NEW Ariel Hipercar - 1180bhp, 0-60mph In 2secs + Jet Engine?! | Top Gear

[@noban2730]

Gotta appreciate when a company has the balls to do something weird

[@mopedmarathon]

Too true dude! That’s aerials MO isn’t it? Engineering with just enough crazy thrown in to make things a bit nutty.

[@smey02]

definitely, weird is cool, but this thing is just ugly lol

[@fajrdn]

Rich people loves weird sht

[@4Everlast]

We need a lot more of this in every branch of engineering.

[@anijp9275]

Weird they need to work more on something like till we get to where we are driving something like they do on starwars this seems like something I like to start being the future

[@christhe812]

Man the silhouette of this thing looks like an electric RX8 with a crazy bodykit.

[@scottrobson4097]

Reminds me of a first gen Hyundai Tiburon lol

[@tuono2914]

or an atom with layers of body work

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@scottrobson4097 more like turbo upgraded Hyundai Accent.

[@schreckles]

From the front it looks kinda mk4 and mk5 supra-ish, from the side it looks kinda rx7/rx8ish - both in ways that neither manufacturer managed to pull off on their own newest generation vehicles. From the side it really looks like they took an RX7 (with an Elise rear) and just went "No. it should stop at the back of the rear tires. Nothing else." The brits have perfected japanese cyberpunk styling.

[@cameronwallis7024]

Agreed! I was thinking RX-8 with eBay special aftermarket parts. It has terrible height stance.

[@savagepete8258]

Made me laugh when they said the most complicated part for them was the door design 😂 They never had to design that part before 😂

[@crazysilly2914]

Ariel literally just invented the batmobile

[@SimoBenziane]

@@crazysilly2914 not literally

[@crazysilly2914]

@@SimoBenziane yes literally

[@limericklad2000]

@@crazysilly2914 you literally don't know what literally means.

[@crazysilly2914]

@@limericklad2000 Yes I literally do, there was literally a shot in the video with literally batman driving in it...

[@cybertree]

A JET TURBINE??? 🤘 Finally an EV that takes full advantage of NOT needing to be traditional.

[@redbarchetta8782]

They are called APUs. Just like in a commercial jet. :)

[@RCmaniac667]

@@redbarchetta8782 can't diesel generators be called APU too?

[@nitroxwolf2098]

I wish it had V8 or V10 what a shame.

[@classicraceruk1337]

@@nitroxwolf2098 it has a jet engine, trumps any V8 or V12. Does not matter it does not drive the wheels.

[@classicraceruk1337]

@@RCmaniac667 Nope

[@faba6753]

I love the companies like Aeriel exist. What a magnificent work of engineering!

[@mpetersen6]

Just think if they turned their efforts towards a personal E-VTOL

[@kuartz.]

@@mpetersen6 nah, this is cooler.

[@baptistezajac7397]

"we" already now how to do extremly powerfull car by the engine but the problem is about the wheels

[@X3R0D3D]

ariel, SLC and keonigsegg ... dream machines

[@crazysilly2914]

Ariel literally just invented the batmobile

[@phantomechelon3628]

First time I've ever heard a jet engine described as a "range extender"! 😆 Looks absolutely mad...I love it!

[@Scottydelsumo]

Isn't it just that in a jet? Otherwise it'd be a glider.

[@phantomechelon3628]

@@Scottydelsumo Nope. Jets don't have other forms of propulsion built into them.

[@jmcguire708]

​@@Scottydelsumo An aircraft uses the thrust the jet engine creates to push the aircraft forward, the jet engine being used as an APU doesn't move the car at all, it is only being used as a giant alternator, the electric motors are what pushing the car forward. Quite a different application.

[@ivanjulian2532]

I think what Phantom Echelon is referring to is the notoriously high fuel consumption of a fighter jet.

[@phantomechelon3628]

@@ivanjulian2532 That too, for sure. Jet engines are great for speed...not so much for fuel economy...

[@AtlasJotun]

Ariel built a bonkers Batmobile. I've always been infatuated with the Atom; now I'm love with the company. Their founder's awesome.

[@williampfund2128]

That is what I thought too - a small Batmobile

[@viperdragz4403]

it looks really similar to the mcmurtry speirling

[@pogo1140]

Yep, pretty much, a mini Batmobile. Someone made a turbine Batmobile Next up should be a Nolan Batmobile or Snyder Batmobile with the V8 replaced by a helicopter turbine. The helicopter turbine can generate enough power on their own to power the electric motors when you want sustained speed, then when you want to be "stealthy" you switch to battery power.

