Thursday 3rd November 2011

Australia's First EV Supercar: the Varley eVR450

That's not a sentence we ever thought we'd find ourselves writing...

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Question: what do you do if you're a 125-year-old specialist engineering company that wants to raise its profile? That's right, you create Australia's first electric supercar.

Well, that's what Varley is hoping to do, because the Aussie company, which makes everything from hospital bed movers and airport tugs to urban search and rescue models and transportable aircraft landing systems, has just unveiled this, the Varley eVR450.

And Varley Group is serious: revealed at the 'Third Electric Vehicle Conference' in Brisbane last week, the car has a price tag of $200,000 AUD (around £130k) and "You could expect seeing it on Queensland roads as early as January 2012" (according to John Bettini, Varley Electric Vehicles division manager).

Those who do fork out the required 200 Australian big ones will, we're assured, get a car that can hit 62mph from rest in 3.8secs, an electronically limited 125mph and a 150km range (which extends to 300km with the optional range extension pack).

[thewheelman]

Not for me thanks. Looks like a badly built kit car, & did i read that correctly, "limited to 125mph"? also that price tag is ambitious to say the least.

[kambites]

It doesn't really appear to do anything that the Tesla hasn't been doing for years.

[Turbobanana]

'Third Electric Vehicle Conference'

Come on PH - why haven't we had full reports of the other two?

(removes tongue from cheek)

[Streetrod]

Will this car attract the 30% luxury car tax that applies in Aus?

[donz29]

Looks remarkably similar to an Enzo with 360 lights to me!

[M666 EVO]

Stunning but pointless...

[kambites]

M666 EVO said:

Stunning but pointless...

All "supercars" are pointless, that's part of the point.

[Phil1]

Looks remarkably like a certain kit car...

linky

[Mr Gear]

Phil1 said:

Looks remarkably like a certain kit car...

linky

Hmm, good spotting.

[anonymous-user]

How about a superish electric car you can buy now from a company with over 30 years car building experience.

A RUF Targa

http://www.jameslist.com/advert/339951/for-sale-ru...

Ermm only €273,109 Greek IOU's

[Bahnstormer]

I get 125MPH out of a Ford 1600 engined Caterham 7 !!!

I would imagine you would rocket to 120mph in a few seconds then you would just get bored !!!

[Davi]

Bahnstormer said:

I get 125MPH out of a Ford 1600 engined Caterham 7 !!!

I would imagine you would rocket to 120mph in a few seconds then you would just get bored !!!

the point is over that way ------> you appear to have missed it.

[F1GTRUeno]

Isn't that just an RCR SL-C?

[Petetwinturbo]

This is really starting to depress me ; but people are starting to seriously miss the target when they design supercars. Let me make it quite clear to all; a SUPERCAR can NOT be electric, or Diesel, or Hybrid, or powered with any other form of engine than an internal combustion engine! A super car must be totally uncompromising and completely uninterested in fuel economy or emissions, or even the comfort of the driver for that matter! To sum it up; the Looks of a supercar is its Beauty, the Performance of a supercar is its excitement and the engine of a supercar is its soul! If you get any of these wrong, guess what? You don’t have a supercar!

Let me ask you this; how many people have the hairs on the back of their neck, stand on end, when you hear the shriek of a F1 engine, or when a top fuel dragster takes off, or when a Lamborghini passes you by on the M1 at full power?!

Do you feel the same way when you hear the electric motor in your vacuum cleaner or when a London Taxi drives by?

I think if things carry on as they are going, “PistonHeads” will have to change their name to “Magnetic-Fields-and-current-carrying-conductors-Heads”!

Ok, Rant over, I feel better now!

[Davi]

Petetwinturbo said:

This is really starting to depress me ; but people are starting to seriously miss the target when they design supercars. Let me make it quite clear to all; a SUPERCAR can NOT be electric, or Diesel, or Hybrid, or powered with any other form of engine than an internal combustion engine! A super car must be totally uncompromising and completely uninterested in fuel economy or emissions, or even the comfort of the driver for that matter! To sum it up; the Looks of a supercar is its Beauty, the Performance of a supercar is its excitement and the engine of a supercar is its soul! If you get any of these wrong, guess what? You don’t have a supercar!

Says who...? Next you'll be saying the Le Mans Audi isn't a racing car because it's a diesel.

[soad]

donz29 said:

Looks remarkably similar to an Enzo with 360 lights to me!

I was thinking that too.

[smele]

(which extends to 300km with the optional range extension pack).

[RoseyG21]

Hints of the Maserati MC-12 as well.

Good idea, woeful range. These EV cars are being brought out a decade too soon

[Petetwinturbo]

Davi said:

Says who...? Next you'll be saying the Le Mans Audi isn't a racing car because it's a diesel.

(I was waiting for that to be brought up actually) You are totally correct, that abomination is NOT a Le Mans Racer! It’s a marketing tool to get people to buy Diesel Audi’s. It has nothing to do with the essence of true racing!

Bet you’d like to see Lewis Hamilton in a F1 TDi!?

If Naomi Campbell had a face like Popeye, Guess what……. Yep she ain’t no Supermodel.

If Chicken is made from “Tofu” Quess what…… Yep it ain’t chicken!

[enroz]

Door Hinges on the outside for 200K Euros??

Maybe the could fit windscreen wipers on the inside for the full production model as clearly they have lost their marbles.