The SP:01 uses bespoke bodywork constructed for Detroit Electric, made entirely out of carbon fiber, and is supplied to the company as a rolling chassis (Lotus Exige). The 90.6-inch wheelbase, fully independent front and rear suspensions, and front anti-roll bar are all retained, though the Lotus’ Eibach coil springs and Bilstein damper rates have been modified to match the SP:01’s unique weight distribution. The car still uses a mid-rear configuration – motor and battery pack in the middle, power sent to the rear wheels – and comes with a removable body-colored hardtop. That electric powerplant is visible through a transparent hatch integrated into the rear bodywork, and buyers will be able to choose from three different alloy wheel designs, as well as seven exterior colors including the Electric Blue you see here.
Inside, the SP:01 has an integrated smartphone in the center console that controls all of the car’s auxiliary functions, and the entire cockpit is finished in swaths of leather and carbon fiber trim. That smartphone system, named SAMI (Smartphone Application Managed Infotainment) includes amenities like navigation and a music player, while allowing the driver to adjust the regenerative braking and interior lighting, as well as viewing key status points for the vehicle’s operation (level of charge, range, etc.). And yes, it makes phone calls.
But the heart and soul of the SP:01 is what’s behind those seats – an electric propulsion system that Detroit Electric says will make its vehicle the “fastest-ever production electric car,” stating that it will be able to reach 62 miles per hour in just 3.7 seconds and will carry on to a top speed of 155 mph. (Tesla Roadster was 3.7 seconds to hit 60 mph.)
Price $135k
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Looks like they also want to make a hatch and sedan