[@crazysilly2914]

@Arm all police what do you mean

[@phantomechelon3628]

That was my first thought when I saw the video thumbnail...its a Batmobile!

[@TheOnyxian]

One of the things I'm most proud of both being from Somerset and being a car guy is the fact that Ariel are based there. What a mad vehicle built buy a bunch of mad lads in a shed. Awesome stuff!

[@benclarkson4205]

Just how I feel living in Woking mate… 🥇

[@848evo4]

that Thatchers Cider is damn good too

[@benjbuch]

Mad Lads indeed! Cheers

[@richardharrold9736]

@@848evo4 there are much better Somerset ciders than Thatchers. Mass produced concentrated piss.

[@richardharrold9736]

@@benclarkson4205 except McLaren haven't produced anything even halfway cool since the P1, and now they're well on the way to bankruptcy.

[@rocknthetube]

Letting one drive a vehicle for a review at such an early stage in development really speaks for the company. Usually videos are of cars that are mostly complete. I personally like seeing the development and progress that a company takes in building their newest creation! Looks great so far and very unique and out of the box!

[@EdwardMcClung]

agree, and incredible engineering and testing together

[@trance9158]

It's called promotion

[@Ghvxddf]

The crazy thing with Ariel is that it all started at a university as a student project One of the senior lecturers was so impressed they pushed the idea forward and it was shown in the NEC in Birmingham Well the rest is history Love the engineering behind this such an amazing car

[@crazysilly2914]

Ariel literally just invented the batmobile

[@grimgoreironhide9985]

You mean the Atom was designed by a university student. Ariel the company has been around for a very long time. They started first making motorbikes.

[@nickbeckwith6211]

Great info, did not know that. Thanks.

[@johngoodenough8857]

@@grimgoreironhide9985 That Ariel is no more, the new one just has the naming rights

[@futeditzs2482]

The New Batmobile 😂

[@jonahshill7084]

Won’t lie Spierling did it better 😂

[@martimsimoes5261]

Uglymobile

[@BruDia]

Way way better than the charger/muscle car in the Batman...

[@miklu26]

Catmobile

[@itschaosuphere]

I said the exact same thing 😂, just a compact one

[@craigsg01]

To be honest this seems like a great advance in tech. Very efficient, using a jet to charge the battery then using the battery to drive the wheels is a great idea.

[@lynby6231]

Bit like a diesel electric locomotive

[@LOTUSELISE340R]

Can't wait for the Ariel Hipercar vs McMurtry Spierling comparison test!

[@luke_3_113]

Spierling definitely faster - but I don't think it's really a road car is it? This might be a sort of Spierling for the road...

[@bjorremeijer2072]

Right! Having a tough time choosing my next daily, that would surely help

[@aidankelly1994]

my first thought as well!

[@gustavoflorio5383]

@@luke_3_113 It will be a road Spierling.

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

I doubt the McMurtry will be road legal without massive changes

[@peterknight7880]

Most exciting EV in years, and not just because it's blisteringly quick! Really interesting thought to use a gas turbine as a range extender with the potential to use hydrogen as a fuel. It will be interesting to see if that idea gains traction (pun intended) elsewhere in the motor industry.

[@Rollin8.0]

I've been blathering on about a similar thing for years, but I was thinking a tiny (like 500cc) 3 cylinder turbo diesel optimised to only run at a specific rpm (eg 3000) to best charge the batteries. Should be very efficient and not super heavy.

[@F1ll1nTh3Blanks]

@mmpj twod If they ever manage to get this thing road legal, I will personally, make a shrine for them.

[@aaronb9630]

The Hyundai N Vision 74 might interest you. I'm quite enamored by the looks but a hydrogen fuel cell along with a dual motor electric drive-train is quite interesting. I would love to see more work into hydrogen as a fuel even though we need to find cheaper ways to manufacture it for wide-spread adoption.

[@peterknight7880]

@@aaronb9630 I think that long-term hydrogen will be the fuel of choice due to its energy-density. We're a long way away from making it sustainable at the moment though. ☹️

[@crazysilly2914]

Ariel literally just invented the batmobile

[@crazysilly2914]

Ariel literally just invented the batmobile

[@krusher74]

No!

[@AlRoderick]

Turbine/EV hybrid has always been a thing that appealed to me, they seem to complement each other well, the turbine has a great power to weight ratio and is fuel versatile but has laggy throttle response, meanwhile batteries have instant throttle response but bad power to weight.

