A Look at the Most Promising Exotic Car Startups - Henderson Edition

Automobili Pininfarina

A standalone company – the first new Italian volume manufacturer in three decades – it’s a spin-off from the world-famous car design house Pininfarina, set up to create Italian design-led electric cars using some of the engineering team from the outrageous Purosangue, formerly the RUF supercar – another sign of the times. While nothing has hit the auction houses to match the Purosangue (so far), Automobili Pininfarina’s Battista, shown above, is an electric hypercar in its own right with stunning flowing design, inspired by recent Pininfarina models such as the H2 Speed hydrogen-fuel-cell hypercar and the iconic Cizeta V16T. The Battista is equally potent: with a top speed of 217 mph and a 0-60 mph time of less than 2 seconds, it runs on the car’s four electric motors, which together produce 1,900 horsepower – among the most output of any car for sale. With the type of design-quality and performance coming from Automobili Pininfarina, it may have a niche in the crowded market of wicked expensive cars.

Czinger Vehicles

Los Angeles-based Czinger Vehicles is another high-profile startup shaking up the traditional car-building model. The company’s founder, Kevin Czinger, wants to usher in a new way to build cars. The firm’s striking first model is called the Czinger 21C. Equally novel is its design process, which is suited for 3D printing the majority of its components to create more flexible, complex and lightweight shapes than fabricated with traditional processes. Under-the-bonnet innovation includes a 1,250 hp hybrid powertrain mixed across six electric motors, with a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds. Czinger Vehicles is a sign of things to come in the automotive sector, as an industry leader searching for the outer edges of what’s technologically feasible in vehicle manufacture.

NIO

Though it might not be as well-known as its electric SUVs and sedans, the Chinese company also sells exotic halo cars. Founded in 2014, it has set world records for rapid charging and solar charging. Their first hypercar, the NIO EP9, put them on the electrified map. The EP9 has the world record for the fastest lap by an electric vehicle at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, widely regarded as the most challenging race track in the world, with a top speed of 194 mph and a 0-60 time of 2.7 seconds. The EP9 emphasizes NIO is capable of playing with the big boys of the industry.Indeed, NIO has been doing very well so far, especially given how the exotic-car segment of the automotive market is almost purpose-built to explore the limits of EV technology in marrying performance with premium user experience.

Apollo Automobil

Apollo Automobil, a German supercar maker, has its origins rooted in motorsport. The company, originally founded as Gumpert in 2004, was rebranded in 2016 as Apollo – which, some would argue – is a far stretch from ancient Grecian mythology. The company did, however, shift its focus from making production race cars to making high-performance hypercars – with the latest model, the Apollo IE (standing for Intensa Emozione), a truly astonishing showcase of the company’s performance and design credentials. Thanks to a naturally aspirated V12 engine (producing 780 horsepower and reaching a maximum speed of 208 mph), this featherweight race car stands out with sharp performance and aggressive design. Apollo IE’s modern aerodynamics, such as its lateral air escapes in the rear and subtlest aero (or superfluid) kit, follow Apollo Automobil’s story. Founded by designer Marcello Gandini and Ceccarelli, Apollo Automobil has propelled itself to fame by creating sports cars with ‘dual emotional content’.

Lotus Cars

Long established as builders of lightweight, petrol-engined sports cars, the British automaker Lotus Cars has taken its first broadside in the hypercar wars with the all-electric Evija, a four-seater sports car being fast, high-revving and looks great under way and standing still. The Evija uses a lot of new technologies, but broadly speaking this is still very much a Lotus company, focused on the fastest possible lap times. The Evija is drop-dead gorgeous, and its numbers are impressive, with a top speed of more than 200 mph, a 0-60 mph time of under 3 seconds, and a peak power output of 1,972 hp – among the highest ever for a production car. Its four electric motors are powered by a 70-kWh battery. Lotus wants to stay relevant. Its entrance into the electric hypercar league demonstrates their determination.

Drako Motors

Based in Silicon Valley, this is the first car from Drako Motors, a start-up planing to transform upmarket, high-performance transportation by combining electric powertrain technology with all the luxury features and design cues of supercars. The firm’s first model is the four-door electric Drako GTE (which stands for Gran Turismo Electric). Featuring a quad-motor design, the car cranks out a combined 1,200 horsepower and can reach a top speed of 206 mph. Drako Motors is saying the GTE’s ‘driving dynamics are optimized by advanced torque vectoring technologies enabling it to accelerate, decelerate and carve through corners with superior precision’. The company has seemingly emerged fully formed as a hot new player in the hierarchy of exotic manufacturers.

Aspark

Based in Japan, Aspark’s all-electric hypercar is called the Owl. It’s also one of the most out-there electric cars you can imagine – with acceleration like nothing else on the road, and an out-of-this-world design. The company’s vision of what exotic cars can accomplish, garnered from its early dabbles in electric performance, has earned it a spot among the most exciting exotic car startups. The Owl’s stats are remarkable – a claimed 0-60 mph time of only 1.69 seconds, and a top speed of 249 mph. Four electric motors make a combined 1,985 horsepower output, putting the Owl in a trio of the most powerful production cars ever built. Aspark is a company dedicated to pushing the limits on electric performance.