approximately 10 minutes for up to 200 miles (320km) of motoring, which would make long journeys a breeze. Full regenerative braking means the battery receives charge every time you decelerate."

The company says its estimates point to a 0-60mph (0-96km/h) split of 5sec for the standard Lightning and 4sec for the 'Sport' version. V-max is quoted at 210+km/h.

The swoopy GT is underpinned by a tubular spaceframe chassis, which is clothed in carbon fibre/Kevlar composite bodywork for lightness and rigidity. However, the company hasn't revealed the coupe's kerb mass.

The company claims the GT will be exempt from congestion charges and road tax in the UK, seeing as it qualifies as a zero-emissions vehicle.

It also says the car is 10 times cheaper to run than a conventional car. "Using domestic electric power for charging costs around 2.2p (4.5 cents) per mile, versus 26.4p (55.0 cents) for the equivalent petrol engine".

The company is also boasting of high safety levels as there's obviously no fuel tank that can ignite (not that this happens very often in conventional cars), while the composite monocoque structure is claimed to use the same technology used in Formula One to protect the driver.

It's not exactly a poverty-pack special, as standard kit will include ABS, traction control, keyless entry, a 'programmable external engine sound generator' (are they serious?), leather/alcantara sports seats, and a home-based charging system (EVCS) with integral safety features.

We certainly like the concept, not to mention the part-Maserati/part-Marcos styling, but time will tell whether the Lightning GT emerges as a properly resolved product, and whether the business case for it will truly add up. Here's hoping...

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