[@aphinion]

And in such a car the lacking fuel efficiency of jet engines is negligible. Might even still be better then our standard piston engine doing the full propulsion work… just love that concept…

[@mrducky179]

imagine breaking down in a jet turbine car

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

Indeed, you can run a jet on almost any explosive liquid so making it carbon neutral wouldn't be very difficult.

[@aphinion]

@@mrcaboosevg6089 Plus it would probably also still work in a mad max scenario xD

[@jimj2683]

A turbine generator is smaller, lighter, far more reliable, and gives less vibrations than a piston generator. Also, it burns the fuel more completely, so the exhaust is much cleaner too (no need for exhaust aftertreatments). Only big disadvantage is the lower fuel efficiency (but not by much and since it is lighter you can carry more fuel to compensate.). Also, turbines are more expensive to buy (only because of small production runs. They are actually quite simple mechanically), but they are much cheaper to run.

[@PPGNI]

Love listening to passionate and knowledgeable owners of these “smaller” car companies like Ariel, Pagani, Koenigsegg and Gordon Murray etc

[@russcooke5671]

Apart from the Ariel they all cost millions.

[@___Luca.a___]

Bro put Pagani, Koenigsegg and Gordon Murray in the same sentence as small

[@PPGNI]

Small in terms of sales volume not value

[@rodgercostello9814]

Dont you just love a company with the insight and passion to deliver what every driver dreams off, First the 300, then the 500 and now the hiper car. Hats off indeed.

[@krusher74]

hyper*

[@danamullins2723]

​@krusher74 Hiper* the name of the car is "Hipercar", and it's classified as a "Hyper car".

[@mss5460]

Love how they gave it a homemade feel by making it look home made.

[@gurgleblaster2282]

@alida flus jaguar, Cadillac and a few others have had concepts with this setup. The problem for then and now is turbines tend to be incredibly hard to maintain. I am curious to see how they have solved that issue perhaps regular expensive maintenance intervals. By expensive I mean a full turbine replacement every 10 to 15k miles.

[@spendor9377]

A super car owner could mistake it for a kit car and try and leave it in its wake.

[@mss5460]

@@spendor9377 Yeah, that's the point. It doesn't look like it was made by a company.

[@crazysilly2914]

Ariel literally just invented the batmobile

[@Avaddon911]

if you're making cars that go 0-60 in 2 seconds at home why aren't you selling them?

[@kedo]

Fun fact, back in the 60s when they were developing the Rover P6 it was designed to use a turbine engine. It came very close to happening but sadly never did, it was so close in fact that the P6 was launched with the same wacky front suspension created to fit a turbine. I'm glad 60 years later companies like Ariel are still trying with jet technology

[@ChrispyNut]

Hell yea. This looks like what I've been wanting to see. A sensibly compact, low power generator (though hadn't considered turbine (until the other day oddly enough)) with a decent sized battery, that's not too big, but not pathetically small (though half the size would still be fine for some (who'll only track it for short periods), 4 independent motors and focused on reducing weight and drag. Ariel do have a knack of over-delivering to a niche and making that niche far bigger than most people would expect. Top props as is becoming normal for them!

[@ChrispyNut]

Just had a wonderful thought. A [new] new Knight Rider series. This would be perfect as it'll already have a legit turbine power unit and therefore more authentic ... plus it looks like a KITT/KARR.

[@coolguy10060]

I like how this car is being developed i love how ariel Just experiments with all this ev tech and the jet range extender is brilliant the wing flaps to disturb the air towards the mirrors is ingenieus. There aren't a lot of car manufacturer's that expiriment like this

[@Tyler_Fuller]

@@The.Toaster might be the piri that put's people off

[@x1tekja]

Great to see this company pushing the limits. Another excellent package in the works and I can't wait for it to go into production.

[@nicholasthomas4382]

Some companies do a moderate engineering exercise in stages, and they usually follow the innovator in lockstep. Some companies decide to leap ahead of the competition by a decade or more. This is Tesla, Wright Brothers stuff. MAD RESPECT.👏👏👏

[@christopherpollard7244]

Looks like an engineer's PHD final thesis!

[@realAlexChoi]

This was actually how the Atom became a thing

[@christopherpollard7244]

@@realAlexChoi Do you mean this was in development before the Ariel atom?

