British sportscar manufacturer Apex Motors has unfortunately timed the launch of its AP-0 concept electric sports car to coincide with the collapse of Western society and a global descent into savagery and hoarding. That doesn't mean it's a bad car, though. Indeed, it looks like quite a good one.
A carbon tub and spaceframe chassis, wrapped in carbon bodywork gives the new Apex AP-0 a head start on the power-to-weight side of things, giving it a feather-light 1,200 kg (2,645-lb) rolling weight despite the fact that it carries quite a lot of heavy lithium battery.
That battery pack sits below the floor, helping keep the weight low and flat for superior handling. It holds a pretty impressive 90 kWh, which is enough to get you a range up to 320 miles (515 km ) on the WLTP cycle if you drive like Captain Sensible.
If you choose not to drive it like Captain Sensible, you have the full might of a 650-horsepower (485-kW) drivetrain at your disposal, which means that if you get word of an unattended packet of toilet paper a few towns over, you can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in just 2.3 seconds, hit a top speed of 306 km/h (190 mph) and beat the local pensioners to the bog roll in style.
Speaking of style, Apex says the car has been designed with the word "cyberdragon" in mind, so it seems China will be a key market. The AP-0 is a broadly attractive car, although the rear three quarter aspect suffers a tad from the addition of a giant carbon fin, whose alleged aerodynamic contributions we suspect will be minimal. It's partially there to make the roof-mounted LiDAR unit not stand out, and we suspect the designers wish it wasn't there either.
From certain angles it makes this thing look a bit like a shooting brake half-wagon effort, which is unfortunate, but from other angles it's saved by a colossal and very fancy LED brake light arrangement that makes the back of this car look like a flat-out spaceship.
Brakes and suspension have been specified with the racetrack in mind, notably in the use of ride-height-adjustable F1-style pushrod suspension, with fully adjustable coil over shock springs and dampers. Low-profile tires won't do much for the ride on a bumpy road, but you can expect them to grip and steer great when the hammer's down.
In terms of cabin tech, the AP-0 will debut with an augmented reality heads-up display, a LiDAR and camera-assisted adaptive cruise system with lane keeping assist, a very futuristic dash layout, automatic emergency braking, and enough cameras and sensors to enable level 4 autonomy if that becomes "safely achievable," presumably through third-party systems. The seating position is super-racy with your feet way forward, keeping driver and passenger low to the ground for a super-sporty feel.
As to the most important issue for the average sports car buyer, you'll be reassured to know the doors open upwards, so you can expect this car to go 20 percent faster and allow 35 percent less merging in traffic. Apex plans to begin manufacturing in the UK from Q4 2022 if the thin veneer of society hasn't crumbled away entirely and left us hunting the infirm and opinionated for food. Pricing starts at £150,000 (approx. US$185,000).
Enjoy a video below; it's worth it just to watch how the lights come on.
Source: Apex Motors
