Wild Callum Skye all-terrain EV revealed

Former Jaguar design boss Ian Callum has unwrapped an all-new battery-powered dune buggy called the Callum Skye that will be produced in limited numbers and priced from £100,000 ($A190,000).

Designed and developed by the fledgling British-based car-maker as a battery-powered off-road racer for the road, the Callum Skye has a dual-motor/all-wheel drive layout and is claimed to be at home on gravel, sand, snow, mud and wet grass.

Callum described the Skye as the “the world’s most beautiful high-performance multi-terrain vehicle”.

There’s no word on just how much power and torque the Callum 4x4 gets, but it will draw energy from a small 42kWh battery of unknown chemistry, providing for a claimed driving range of more than 270km.

To achieve that, Callum created a low-drag look for his ultimate dune buggy, with the Skye shunning the usual blocky looks favoured by traditional 4x4s like the Jeep Wrangler or Land Rover Defender for a smooth covered grille and a rakish body.

That said, all four wheels are all exposed like a traditional dune buggy to allow for excellent wheel articulation and long-travel suspension.

Despite its slippery lines, the cabin has a 2+2 seating arrangement beneath the full-length panoramic glass roof.

Boosting the Skye’s abilities further is its impressive 1150kg kerb weight, which is light for both an EV and 4x4. The lack of kilos translates to a claimed 0-100km/h time of less than 4.0 seconds.

Callum will make two versions of the Skye – one that wears road tyres and a more rugged version that rides on either mud tyres or all-terrain rubber.

Both will “conquer the rigorous demands of a variety of off-road terrains, while still delivering the ride comfort and handling that transforms winding country roads into captivating experiences for both the driver and passengers”, says Callum.

The new Skye will also feature some undisclosed state-of-the-art tech too, with the new extreme battery-powered off-roader primed to make a “big impressions on the industry”, Callum says.

Aside from announcing that prototypes will hit the road around March 2024, no exact timings have been given on when production will begin at the car-maker’s Warwickshire factory in the West Midlands.

Callum says it will make just 50 Skye off-roaders, with each priced from £100,000 ($A190,000).

When it arrives, the Callum Skye will face opposition from the original Manx Meyers dune buggy following the news it will be reborn as an EV.

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