[@realAlexChoi]

@@christopherpollard7244 No, I meant that the Ariel Atom started out as an engineering students thesis

[@christopherpollard7244]

@@realAlexChoi Makes me happy to hear this. Thanks!

[@jmcguire708]

Boy do I have some good news for you...

[@styloyt]

Fascinating to see such a fast spectrum of cars being made. On one end you have an Ariel EV with a jet turbine, on the other - Pagani Utopia with a V12. What a time.

[@Hello_there_obi]

we all know which one you'd rather have if money was no object. Aside from the cringe name, the utopia is amazing.

[@123fourfive5]

I started the video thinking it's just like any other company. Just strap four electric motors to a small battery and away you go but this is very different. Very impressive to see how far they can push technology.

[@RossetBespokeButlers]

I am so glad to be witnessinga new golden age in automotive design. It feels like we are in the 1930s when amazing hand built cars were not copying others but coming up with unique new design concepts. Well done Ariel I have always loved your company but this is next level!

[@TroyConvers5000]

And a lot of ugly clunkers too.

[@RossetBespokeButlers]

@@TroyConvers5000 true

[@michaelyounes29]

Love it! A nomad, an original Atom and now this is on my fantasy car garage!

[@Cloxxki]

I love the Nomad but it's so loud. I'd want to use it in the countryside, sneak around and not disturb too much. As I'd not log many hours a day in it, an electrified Nomad makes all kinds of sense to me. AWD. 4x100 kW for instance. Rock crawling buggy that also does tank turns and MAD accelerations. 30-50 kWh battery would be plenty, it's not a travel car or something I need to lap on the track for an hour straight. I'd beed new goggles and boxers every 5 minutes anyway.

[@goatdigitaluk]

McMurtry Speirling: Hold my fans.

[@Make-Asylums-Great-Again]

Way better car.

[@Naoquerose]

This is the perfect hybrid vehicle. The usage of the turbine for electric generator is genius.

[@kylereese4822]

The turbine so you don't have to rely on the charging network but still need petrol... ermmm THAT`S RELYING ON THE PETROL NETWORK... hydrogen fuel tank oooh at 30-000psi near a jet turbine engine "" KAAAAA BOOOOOOM ""...

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

Fun fact, back in the 60s when they were developing the Rover P6 it was designed to use a turbine engine. It came very close to happening but sadly never did, it was so close in fact that the P6 was launched with the same wacky front suspension created to fit a turbine. I'm glad 60 years later companies like Ariel are still trying with jet technology

[@atodaso1668]

Jay Leno has a turbine car, its on his KZbin channel

[@Peanutdenver]

My grandfather had a next door neighbor who had a turbine car from Chrysler in the early 1960s. Apparently Chrysler picked some "typical" American families to drive and use these turbine cars for a few months to see how they'd hold up to daily driving and weekend family abuse. Now I don't know anymore details about what happened (I'd have to ask him what became of the program and what his neighbor thought of the car), but I thought it was pretty cool they were building turbine cars that long ago and people actually got to drive them. There's even a wiki page I believe that goes into more detail about the program and specs on the car.

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

@@Peanutdenver I think Jay Leno has the same or similar car you speak off. If i remember right they were all prototypes and were supposed to be scrapped when they stopped the program. It was basically the US version of the Rover P6 but it survives to tell the story

[@Peanutdenver]

@@mrcaboosevg6089 After I read your comment I did a bit of googling and I believe you nailed it. I also remember my grandfather saying it was pretty quiet considering and there was no transmission tunnel in the car. I'll see him soon and get some more details as this comment stream has peaked my interest with the car all over again.

[@BiffBuffchest]

Don't forget the Y2K motorcycle

[@greedgreed4411]

How do they make it look so slow. Just saw a similar car on carwow and that one seemed a lot more impressive.

[@patrickdgarez86]

I was very hard on the design of this car but hearing from the top dog and getting a better understanding of the engineering, I look forward to seeing what this care can do when it's complete. I would still like to see a less busy design but as a purpose built race vehicle, looks are the tiniest of concerns. Well done Top Gear for reviewing it properly.

[@mitchellcaldwell6315]

Nobody asked or gives a fuck about what you think of the design

[@DemonCore618]

I heard he was up all night for weeks when he heard Patrick D Garez was very hard on the design. I hope this comment brings him some closure.

[@SMlFFY85]

It is a bit fussy but at least it's better looking than the McMurtry Spéirling, which looks like a stealth spaz chariot.

