The list of small British brands that have been created over the years feels almost never ending. Some such as Lotus and Morgan are still going strong whereas many others have not been so lucky. There is a now another new brand that is looking to throw its ambitious hat in to the ring. But there is no Catherham-esque kit car, or a Zenos inspired track car, oh no. Alcraft has gone big on this one.
Creating Sparks
What the brand has revealed is an all-electric shooting brake called the ‘GT’ which is designed to sporty but also practical. It also looks really good if you ask me, although the profile and back end is reminiscent of something I can’t quite put my finger on. Either way, it looks cutting edge and forward thinking, just what you need for something like this. You also need some performance to help back up that sporty design.
Thankfully Alcraft has delivered on this front – three electric motors help to channel 600hp and a colossal 1138Nm of torque to all four wheels. As you would expect, the performance is rather dramatic. The top speed has not been announced, but it will hit 62mph in just 3.5 seconds, the same as a Nissan GT-R. Despite this brute force, the car can deliver up to 300 miles of range when driven properly, plus there is 500 litres of luggage capacity or if desired, the back can be used for two passengers.
More About Alcraft
But who exactly are Alcraft? Alcraft Motor Company was founded by businessman David Alcraft, who then assembled a team made of people such as Charles Morgan (formerly of Morgan Motor Company), ex-SMMT CEO Christopher Macgowan, designer Matt Humphries, and ex-Toyota, Daewoo and Michelin senior executive Mark Carbery.
Delta Motorsport is the partner helping to get this project of the ground, and what it has brought to the table is its expertise for electric drivetrains and battery systems. Other partners for the GT include specialist British companies Sevcon and KS Composites, and agreements are in place with major Tier 1 suppliers including Continental for safety systems and Michelin for tyres.
Crowdfunding
The next step of this daring venture is to build a fully running prototype, and to do this, Alcraft is using a crowdfunding program. The system will be a rewards-based campaign, with the balance coming from equity funding. The crowdfunding bands start at £10 and go up to £25,000.
Rewards include VIP days at Silverstone with rides in a development mule for the GT, featuring similar battery, motor and torque vectoring technologies to those which will be in the GT, and exclusive electric bikes by Cyclotricity and wristwatches by Matthew Humphries Design. Hmm, I might stick in a tenner myself…
“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 Motor founder and managing director David 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.”
If you see fancy seeing the foam model in real life, Alcraft will be attending the Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle Event, Millbrook, on September the 6th and 7th.
