Wrightspeed SR-71 electric car will do 0-60 in 2.5 seconds

Remember when the Wrightspeed X1 electric car beat both a Ferrari 360 Spyder and Porsche Carrera GT off the line? Well, ex-Cisco and DEC engineer Ian Wright is back with his SR-71 that he says will do 0-60 in a brain-numbing 2.5 seconds. The new electric speed dart should show up in about 18 months and could even get a street-legal version in 36 months. That's a long time to wait, sure, but a faster-than-Bugatti EV at a fraction of the cost could just be worth it.

[gad get @ May 24th 2008 3:35AM]

How safe is it? I can just see this thing wedging itself right under a truck in a crash.

[andres @ May 24th 2008 3:44AM]

in only 2.5 seconds.

[angus @ May 24th 2008 3:47AM]

Its based on Ariel Atom car chassis (petrol original) check out the site, it looks awesome and you can buy one already! (not electric)

http://www.arielmotor.co.uk

For those that know, Jeremy Clarkson LOVED it

[David Z. @ May 24th 2008 3:50AM]

Safer than a motorcycle. That's about it.

[JJ122 @ May 24th 2008 3:58AM]

No fair angus you beat me to the punch on the Ariel. i didn't see your post till after I posted my comment.

[Ken @ May 24th 2008 3:58AM]

In 36 months, no one will be able to afford to drive trucks.

[michael @ May 24th 2008 6:14AM]

Have you seen the Porsche Carrera GT? That thing is hardly any higher. It just looks like it is because it has a roof which gives it a weird optical illusion, but mark my word that sucker is as much of a semi-truck door stop as this one.

[MARSHAK @ May 24th 2008 6:26AM]

@Ken

Pretty sure they still drive trucks in Europe. And they've been paying what we're paying for years.

[Evan @ May 24th 2008 6:38AM]

@MARSHAK
They drive trucks to deliver commercial goods, but people don't commute to work in large 4-door pickup trucks like in the U.S.

[r3loaded @ May 24th 2008 7:40AM]

And when we do buy pick-up trucks, it's when our jobs need one and we need to move a lot of heavy stuff (mainly builders and other tradesmen).

And we go for the Japanese ones rather than American ones.

[Twitchy @ May 24th 2008 9:46AM]

"And when we do buy pick-up trucks, it's when our jobs need one and we need to move a lot of heavy stuff (mainly builders and other tradesmen).

And we go for the Japanese ones rather than American ones."

And we call them utes. Sure you can pick stuff up in them, but Ute (short for utility vehicle) just seems more fitting. Like car park, or footpath.

[Reid @ May 24th 2008 2:18PM]

Any time any vehicle smaller than a Ford Excursion is released, a bunch of crappy drivers come out of the woodwork to complain about how they'd get "crushed" in it. Or, alternately, to flex their e-penis and announce how their manly truck would "crush" this vehicle, despite the fact that they've never actually crushed another vehicle in their lives, and wouldn't want to scratch their precious truck anyway.

How's about everyone learns how to drive and ditches their monster trucks? I feel a hell of a lot safer driving my little 2-seat sports car than I do driving an SUV that you can't see out of, and which can't brake, turn, or accelerate.

Seriously.

Even the least safe vehicle built today is probably safer than the safest one built 20 years ago. And how many wrecks are these people getting in that they need the absolute safest possible vehicle in the world?

Guess it goes well with the gated community mindset...

[Andir3.0 @ May 24th 2008 6:34PM]

I've seen more flipped over SUVs than I have two seater convertibles :P

[Daniel Smith @ May 24th 2008 3:36AM]

rofl at homeboys hair, or what's left of it!

[carbonrain @ May 24th 2008 3:39AM]

0-60 in 2.5 five seconds, while your financial stability goes from snaking by-flat broke even quicker. now THAT is brain numbing.

[keithwwalker @ May 24th 2008 3:44AM]

dammit, where are those sexy Korean spokes models with the short dresses when you need them?

driving with a lead foot to attain supercar speeds, this thing probably has a 30 mile range.

this thing will have a lot of rich, stupid, eco-friendly people mad when they get stranded...

[ugg.tryptophan @ May 27th 2008 11:57PM]

what happened for you to hate supercars so? did a lamborghini hit your mother? was your grandfather killed in a koeniggsegg? why do engadget readers hate driving so? why?

[JJ122 @ May 24th 2008 3:56AM]

That car is called an Ariel Atom its a kit car from the UK (i think) http://www.arielatom.com/ . You can buy them from TMI AutoTech and put in what ever you want to power it. What's so special about putting an electric motor in a kit car?
Just though it was important to state that it isn't a "new" car just a tweak of an existing one.