[@patrickdgarez86]

@@DemonCore618 Well, didn't you just make me feel the fool. I won't be able to sleep either. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways, Zami. You are a true superhero.

[@lukeytutube]

Patrick D Garez sure was hard on the design of this car

[@scottryan1989]

The engineering in this is absolutely unreal 🤯🤯

[@Wyrmfyr]

The actual Batmobile...

[@LeonYuL]

These guys are always different in a good way, so looking forward to this

[@tundaslug07]

This is the innovation we need

[@cyberspectre8675]

It is if it results in attainable sports cars for tomorrow, but it won't

[@andymcneil7085]

What a piece of engineering. Superb.

[@kensyre]

It looks like a refined hammerhead eagle I-thrust.

[@ViceCityNightcrawler]

Bro whoever came up with that finalized design deserves a raise. It looks like a Batmobile with the size of a Miata lmao

[@kylereese4822]

Hydrogen aka only 3 - places sell it in the UK... oh and The turbine so you don't have to rely on the charging network but still need petrol... ermmm THAT`S RELYING ON THE PETROL NETWORK... hydrogen fuel tank oooh at 30-000psi near a jet turbine engine "" KAAAAA BOOOOOOM ""...

[@pkphilips2]

I find it remarkable that a small country like UK has so many small car manufacturers putting out some amazing vehicles..and doing this consistently for a long time

[@noke258]

Lol how is the uk a small country? It basicly invented the modern world and saved it from inhalation.😂😂😂😂

[@pkphilips2]

@@noke258 in.comparison to india

[@carlosleiva2825]

This is so impressive, since I saw the Atom years ago, I realized they were master engineers.

[@sh-hg4eg]

Your first comma should have been a full stop. You only use two commas if the first and third part work without the middle, which it doesn't here.

[@writehse]

Who cares…

[@poor_youtuber1390]

@@sh-hg4eg ok

[@dimetime35c]

I think the exhaust from the turbine could be used to help with aero. These cars are limited by down force, you can only accelerate so quickly before you dont have traction. I wonder if some how the exhaust from the turbine could be directed to provide some type of extra down force. It only needs to provide it for a short period of time between when the car gets going and when the wings get enough air to force the car down.

[@Stasiek_Zabojca]

I wouldn't count for that. Turbine blades will consume most of the power from combustion gases. What's left may have negliable effect. Also it most likely doesn't have any specific nozzle to create more thrust.

[@CHOEYGMUSIC]

Wow this is amazing! Love Ariel so much. The atom was a ground breaking vehicle, and the V8 is truly ballistic. I think this Hipercar looks insane and absolutely love the engineering. Massive respect Ariel!

[@Tyler_Fuller]

@alida flus And rolls are going to be rolling their new v16 out some point soon.

[@pablogalvz]

9:40 the NEST thermostat is brilliant! That should be in production - one of the simplest interfaces for HVAC!

[@robiel317420]

love to drive one. Aesthetically, it almost reminds of a hardtop BMW z4 with a batmobile style body kit. Bravo.

[@BRMCaptChaos]

Pure function, insane, stunning. Turbine is multi fuel brilliant. One of the few lottery cars in the garage.

[@Radnamrok]

This is absolutely genius! Sometimes, solutions are right under our noses and yet it takes extraordinary geniuses to find them who are often overlooked. So many huge names like Mercedes, Koenigsegg, Audi never thought of putting a jet engine to supplement instead of huge and heavy battery. Its so ingenious! Mad respect.

[@chrisjames7803]

koenisegg in the same sentence as merc as a giant,, im sure christian's chest is swelling with pride, and the real giants of the automotive world are wondering who even ariel is

[@CockatooDude]

They've definitely thought about jet engine range extenders. The difference is that Mercedes and Audi have to design cars which appeal to enough people that they can sell hundreds of thousands of them. Your local soccer mom or business shark isn't going to buy a car with a jet engine in it. Ariel has to sell maybe 30 of these a year, so it's easier to find enough buyers and you can do more radical designs.

[@ShaunYoung]

Jag had a Turbine REX EV concept over a decade ago

[@nas8326]

@@ShaunYoung Jaguar has been ahead of the curve for about a century now.

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@ShaunYoung REX EV not gonna match this car.

[@mac1mike]

Damn was really hoping for an off the wall TT engine but I’m glad it’s still unique with that turbine.

[@armokil]

This has to be why I love Ariel They just have to be different! Its so great

[@AustinAnthony-akaftw]

when the engineer is the founder of a company. no red tape, no nonsense, just pinnacle tech.

