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Just a few years ago, the classic sports car manufacturers dismissed e-mobility as too expensive, too heavy or generally nonsensical. But now the e-bolides are on the advance.
When the modern electric car learned to run, a sports car was the godfather: the basis for the original Tesla, a roadster, was the Lotus Elise, which, thanks to the innovative electric drive developed by the American inventors, offered an impressive driving experience. In terms of longitudinal dynamics, Tesla's first work was the strong statement that laid the seeds for the general emergence of e-mobility at the end of the noughties. However, the successful example has by no means induced the major sports car manufacturers to imitate the newcomer. For years, the decision-makers dismissed the electric drive, just as the Porsche boss Wiedeking once dismissed the diesel as a no-go option. But a good 15 years after the presentation of the Tesla Roadster, almost all well-known sports car brands have given in. No one can do without electric motors, for some there is already no alternative.
Sporty subsidiary brands stayed longer with the combustion engine
This applies, for example, to the Renault offshoot Alpine. The French brand was only revived in 2017 with the start of production of the A110. While the parent company Renault had long been deeply involved in the electrical business, in the case of Alpine they relied on combustion technology. It will stay that way for at least a while, but at the same time the group announced a realignment of the sporty offshoot with the Renaulution restructuring program at the beginning of 2021: The sports department, which has just been renamed Alpine Cars, will become an electronics brand. In addition to a compact model and a crossover on new Allianz platforms, a two-seater coupé is being considered as the successor to the A110, which is to be developed together with Lotus.
Lotus has already made further progress, because since the entry of the Chinese car company Geely, the British have pumped a lot of money into the development of electric sports cars such as the Evija hypercar. At the end of 2021, the roughly 2.000 hp hip flask is expected to come onto the market, although with a unit price of over two million euros it will remain a very exclusive car. Hybridized sports cars are left behind by Lotus and instead relies on pure electric or combustion models. This year, the Geely subsidiary will introduce the new Emira sports car, which looks similar to the Evija, but is powered exclusively by a petrol engine. According to rumors, the British will also launch an electric SUV next year. From 2028, according to the plan, Lotus will only sell electric cars.
Porsche wants to improve
Also multi-track, and have been doing so for many years, at Porsche. The Taycan, launched in 2019, marks the real entry into e-mobility for the Zuffenhausen-based company, which with 800-volt technology and plenty of horsepower can also captivate sporty drivers. But Porsche is planning much more powerful electric vehicles in the future, which is why the carmaker wants to produce its own high-tech battery cells from 2024. However, combustion engines will make up the core business for years to come. From 2023, Porsche plans to sell a third of its cars with purely electric or electrified drives. Among other things, the electric Macan, which will probably be available from 2023 and which will also be the first Porsche to use the PPE architecture (Premium Platform Electric) developed together with Audi, is likely to increase the share of electricity significantly. The 2023 series could also be renewed in around 718 and then possibly converted to electric. We have to wait and see when this fate will overtake the Porsche icon 911. A successor for the still quite young generation 992 will probably not come until 2026.
Ferrari is now venturing a tentative first foray into e-business with the new 296 GTB. The mid-engine sports car, which will be available from 2022, is powered by a V6 with 488 kW / 663 PS and a 122 kW / 167 PS electric motor, which allows purely electric driving at speeds of up to 135 km / h and up to 25 kilometers. With their first part-time electricity company, the Italians are creating some air for themselves in terms of their CO2 balance. However, Ferrari has not yet provided official confirmation of a possible electric sports car. Although it seems inevitable, it will be a few years in the future.
Most start with hybrids
The sister company Maserati is more specific and more willing to provide information. The diesel, which was taken out of service by the Italians, has already been replaced by a mild hybrid gasoline engine in several series. Next up, like Ferrari, is the first plug-in hybrid sports car. In addition, the Dreizack brand wants to offer purely electric versions with an 800-volt electric drive in each of its new series. These will include the new editions of GranTurismo and GranCabriolet, which will start next year, as well as the D-segment SUV Grecale.
At Audi subsidiary Lamborghini, too, the way is clear for e-mobility. The CEO Stephan Winkelmann, who returned at the end of 2020, sketched an electrification roadmap last May, according to which, in addition to plug-in hybrid versions of current series, a thoroughbred electric vehicle is also planned. In the second half of the current decade, the all-electric Lamborghini will be launched as the fourth series. It is likely to be a 2 + 2 sedan that will share the 800-volt architecture with Audi / Porsche.
What will happen to Bugatti?
The exciting question is whether there will still be a combustion engine future for Bugatti. Rumors are currently growing that the Croatian electric sports car start-up Rimac could incorporate the Volkswagen pearl and thus lead into a purely electric future. For the time being, the 16-cylinder Chiron remains the only model from the still-VW subsidiary.
Aston Martin planned to enter the electric age relatively early with the Rapide E, which was announced for 2019. But after the saving entry of the billionaire Lawrence Stroll last year, the electrical project was canceled without replacement. A step-by-step entry into the electric age is now planned. The SUV model DBX will be available this year as a mild hybrid and from 2023 as a plug-in hybrid. The British also want to present their first all-electric sports car and an electric SUV by 2025 at the latest.
McLaren does not want to do without combustion engines
McLaren's electric ambitions have so far been limited to hybrid technology. With the P2013 built between 2015 and 1, the British already opted for an electrified drive train that focused on performance rather than the environment. In the future, too, McLaren wants to rely on potent combustion engines, which, however, will receive increased electrical support. The Artura, launched at the beginning of 2021, shows what this can look like, combining a 430 kW / 585 PS V6 with a 73 kW / 99 PS electric motor. In addition to very sporty driving performance, the technology also allows emission-free driving up to 30 kilometers. According to the McLaren executives, the time is not yet ripe for a purely electrically powered model.
However, this is not the case with Tesla, the electrical pioneer mentioned at the beginning. In 2022, the Americans want to revive the original Tesla in a new edition and duped the established sports car manufacturers with breathtaking performance. Around two seconds for the 100 km / h sprint and a top speed of around 400 km / h should definitely set the bar pretty high in the sports car sector.