Automotive

Alcraft plans to create low-volume electric shooting brake of our dreams

Alcraft plans to create low-volume electric shooting brake of our dreams
The Alcraft GT
The Alcraft GT
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The Alcraft GT shooting brake is a concept for now, but that will change if David Alcraft gets his way
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The Alcraft GT shooting brake is a concept for now, but that will change if David Alcraft gets his way 
The luggage space of the Alcraft GT will hold around 500 liters of gear
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The luggage space of the Alcraft GT will hold around 500 liters of gear 
The cabin of the GT should be light and airy thanks to a glass roof
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The cabin of the GT should be light and airy thanks to a glass roof
The shooting brake body style of the GT is a two-door supercar with plenty of luggage space
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The shooting brake body style of the GT is a two-door supercar with plenty of luggage space
The Alcraft GT
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The Alcraft GT
The 33-percent scale GT model looks brilliant
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The 33-percent scale GT model looks brilliant
The carbon fiber body of the Alcraft GT borrows inspiration from Lucid Motors and Aston Martin
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The carbon fiber body of the Alcraft GT borrows inspiration from Lucid Motors and Aston Martin
A sketch of the Alcraft GT
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A sketch of the Alcraft GT
The Alcraft GT has a glass roof and wraparound windscreen
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The Alcraft GT has a glass roof and wraparound windscreen
The Alcraft GT is likely to land with a 300-mile range
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The Alcraft GT is likely to land with a 300-mile range
The shapely flanks of the GT shooting brake are stunning in pictures, but we want to see a full-size model before giving it the thumbs up
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The shapely flanks of the GT shooting brake are stunning in pictures, but we want to see a full-size model before giving it the thumbs up
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The rapid development of electric powertrains has opened the door for new manufacturers to enter the game with new ideas about what constitutes a luxury car. Alcraft Motor Company, based in the UK, has announced plans to build a battery-powered shooting brake that blends big performance and luggage space in a (very, very) pretty package.

At the moment, the Alcraft GT is a speculative set of specifications rather than of a ready-to-run production vehicle. David Alcraft, founder and managing director of Alcraft, isn't courting the mass market with the car, but instead wants to develop a low-volume showcase of what can be done when old-fashioned British engineering meets modern powertrain and production techniques.

"We want to build a British car company which brings together traditional skills and high technology for the emerging low carbon car market," says Alcraft. "We're about combining great design, outstanding dynamics and the visceral thrill of electric powertrains to create products that are high in performance and desirability but very usable. We hope this will establish a niche for Alcraft Motor in Britain's renowned specialist low-volume car industry."

The carbon fiber body of the Alcraft GT borrows inspiration from Lucid Motors and Aston Martin
The carbon fiber body of the Alcraft GT borrows inspiration from Lucid Motors and Aston Martin

Rather than trying to please everybody with a conventional sedan or SUV design, the team at Alcraft has produced a stunning two-door estate, or shooting brake. The design is just a 33 percent scale model at the moment, but it shows plenty of promise. The nose has a similar look to that of the Lucid Air, while the squashed roofline and pumped wheel arches could have been lifted from the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake previewed earlier this year.

The B pillars are finished in carbon fiber, both as a styling touch and to highlight the safety cell surrounding the passengers. With a wraparound windscreen and pillar-less doors, the interior should be light and airy. It should also be practical, with 500 liters (17.7 cu.ft) of luggage space. The concept is purely electric at the moment, but Alcraft says a range extender powertrains could also be available. Things are similarly open when it comes to the seating layout: the concept is a two-seater, but the company says it could also take the form of a 2+2.

Under the skin, the all-electric prototype powertrain is expected to deliver 300 mi (483 km) of range and the batteries will be hooked up to three motors for torque-vectoring all-wheel drive. With 600 hp (447 kW) of power and 1,140 Nm (841 lb-ft) of torque on tap, it should hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. Unlike some electric cars, which store their batteries under the floor in a skateboard-style chassis, the GT would keep its batteries in a T-shaped pack between the driver and passenger seats.

The Alcraft GT has a glass roof and wraparound windscreen
The Alcraft GT has a glass roof and wraparound windscreen

Before you jump into the comments and remind us that Tesla can do it faster – we know the Model S P100D is ludicrously quick with its ability to hit the same mark in 2.5 seconds – but that shouldn't diminish the fact 3.5 seconds is very fast – supercar fast, in fact – and very few owners are likely to take their car to the drag strip.

At the moment, Alcraft is seeking £600,000 (US$777,840) on Indiegogo to put toward building a full running prototype. Pledges range from £10 (US$13) to £25,000 (US$32,400), with rewards ranging from drive days at Silverstone to bespoke watches from Matthew Humphries Design. The company will also be seeking equity funding.

If it reaches production, Alcraft plans to price the GT between £130,000 and £145,000 ($168,500 and $187,950). Fingers crossed the car makes it into production.

Source: Alcraft Motor Company

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5 comments
5 comments
usugo
I would consider it pretty if it had a mostly horizontal roofline instead of that (too commonly seen) hideous pronounced downward line.
It is remarkable how EVs/Tesla have shifted the bar/expectation about acceleration
Buellrider
Nice looking but impractical design from what I see. I don't think the chopped down roof allows any head room. Fine for short people I suppose. The only problem with such hard acceleration is that it eats the power fast but I suppose anyone willing to spend $100K or more on a car is in it more for the "look at me" factor than practicality or efficiency.
Tom Lee Mullins
I think there is nothing boring about this design. It seems to be the Rolls Royce of electric vehicles and - seemingly - cost as much as one.
I like the design. It is very sleek.
Rkt9
One would think that engineers might have a more valiant mission in life than designing limited editions of a supercar, and requesting crowd funding in exchange for a watch made in Shenzhen.
Michael Wilson
Honestly, this is everything I want in a car, but looks to be vaporware for now. Lets wait until we see the real thing. I love the numbers, the power, the acceleration. Keep it up. This new trend of making electric cars people *want* *to* *buy* is what's going to sell people.