[@MS-vt7fz]

Big fan of Ariel cars. This one reminds me of the Capstone CMT-380 displayed at the LA Autoshow in 2009. It was electric and featured a 30kW microturbine range extender. Glad to see Ariel bringing this idea into production.

[@crazysilly2914]

Doesn’t having a gas-powered range extender defeat the purpose of an EV?

[@markomarten]

I wish them every success with making this work, they are not your every day company and it shows. You can’t say it’s just another car like Ferrari or Porsche, it’s unique and got so much going for it.

[@kylereese4822]

The turbine so you don't have to rely on the charging network but still need petrol... ermmm THAT`S RELYING ON THE PETROL NETWORK... hydrogen fuel tank oooh at 30-000psi near a jet turbine engine "" KAAAAA BOOOOOOM ""...

[@christheone248]

The Cybertruck was designed by a bunch of pre-schoolers and they seem to have employed the same "design" team at Ariel as well now..

[@Snowmunkee]

And here I was thinking Koenigsegg would be the first to throw a turbine into a production car

[@spartan1347981]

Or pagani tbh lol

[@danielssonsgarage]

Well Volvo was first of the Swedes in that case with the Volvo ECC 😁

[@Tyler_Fuller]

@@danielssonsgarage actually i believe it was chrysler in the early 60s unless the volvo you speak of was older.

[@jocax188723]

It’s a jet APU in a car. Marvelous.

[@willemm]

I'm not your typical Ariel customer, but that thing is really cool

[@euphoric5172]

i cant wait to see the finished production version, it is easily the most insane EV ever made and i love that it has a jet turbine on the back lmao

[@noncog1]

I always thought about using a turboshaft engine with a clutched cvt but this makes sense too

[@igornoga5362]

Turbine that powers a propellor is called a turbprop, turbine that powers anything else is called a turboshaft

[@adammoonface]

This is the exciting side of EV's! What Ariel and McMurty are achieving with their engineering is absolutely mind boggling.

[@tigerpjm]

McMurty definitely achieved something very special with their name - sounding like a drunk Irishman

[@CarspottingInToronto]

It looks very unique! This car looks very unlike other hypercars! Great job on this video! And what an amazing innovative car they've put together!

[@jisu222]

The car looks so dope. I love that they are trying something different from everybody else with turbine range extender

[@GreenWin88]

Batmobile engineers: "HOLD OUR BEER"

[@filoudadidou]

Looks like the Mcmurty fancar (with ground effect) that have break the record on the goodwood festival

[@gustavoflorio5383]

It doesn't. It just doesn't have ICE car proportions.

[@Breathe-Music]

I love listening to this guy. It's rare someone techy is so engaging!

[@ZDY66666]

What i imagine the Batmobile to look like IRL

[@Weissman111]

For a small bat

[@spartan1347981]

@@Weissman111 nightwings car, just have it in midnight blue

[@danielclark1003]

Mini Batmobile

[@Rodisflawless]

1,500 kgs?? Holy smokes that's heavy for that type of car. Also, as we learned from the T50, exposed fans are definitely not a good look. Love the passion behind the brand though.

[@jammygamer8961]

yea the koenigsegg 1:1 weighs close to just 1360kg

[@Pencil0fDoom]

I love watching two notoriously understated British gentlemen unsuccessfully fighting the urge to grin like schoolboys at the utterly badass vehicle in front of them.

[@cake6420]

I have always been a fan of this company, great show!

[@rightwingsafetysquad9872]

Jet turbines are bigly efficient when allowed to run at their ideal speed. The Chrysler and GM projects of the 60s failed because they're terrible outside a narrow speed range. Making the primary propulsion battery-electric sidesteps its biggest weakness. It will be interesting to see how they've solved the emissions issues though. Turbines burn the fuel more completely than piston engines, but they usually burn a lot hotter, making NOx and SOx a bigger issue. SOx won't be an issue for the petrol version, but will be if they ever make a diesel version.

[@lapin46]

Diesel ist mostly sulfur-free or very low sulphur in Europe incl. UK these days. S amplified soot formation, too. For NOx, they might inject AddBlue. Much easier here compared to a variable load Diesel car engine with cold loads.

[@rkan2]

I guess you can still add a catalysator and DPF..

[@lapin46]

@@rkan2 yes

[@dustinplatt775]

I love Ariel. Just because that was the first episode of Top Gear I watched when they had the original Ariel Atom and Clarksons or whomevers face was destroyed.