[Pradster @ May 24th 2008 9:12AM]

the ariel atom is not a kit car, it comes fully fabricated, i am guessing these guys just retro fit electric modules in the chasis.

[SuperQ @ May 24th 2008 6:47PM]

Wright got the Atom frame and did a number of modifications to the frame to accommodate the 500 pound battery pack in the space where the fuel take was. The motor/controller is from AC Propulsion.

[DarkUltra @ May 24th 2008 3:56AM]

brushless ac motors have an incredible torque, high RPM and efficiency. That means you don't need to shift gears until 60-80mph. It is also silent so it feels like a space ship taking off and the motor is very responsive. I have a brushless e-maxx and its nice to flick the throttle right before a jump or make it drift. Less noise, heat and oil and easier to maintain. Once lithium evs get mass produced and cheap, and people gets comfortable with a fast-charging battery instead of filling gas, we should see a revolution. Please spread this enlightenment and create a market. Evs are better then hydrogen, no infrastructure for the gas, just plug it in. Less noise and fewer mechanical parts.

[gad get @ May 24th 2008 7:03AM]

Yep. Hydrogen comes second only to biofuels in the race for the most pea-brained, so-called "environmentally friendly," alternative fuels.
For those who don't understand why I call biofuels or hydrogen fuel cells "pea-brained," you need to read more science news.

[Carl @ May 24th 2008 9:51AM]

No infrastructure for the Evs?? only the largest probably in the world. Places around the world still burn coal for electricity, maybe still in the US (though I doubt it by now). How eco friendly is that? There is alarge infrastructure and thankfully most of the generating is done by renewable resources (water, wind, solar)

Personally I think i'm gonna convert my jeep tj over to electric. I only live 2 miles from work, instant torque would be great for trail riding. I would have a small generator just in case, plus I'd trailer it there anyways. Fortunately i'm an ME, unfortunately i'm not a EE so that part will be alittle tricky.

[Technex @ May 24th 2008 10:52AM]

I still prefer nitro in the RC cars :). Nothing beats the sound and feel, I still beat some electrics on the track, nitro is a lot harder to setup/tune that's why people always think they're slower on cars.

Electric is damn powerful though, I wouldn't use anything else in my helis. Brushless has crazy torque and it's instant, quiet power.

Lipoly batteries currently give the best power to weight ratio, although they are expensive and take a while to charge. I'm still using them until a better alternative comes.

The price of this car is very low for what you get! I would love to drive it!

[Rob @ May 24th 2008 3:57AM]

Looks like the cars off the computer game, Trackmania Nations

[eggothewaffle @ May 24th 2008 4:28AM]

So it would be one of the very few cars that could keep up with the Veyron...For the first four seconds anyway.

[Reader @ May 24th 2008 4:04AM]

0-60 in 2.5 seconds....... Will you marry me?

[gad get @ May 24th 2008 7:04AM]

Into fast women?

[Yang @ May 24th 2008 4:12AM]

Putting an electrical motor in a kit car does sort of take the point out of it. Kit cars like the Atom, while very fun, also have the advantage of being easy and fun to tinker with, especially with the Atom which uses the Honda K engine from the Type-R Civic. I doubt the average gearhead can do much with an electric motor.

[Travezy @ May 24th 2008 4:19AM]

Also in Project Gotham Racing 3 I believe.

[tchapp @ May 24th 2008 6:07AM]

coffin on wheels anyone?

[gad get @ May 24th 2008 7:07AM]

Yes please!

Wait...

[grant @ May 24th 2008 4:28AM]

Why did they do a rolling start with the Porsche and not the Ferrari in the drag race? I don't really see the big deal with putting an electric motor in an Atom, it's cool but you probably don't have to be an engineer to figure it out, although the salary can't hurt. :D

[acehigh88 @ May 24th 2008 4:51AM]

Advantages of Electric over Internal Combustion.
Instant Torque.
Less energy consumed.
Pollution restricted to 1 area ( no smog in ur front yard).

Does anybody got a Electric Conversion kit that works like this?

[mike @ May 24th 2008 1:43PM]

"Advantages of Electric over Internal Combustion.

Instant Torque.
Less energy consumed.
Pollution restricted to 1 area ( no smog in ur front yard)."

No, the smog is where you can't see it, which makes short-sighted people like you feel all toastywarmgood.

However:

It's an amazing fact that it takes the same amount of power to drive an electric car as an IC one.

Electric cars (like woodstoves) are something that looks good from the standpoint of the individual user, but the ultimate environmental impact involves factors most people don't think about.

