Vanwall is most likely not a name you recognize. Dating back to the 1950s, it was founded by Tony Vandervell and Colin Chapman as one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 with Stirling Moss, Maurice Trintignant and others behind the wheel. The company is now being revived with a motorsport division working on its FIA WEC entry, as well as the automaker starting its first production model. What you see in the gallery below is not the long-awaited Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, but the new Vandervell Vander.
Named after the company’s founder, the new electric hot hatch comes in standard and Plus variants, both featuring retro-inspired exterior designs. Details like the carbon fiber front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser make it look very aggressive. If we had to name our favorite touch, it would have to be the F1-inspired LED lights in the center of the rear fascia. The car uses 22-inch wheels with low profile performance tires.
Although Vanwall has only shared computer renderings of the new hot hatch so far, it is said to have gone the extra mile to make the car aerodynamically optimized with “references to the world of motorsport”. There are no photos of the interior, although the manufacturer claims to use materials such as smooth leather and exposed carbon fiber. However, the first available performance figures are quite impressive.
The standard Vanderwell S has an electric powertrain with 320 horsepower (235 kilowatts), which provides acceleration from 0-62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) in just 4.9 seconds. This less powerful model can travel up to 280 miles (450 kilometers) on a single charge, though no details are available about the battery. The Vandervell S Plus, in turn, has a range of 261 miles (420 km) but a much more powerful 580-hp (432-kW) electric drive system. Both versions have all-wheel drive and the Plus model accelerates to 62 mph (100 kph) in 3.4 seconds.
Vanwall said it will assemble only 500 examples of its first production road-legal model, which will be sold via direct sales and distributed by delivery partners. First deliveries are scheduled for the third quarter of this year to those willing to pay a “very competitive price” of €128,000 or around $138,500 at current exchange rates.