[@stevennicholls6648]

You just can't not love Ariel 🔥🔥🔥

[@lalsonplays5591]

that agressive looks🔥

[@RacingFlavour]

There is no TOP GEAR without May, Hammond and Clarkson

[@sports2hedz542]

Jet engine is actually fantastic, since they can run relatively easily on H2 🤩

[@bingoberra18]

Probably wont be much of a range extender though :P

[@sports2hedz542]

@@bingoberra18 could be...35 kW average power is enough for "driving like a twit" as he said

[@bingoberra18]

@@sports2hedz542 Yes but to store H2 in the car would be the challenge.

[@scpdatabase969]

Now THAT is something worth dropping nearly $1M on. All the other hypercars really do feel much the same, but this thing truly gives batmobile vibes. Just a shame normal people will never get a chance to experience something like that.

[@MichaelMyers5678]

This is how innovation, invention and ingenuity begin. This relentless pursuit of the brave and the bold is what makes me proud to be British. The building blocks for new automotive challenges and principles almost always start here. Before long, all the key manufacturers will be looking for opportunity to create similar technology to adopt in the future.

[@EliCamacho]

I literally had this idea of putting some kind of turbine on an electric car to keep the battery charged 2 years ago and was wondering why no EV company has thought of this (obviously because they want you paying at charging stations). Very cool Ariel.

[@h82fail]

CEO of car companies are not thinking: Lets make less profit to make sure it runs on X. (gas/diesel/electric/hydrogen/propane/methane or any other energy source.) Profit is what matters to any company. What can we make cheap enough, and what can we market. Turbine generator is allot in R&D and expensive to manufacture, and probably hard to make quiet enough for a regular car. Once someone else has done the work and proven that it can be made to be profitable they will all jump on board. its just business.

[@christrees8576]

It's not the car companies that will make money from charging. That's just a stupid comment.

[@michaellavery4899]

I think we all want to see The Stig take it round the test track.

[@72rmboyd]

The innovation in this car is actually something to behold, it is so ugly it's beautiful. If I could afford one, I would in a heartbeat

[@jobturner7925]

The question that he should have asked was how long will the turbine last before it needs new bearings. 120k rpm and 45 Hp is similar to the large hobby aircraft jets rather than a comercial apu. The problem with those is they needed major service i.e new bearings after 50-100 hours of operation. Some of this was hobby quality but most of it was running at 150-250k rpm range. 120k doesn’t sound much better. Haven’t looked at this stuff for 10 years or so, so maybe they’ve improved in the interim. Also it’s cleaver to quote the jet In kW and the max output in hp b/c most people will think wow 35 KW that’s a lot when I. Reality it’s 35 kw* 1hp/750kw = 46.7hp. So for the jet to “keep up” the driver has to be using less than 46 hp on average over whatever course there traveling. Peak is 1100+ hp so something tells me that in most driving conditions the owners will be running the battery down fast

[@longlowdog]

Every second you are off peak throttle you get 36kw/hr.Very few dedicated drivers are at max power for a high percentage of their driving on UK roads. Even where I live in Scotland with access to nearby, quiet mountain roads it's rare to have the throttle buried for ten seconds, fifteen almost unheard of. It would be much less with huge power devouring straights. Most folk even driving like a 'twit' have some regard for speed limits/licence loss and the safety of others Hence the builders differentiation between track day range and D.L.A.T.O.T.R mode.

[@tigerpjm]

120k rpm sounds half the rpm of 250k rpm to me

[@nicki8731]

magnetic bearings?

[@Stasiek_Zabojca]

I bet it has way higher quality bearings and oil supply system to keep them properly lubricated than some plane with not much space to support that. About that fuel consumption... My small car, 1999 VW Lupo with 1.4 16V 76HP engine burns 6-7 liters of gasoline when traveling (villages and outside urban area with 90-110km/h speeds), average speed is 70km/h. So, in 1 hour I make 70km with 7l/100km, which is 4,9l. It equals to around 44,1 kWh, because 1 liter of gasoline is around 9kWh. But, keep in mind, that electric motors are way more efficient than gasoline, especially old gasoline engines, so it will need half of that (22,05kWh) or maybe even 1/3 (14,7kWh) of that amount of energy. And keep in mind, that electric motors don't waste any fuel when standing still in traffic. So yeah, this turbine will definitely be able to keep up with that.

