4 Custom Electric Sports Cars Way Cooler Than a Tesla Roadster
It’s been nothing but delays and radio silence on the Tesla Roadster, but whenever it does arrive, it’ll be an absolutely earth-shatteringly fast machine. No doubt, the Roadster will be the EV du jour — the must-have car for a couple years, until something else comes along, maybe from Rimac or Lucid or any number of other upstarts looking to make a splash. If, however, you’re like us and hungry for an electric sports car that’s more timeless and unique — something that won’t fade so quickly — there are a handful of boutique upstarts building spectacular EV restomods. None of these electric sports cars will be as quick from 0-100 km/h or have as much range as the Tesla, but who cares? The thrill of driving a sports car isn’t about numbers.
Totem Automobili GT Electric
Some diehards call it sacrilege; we say it’s spectacular. This electric restomod was so beautiful it broke the internet — or at least the dark corner of the internet that’s inhabited by gearheads. The 1970s Alfa Romeo Giulia GT Junior — the donor car for these builds — has a long and storied racing pedigree. It’s also gorgeous and cool in a way that only old Italian cars can be. The Totem is completely handmade with a full carbon-fibre body and uprated chassis to cope with 582 hp from the electric motor. This is the sort of car you’d dream up with friends over too many late-night drinks, except it’s real. Chef’s kiss
Aston Martin DB9 by Lunaz
Well, look who’s back. The UK-based company Lunaz made a name for itself by electrifying old Range Rovers, Bentleys, and Rolls-Royces. Now they’re back with an electric conversion service for your classic Aston Martin DB6, DB5, or DB4. The company didn’t give many details, but we do know that for roughly $1 million, they will do a complete bare-metal restoration on your old Aston before installing a new electric powertrain. The announcement from Lunaz is timed nicely to coincide with the premiere of the Bond movie, so you can live out your 007 fantasies emissions-free.
Porsche 911 by Everrati
The 1989 Porsche 911, known as the 964 to its fans, is beloved because of its looks and for its frisky handling that keeps drivers on their toes. Electric restomod specialists Everrati Automotive, another UK outfit, endow the old 964 with another talent: speed. Two versions are available: 440 hp for approximately $345,000, or 500 hp for an additional $85,000. The low-power version has more range, roughly 290 km on a charge (and 440 hp in an old 911 truly should be more than enough to get your adrenaline going). Best of all, the Everrati conversions are fully reversible and include a full restoration.
Jaguar E-Type Zero
Back in 2018, Jaguar was worried about the long-term future of all the beautiful cars in its back catalogue. Indeed, the world would be a much less happy place if all the MKIIs and XJ220s and E-Types were mothballed. So, in a bid to save them from obsolescence in a net-zero world, Jaguar came up with a plan to offer electric conversions. The E-Type Zero will have nearly 300 hp and do 274 km on a charge, which is probably about as far as you could comfortably go in an old E-Type anyway. While the project was put on pause, the folks at Top Gear reported early this year that for roughly $100,000, Jaguar Classic will take your old E-Type, put its engine in a box, plop in an electric motor and battery pack, and let you drive off in a zero-emissions future-proof classic.
Lead image courtesy of Totem Automobili.
