► Arash AF10 supercar revealed in Geneva
► Claimed 2080bhp from hybrid drive system
► Top-spec model costs a cool £1.2m
Remember Arash Farbourd? He’s been developing supercars under his own name since 2002, and his Arash Motor Company first showed a model badged AF10 back in 2009. Well, that car has returned at the 2016 Geneva motor show with a new 2080bhp hybrid powertrain that the firm is calling ‘Warp Drive’. It’s got five gearboxes.
2080bhp? Sounds ambitious…
Just a bit. To break it down, 900bhp comes from a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 – clearly some kind of tweaked GM crate engine – with the remaining 1180bhp being provided by four electric motors, one driving each wheel.
These are made by Compact Dynamics in Germany, and are said to cost €100,000 each – which goes some way towards explaining the AF10 hybrid’s £1.1 million asking price.
The combined torque is a claimed 1681lb ft, which explains the choice of top-flight motorsport ‘tripod’ drive shafts.
Is Arash claiming some kind of ridiculous speed for the Arash AF10 hybrid?
Not so much, actually. 0-62mph is simply quoted at ‘less than 3 seconds’, with 124mph coming up in less than 8sec and 186mph less than 27sec. The most impressive acceleration stat is actually the 50-75mph overtaking lunge, which is said to take less than 1.8sec.
Similarly, top speed is simply ‘more than 201mph’, which is credible if the power outputs are to be believed. Arash claims it’ll do 200mph on electric power alone, while 0-62mph without the V8 is under 5sec, apparently.
Did you say something about gearboxes?
Ah, yes. There are five ‘Warp Drive units’ – four electric motors and the V8 – and each of these gets there own gearbox. There’s a choice of a six-speed manual or a paddleshift auto for the V8, plus a two-speed ’box for each electric motor.
This is, it has to be said, a slightly unusual arrangement. But if Arash can get it to work, the AF10 will be the only ‘hypercar’ available off the shelf with a stick shift.
Any other technical details to ponder?
The rest is rather more straightforward. The AF10 is built around a 13-piece central tub that’s made from a patented carbonfibre and aluminium honeycomb material, and has what appears to be a tubular roll over protection structure built on top. There is plenty of exposed carbon in the cabin, too – presumably in an effort to remind people what they paid all that money for.
32kW of liquid cooled batteries are necessary to power the electric motors, and these are packed away under the floor and in the rear side pods. The car can be plugged in pre-flight, or it can recharge its batteries on the move.
Does Arash offer any other models?
The AF10 is available as a non-hybrid V8 for £350,000 and as a Hybrid Racer – with fire extinguisher and roll cage, etc – for £1.2 million.
The company also has a smaller AF8 model that’s just been given a visual refresh; this is powered by a 550bhp 7.0-litre V8 (the old Corvette C6 Z06 engine, we presume), a tube frame chassis with carbon core, and comes in three guise: Launch Edition, Cassini and Falcon Edition. Prices start at £168,000.
Would you buy one?
Are you nuts? While we wish Arash all the best, when similar money buys you an established product from the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche you’d have to really want to be different to take a step into the unknown with a company that doesn’t have the same level of proven engineering excellence. We look forward to the offer of having a go, though…
Read more of CAR’s 2016 Geneva motor show coverage here
Click here for CAR’s A-Z guide to the 2016 Geneva motor show