[@srspower]

That is the coolest car ever made, the fact they have added a jet engine that actually has a realistic function AND said function makes the impossible possible with a supercar EV is extraordinary.

[@kip8790]

Man I wouldn’t want to be a pedestrian hit by one of these …

[@chemieju6305]

To be fair as a pedestrian i don't really want to be hit by any other car either

[@deepchillzone]

That car is so fast, that the car itself is falling apart! You can see a piece of the car flying off on the side at the 1:38 mark!

[@changsangma1915]

....its so fast it made you see things. More appropriate point than your point.

[@dzello]

That doesn't come from the car, you see it come from in front of the car. At 1:37, you see that thing in front of the car.

[@svong8789]

@@dzello agreed, looks like it came from the camera crew's car

[@marioelite2003]

literally came in the comments to see if anyone saw it too

[@bad-bunnyblogger8171]

It's a twig.

[@harryf9885]

This is excellent, but I think one mistake they are making is assuming people don’t want regen for track use or sporty driving. The key with regen in a sports car is to make it possible to get full regen just by lifting off the accelerator, and have the brake pedal directly and exclusively control the mechanical brakes. The advantages of this are that brake feel is just as good as a gas car, you don’t need any complicated and heavy system to try to make the brake pedal control the electric motors and friction brakes and retain good feedback. The accelerator pedal already controls the electric motors, it is natural and adds no additional weight or complexity to have it control both of their functions. Secondly having aggressive regen in track mode increases range, lowers the load on the friction brakes (allowing them to be lighter), and gives you improved reaction time when stopping because you start slowing down as soon as you lift off the accelerator. Having deceleration partially controlled by the throttle pedal takes some getting used to but in my opinion it is one of the joys of driving an electric car. It’s similar to learning to heel-toe, which accomplishes a similar goal of utilizing the powertrain to help slow down in addition to the friction brakes. If anything learning to heel-toe is a much bigger adjustment. I find both to be very fun once you get the hang of it, the difference being that there are fewer fun techniques to driving an electric car, and the alternatives of trying to integrate regen into the brakes or not having regen at all just so someone who knows how to drive an automatic gas car can hop in and access the full capabilities of the car suck because they lower performance/range/brake feel and get rid of one of the few fun skills to master that are unique to electric vehicles.

[@paulelverstone8677]

One of my favourite modern-day marques and this time, it is a real gamechanger. 1500kg for an EV! isn't that about the same weight as a Cayman? but with 1200bhp. Stone me! And as SS had said: there is no reason for it to look mid-engined or front engined because it's neither, so Ariel can rip up the rulebook on car design, providing their aero is on point. It looks amazing, it's going to go like stink and it even sounds good for an EV. Can't wait for the finished example if Ariel's previous models are anything to go by...

[@goodie2shoes874]

Is “Ariel Hipper Car” a typo? Cause if so, I immortalized it.

[@miketran4289]

Let's hope Warner Bro's or DC Comics doesn't sue because that's a REAL LIFE Batmobile!

[@sagnikmaity1444]

when he said that the jet engine is for efficiency, he just earned my respect.

[@ragetobe]

The UK and the rest of Europe are about to make every new car have a 70mph limiter and this kind of car is in production 🤣

[@whompsum]

Speed bump = “sleeping police man” 😂 I like that

[@Greenammonianews]

Reading up on the Cosworth Cat Gen range extender it sounds totally brilliant. It is about 50kg, that is tiny! It does not require a separate catalytic converter... The tech is actually super simple, a handful of moving parts, and very few exotic materials.. Cosworth says they hope to get the cost of the Cat Gen down to 2000 pounds.

[@Luke_275]

You know if Top Gear had a guy like this presenting alongside a couple of others. Put out content like this, cut out the forced humour, striped it back and allowed it to organically breed its own identity… I’d have been all over that.

[@mikumikuda]

"we're also looking at having more driver involvement, because a lot of EVs don't leave you with much to do" and "Buttons and no touchscreen" these things alone will make this car above many other EVs.

[@tractioncontroldelete]

Nobody: Top Gear: Introduce the fastest accelerating car with a slow motion shot.

[@ffilby]

Finally, a car that can be replicated perfectly in Lego

[@BongoBaggins]

The swords on the wheel arches are an interesting feature.

[@MegaRetr]

i cant wait to see the finished production version

[@concinnus]

If the McMurtry was just a straight micro-Batmobile, this is like the Decepticon variant of it.