http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/04/tech...peed/index.htm

 

at 100K I dont think it will compete with the ariel atom from a buyers standpoint. Who is going to drop that kind of money for a electric racecar?

 

With performance numbers like that, who wouldn't, electric or not.

 

Looks to me like he took an Atom to use as a test vehicle. Smart move really. Now he just has to build his own from the ground up.

 

It's not a ripoff! It is an Ariel Atom, it just has an electric motor.
Sheesh...

 

i was about to write and ask why there is no mention of the ariel atom on the website, but nestled down at the bottom of one of pages...

what joe schmo doesn't know won't hurt him, right? i wonder ariel knows that he is selling their car as his?

 

He needs to spend less time taking my ideas and more time wearing sweaters while checking on the wonderful neighborhood.

 

http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/07/w...-fastest-cars/

 

good article .. good concept .. glad someone has the money to challenge the shitty car industry we are bound to live with .. good use of electronics .. finally one multifunctional screen and not a cluster **** of buttons and lights .. i definately welcome more of this

it clearly says he got the platform from ariel atom .. another good move .. not his area of epertise .. so he bought it already developed and concetrated on the power plant .. i've got nothing but praise for this guy

maybe this is a little show off .. but at least it gets its publicity and lets others know the race for building ev cars is on

 

In the main article:

"For starters, you get all the basic parts off the shelf, starting with a chassis. Wright found one he liked in the Ariel Atom, a blazing-fast custom British roadster. By itself, all the hardware in the X1 is nothing new. The X1's real secret is how Wright engineers it all to keep the car in optimum race mode whenever you hit the accelerator."

It doesn't sound to me like he's trying to sell the car as his. He's designing and selling the electronics, and packaging it with the car. I'd say Ariel is probably in on the whole thing.

My big question is what kind of life they get out of the batteries when they are doing things like drag racing. My guess is they have to turn it up so much that they only get a few runs. Interesting though.

 

Here's their homepage, check out the videos:

http://wrightspeed.com/

This is just the first model, too. Imagine if the car had the newer llithium batteries about to be released by A123. They are going to be used in DeWalt tools at first, but they have something like...3 times the capacity of previous batteries, and charge up to 90% in 5 minutes. And then keep in mind that this car is still (I assume) RWD. Imagine putting one motor at each wheel like the Mitsubishi MIRV concept.

 

Hmm, this car does 0-60 in 3 sec for 100k, the atom does it in 2.9 for 50k.... Which to choose? One has a beautiful engine roar and the other, well... Doesn't seem like a hard pick to me. (Top Gear - Season 5 Episode 9) I think the Atom is probably the best 50k you can spend if you want a toy.