Given the inefficiencies inherent in electric power delivery, the amount of energy needed to be produced at the plant (which is almost certainly coal-fired, which is *much* worse for the environment) will be greater than the amount needed to drive the car.

Now, if we had a decent nuclear-power industry, and batteries that actually lived up to the pipedreams of the electric-car advocates (I'll buy an electric car when i can drive it 500 miles at highway speeds on a single charge that can be applied in less than ten minutes at an easily accessible facility anywhere in the country. If it's inexpensive enough that i actually break even or save some money over a five-year period, unlike most hybrids.)

[tyecies @ May 24th 2008 3:57PM]

Even the worst coal-fired power plant is MUCH more efficient than an internal combustion engine, and pollutes far less per watt of power. Getting rid of IC cars and using electric cars WOULD reduce pollution. period. Ur right in saying that pollution from power generation is a major issue, and while solar and wind should be used where efficient, its all about nuclear there. But getting rid of IC cars will reduce pollution, and is a much needed step for lowering CO2 emmissions all together

[Za @ May 24th 2008 9:37PM]

Tyecies is spot on - producing lots and lots of usable energy in one place, such as at a coal-fired plant is *still* more efficient than trying to convert gasoline into usable energy in your vehicle.

[The Dude @ May 25th 2008 2:19AM]

And the best part of centralized power supply rather than individual IC engines, is when the technology for producing energy changes, as it will many many times, all that would be required is getting a city or county to replace a power plant rather than a couple of thousand individuals to shell out money to replace their cars

[Luke @ May 29th 2008 4:19AM]

Mike, I know what you're saying but:
1. The smog is where you can't see it, but that also means you aren't breathing it (good thing).
2. One big power station burning coal for 20,000 cars is more efficient that 20,000 car engines burning the contents of 20,000 fuel tanks.

Cheers big ears,

Luke

[Shinigami @ May 24th 2008 4:48AM]

Its fast, its electric, its damn-expensive and not commercial.
So, whats new?
Make a serial (commercial) car with $20,000 price tag that can run 500 miles without a recharge and I'll buy 3.

[Samboini @ May 24th 2008 5:15AM]

Don't want to put a downer on you mate, but i'm fairly certain you can only drive one at a time!

[Rik @ May 24th 2008 4:57AM]

Given the low weight and low aerodynamic drag of the ariel chassis I see this thing having a decent range actually. And talking about safety? Roll-cage all-arround you?

Ok, so unless you accelerate 0-100kmp/h in 2,5s all the time... but then a regular supercar also doesn't get any further than 100 km (and noting down the fact that it isn't even able to do it in 2,5s)

[Chrisphillers @ May 24th 2008 5:07AM]

As already mentioned the chassis is based on the Atom - check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaWoo82zNUA

[Macindows @ May 24th 2008 6:08AM]

View the electric Ariel Atom here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsGeQby7Jnw

[a ham sandwich @ May 24th 2008 6:36AM]

SR-71?! is that not the code name for the Blackbird?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR-71_Blackbird

[Jherez @ May 24th 2008 9:44AM]

Well...both of them are fast as hell. Maybe SR-71 means "damn i just shit myself" fast

[RC @ May 24th 2008 9:46AM]

I'm hoping Lockheed Martin prevents them from using it.

[Jeff P. @ May 24th 2008 9:52AM]

SR-71 isn't a code name, it's simply the plane's given designation. The SR-71 was one of the most advanced and capable aircraft ever flown. Even today, years after it was retired, it's capabilities have not been met. The Blackbird should never have been mothballed. The idea was that we could meet our surveillance needs with satellites but the truth is that a satellite can not be tasked with getting information NOW. You need to wait until it's over it's target. That could be hours later. Retiring the SR-71 was a boneheaded move.

I remember watching an interview with a Blackbird pilot a few years back. The interviewer asked him how fast and high the plane could go. The pilot told him that was classified. The interviewer then asked him what they did if someone fired a missile at the plane (it has no weapons or countermeasures). The pilot just smiled and said "we go higher and faster."

If you want to see one of these planes take a trek to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio or the Strategic Air Command museum near Omaha, Nebraska.

[Phoghat @ May 24th 2008 2:28PM]

OK here's what I want:
0 - 60 < 6 seconds
range > 200 miles
Cost < $20,000
I don't need to have my spine pressed into the racing shell
Sometimes, a man's got to know his limitations.

[kccboy2004 @ May 24th 2008 7:05AM]

Yeah, these appear to be reasonably priced, but what you are looking at is the base model. It gets really expensive when you start adding on the extra's that you really need, like Air-Con & Stereo Radio

And then, nobody brings it to your attention that you have to wash it by hand, no drive thru' car washes.

Learn from other people's mistakes. You mark my words. Be careful.