What you see here is the AP-0, the second ride from a Hong Kong and UK-based startup car maker Apex Motors, launched in 2020. Wait. 2020? Aren’t we a bit late in writing about this? Well, not quite actually because Apex AP-0 won’t be produced in Q2 2022.
Speaking of which, if you are down, you can still reserve one if you are willing to drop around £150,000 plus tax for one.
The Apex AP-0 is driven by an undisclosed electric drivetrain that puts out 650 brake horsepower (which is about 641 HP).
With a weight of just 1,200 kilograms (2,645.5 lbs), this electric exotic, which rocks a so-called “cyber dragon” design, rockets from naught to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in just 2.3 seconds.
Perhaps 1,200 kg may not like much of a feat, well, that is until you realized the battery takes up 45+ percent of the total weight. Take the battery away, the car, with the drivetrain, weighs paltry 650-ish kilograms (1,433 lbs) which is bonkers.
In keeping the weight down, this ride is basically a carbon fiber galore. It has a carbon fiber tub wrapped in carbon fiber panels and rolls on carbon fiber wheels (19 inches front; 20 inches rear).
Behind the wheels are carbon ceramic brake discs – not quite CF but it provides the stopping power required to rein in the beast while keeping the weight to the minimum.
It has a minimalist interior with, you guessed it, more carbon fiber, including a pair of 4-point harness-equipped, leather-lined racing bucket seats.
The weight is also kept in check thanks to the lack of spoilers of any kind. It does need any because it has an insanely low ground clearance (just 95 mm/3.74 inches), a completely flat floor, and a ginormous M-shaped diffuser – all of which work to allow it to take advantage of the ground effect to create the downforce – just like F1 cars (though F1 cars do have wings).
The Apex AP-0 is a rear-wheel-drive sports car that tops out at 190 mph (306 km/h). The undisclosed electric drivetrain is paired with a 90 kWh battery in the floor that offers a 320 miles (515 kilometers) WLTP range and it charges from 0-80 percent in just 15 minutes.
Other notables include F1 race car-style pushrod suspension, exotic/supercar requisite scissor doors, a striking rear light cluster that actually formed the company’s logo, wing cameras in place of side mirrors, and an eye-catching and unusual central roof fin which is also home to a LiDAR sensor granting it autonomous capabilities.
It does not have full autonomy though. We heard it has level 3 autonomy, which means auto braking, adaptive cruise control, and land keep assist. But it will be capable of a higher level of autonomy when the laws allow it.
The Apex AP-01 Lightweight Electric Supercar will go into production later this year. As mentioned earlier, reservation for the 150,000 quid plus taxes (or around US$180,000+ based on the current going rate) electric supercar is still open if anyone’s interested.
Images: Apex Motors.
