Waiting for an all-electric Aston Martin? This unlikely 1,000hp rival could fill the gap
Ferdinand Porsche’s great grandson reveals powerful electric GT
Anton 'Toni' Piëch, the son of former Volkswagen Group CEO Ferdinand Piëch and great grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, is planning to launch his 1,000bhp all-electric GT in 2028.
Following a spluttering start to get a GT concept off the ground in 2019, this second attempt has the backing of David Seesing, designer of the supposedly revitalized TVR Griffith (another project with big question marks hanging over it) and former Mercedes-AMG man Tobias Moers.
Clearly taking inspiration from famous Grand Tourer designs from the likes of Aston Martin and Jaguar, the second attempt at the Piëch GT is an altogether more finished and striking looking car.
Despite clearly still a concept, Piëch is already targeting some pretty significant performance figures, with the long and low 2+2 seater boasting a 90kWh battery pack that delivers grunt to two electric motors, each rated at 375kW/550Nm for a total output figure of around 1,005bhp.
The 0-62mph acceleration time will hover around the 2.6-seconds mark, the top speed is touted to be around 187mph and the range is predicted to be around 312-miles on a single charge. It’s clear it has the Porsche Taycan Turbo S in its sights with those kind of stats.
What’s more, the Aston-esque styling hints that it may well also be targeting Gaydon’s famous products, which have been rumored to go pure electric for years. But chairman Lawrence Stroll told reporters that consumer demand for EVs wasn’t "what we thought it was two years ago," focussing its intentions instead on plug-in hybrids.
Licence to thrill
According to Car Magazine, the Piëch GT is very much targeting sports car thrills with innovative features akin to those that we experienced on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N recently.
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Piëch says it is using what it calls its Dual2 Drive system, which aims to get rid of the declining torque power curve at higher revs often experienced with electric motors with a two-speed transmission that gives a familiar kick when shifting.
Rather than a smooth and unnatural power delivery sensation, the GT hopes to offer an acceleration experience that's closer to that of an angry old V8.
Although we won’t be seeing running prototypes until next year, the price is rumored to be around the $200,000 / £180,000 / AU$300,000 mark, with first deliveries slated for 2028.
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Leon has been navigating a world where automotive and tech collide for almost 20 years, reporting on everything from in-car entertainment to robotised manufacturing plants. Currently, EVs are the focus of his attentions, but give it a few years and it will be electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Outside of work hours, he can be found tinkering with distinctly analogue motorcycles, because electric motors are no replacement for an old Honda inline four.