A New Era of Lightweight Electric Sports Cars
It weighs less than 2,000 pounds and has a claimed range of 275 miles. This is the Longbow Speedster, a new electric sports car that promises to bring back the charm of lightweight vehicles while embracing modern technology.
Longbow, an upstart in the EV sports car market, aims to “add lightness” with its first two-seater launching next year. The company’s initial model is the Speedster, with only 50 units planned for production. This will be followed by the more affordable Roadster. Although the first year of production has already been allocated, the exact delivery timeline remains uncertain.
The British car industry has a rich history of producing small, lightweight sports cars that were quick without needing excessive power. Lotus has been the most notable name in this category, but now a new player is stepping in with a fully electric two-seater that even Lotus hasn’t offered yet.
Earlier this year, Longbow, a startup founded by former Tesla and Lucid executives, announced plans to develop small electric sports cars. This week, it unveiled its first working prototype for the vehicle it wants to start manufacturing next year. The prototype is called an “aesthetic dynamic demonstrator,” meaning it looks and drives like the production Speedster, which will be built in a limited series of 150 examples.
Longbow Speedster
Photo by: Longbow Motors
You can already order one in the UK for $111,700 (£84,995), although you will have to wait until 2027 to get one because the first year of production has already been allocated.
The electric Speedster weighs just 1,973 pounds (895 kg), and its single rear-mounted electric motor pushes it to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. That’s a pretty good acceleration time, but it’s a lot slower than some EVs, the quickest of which easily dip below 3 seconds. This car’s featherweight construction promises to make it good through the corners.
Longbow Speedster
Photo by: Longbow Motors
What’s even more impressive about it is its claimed WLTP range of 275 miles (442 km). The company doesn’t state the vehicle’s exact battery capacity, but it probably is smaller than you think for a range rating like that. It doesn’t have much weight to push around, so the vehicle is likely very efficient. On its website, Longbow notes that its cars are “lightweight, allowing for a smaller battery pack to provide unprecedented range.”
The design of the Speedster has more than a whiff of Ferrari Monza SP2 about it, which is to say it looks very good. The lack of a windshield in the front likely means you’ll have to wear a helmet even when driving it on the road, but a more conventional hardtop model is on the way.
Longbow Speedster
Photo by: Longbow Motors
That will be called the Roadster (even though it technically isn’t a roadster), it will be mechanically identical and considerably cheaper at $85,400 (£64,995). It’s a tenth slower to sprint to 62 mph, because it weighs 100 lbs (45 kg) more than the Speedster, but it has 5 miles of extra range for a claimed total of 280 miles on one charge.
Longbow offers its vehicles in both left- and right-hand drive configurations and plans to sell them in the UK and Europe first, though it hopes to expand sales elsewhere in the future. It promises to begin deliveries next year, but it has yet to set a date when customers will get their hand-built electric British sports cars.
Key Features of the Longbow Speedster
- Weight:Just 1,973 pounds (895 kg)
- Acceleration:0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds
- Range:275 miles (442 km) on a single charge
- Price:$111,700 (£84,995)
- Production:Limited series of 150 examples
The Roadster Model
- Price:$85,400 (£64,995)
- Weight:100 lbs (45 kg) heavier than the Speedster
- Acceleration:0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds
- Range:280 miles (450 km) on a single charge
- Design:More conventional hardtop model
Longbow’s entry into the electric sports car market is a bold move, combining the legacy of lightweight British sports cars with the innovation of electric propulsion. With its focus on efficiency, performance, and style, the Speedster and Roadster models aim to carve out a niche in the competitive EV landscape.