TechRules unveils (potentially) China’s first supercar. By the way, it runs on jet fuel, is powered by a turbine and produces 1023bhp…
[Not a valid template]Look closely: that’s not a badly copied McLaren P1…well actually it might be. It’s actually the TechRules AT96, a concept that could herald China’s first ever supercar.
Revealed in full at this month’s Geneva Motor Show, the AT96 is notable not just for its sharp-ish looks but also its outlandish propulsion system. Essentially at the base is a ‘micro’ jet turbine that drives a generator sending power to the six electric motors (two at the front, four at the back) turning the wheels. According to Techrules, the micro-turbine spins to a whopping 96,000rpm and produces 36kW, 30kW for the generator and the remaining 6kW for auxiliary software.
It’s possible the back of your head just exploded, so let’s try to keep it simple: the Turbine-Recharged Electric Vehicle (T-REV) packs a massive 1023bhp and – wait for it – 6372lb ft of torque. We’re a little skeptical on the numbers, but theoretically the AT96 could hit a top speed of 350kph and 0-100kph in just 2.5 seconds. It gets more interesting when we take a closer look at the 20kWh Lithium-Manganese-Oxide battery that stores the electrical energy: fully topped in 40 minutes, TechRules claims 1900km of range is do-able, the battery alone good for 140km. Again, sceptical.
You may have just burst a blood vessel, so let’s stick to the simple bits. At the base of the concept is a carbon fibre monocoque, mounted to which are double wishbone suspension and a T-shaped battery pack. At present only the AT96 and GT96 concepts have been unveiled, the former of which runs on aviation kerosene while the latter runs on natural gas. The plan though is to bring a production-ready T-REV supercar weighing under 1000kg (1380kg at present) to the market ‘within a few years’, but then of course, we’ve heard that before.
To stop your head from spinning, perhaps take a look at the below launch video.
Source – TechnologicVehicles
