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Look Out Hypercars: The 2,080-HP Arash AF10 is Coming

Copyright © 2016 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Zach Doell 

 

                               

                                        

In the world of multi-million dollar hypercars, name recognition is an important factor. Living legends like the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari, and Porsche 918 Spyder all have it. Boutique car companies like the UK’s Arash admittedly don’t… but that hasn’t stopped the upstart from creating a giant-killer of its own. Meet the Arash AF10. 

Set to be unveiled at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, the AF10 looks to firmly stake its claim in the hypercar market, and we’ll cut right to the chase. It’s powerful, very powerful. According to Arash, the AF10 develops all of 2,080 horsepower, more than double any of its mainstream competitors.

The process by which the AF10 summons that power is what the company calls “Warp Drive.” Beneath the AF10’s carbon fiber body lies an arrangement of four electric motors (one at every wheel), each of which pairs with its own two-speed transmission.

 All totaled, the electric powertrain wields a theoretical 1,180 horsepower, and draws from a bank of lithium-ion batteries. Whether the battery pack can output that colossal power all at once likely presents a substantial challenge.

To achieve that mythical 2,080 horsepower mark, the Arash AF10 also packs a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 midship, summoning 900 horsepower. A fifth gearbox (a six-speed manual or paddle-shift) shuttles the V8’s power to the rear wheels, in what is unquestionably one very complex setup.

Arash has yet to reveal the car’s true top speed, just having said it’s “more than 200 mph,” but the light speed AF10 is indeed said to notch the benchmark zero-to-60 mph run in only 2.8 seconds.

Arash says it will also unveil a second car at the annual Geneva event as well, a 550-horsepower AF8 Cassini supercar (an update of a previous AF8). With a 7.0-liter V8 under the boot, a weight of just 2,645 pounds, and zero to 60 mph times of under 3.5 seconds, its performance is more in line with the McLaren 570S and Porsche 911 Turbos of the world. Its asking price however? That’s a tall £168,000 (about $237,000).

The faster AF10 will come in three flavors—V8, Warp Drive, and racing spec. The V8-only model eschews the electric motor foursome and clocks in at £350,000 (around $494,000), while the addition of Warp Drive increases that to £1,100,000 (about $1,552,000). The racing model sheds more weight and comes fitted with a fire extinguisher system, roll cage, and more go-fast bits for £1,200,000 ($1,693,000 at today’s rates).

Need one? The company has begun taking reservations.