As an unabashed fan of electrical autos, even I’ve to confess that the majority of them are fairly boring. Their clean, quiet and calm demeanors do not provide a lot in the best way of intrinsic persona, which has led to many manufacturers slapping on outré designs and faux engine sounds to try to dial up the thrill.
To that finish, a pair of choices coming quickly from UK-based EV startup Longbow Motors appears to ship precisely that. The Speedster and Roadster are high-performance electrical machines constructed utilizing superior in-wheel motors from Donut Labs. These motors and a bespoke design allow an astonishing curb weight of simply 2,200 kilos.
For comparability’s sake, that is over 100 kilos lower than a Mazda Miata, the present king of light-weight roadsters. Longbow introduced simply the Speedster to CES 2026, displaying it on the present ground on the Donut Lab sales space. Donut is a by-product of Verge Motorcycles, which was the debut platform for the corporate’s hub-less electrical motor, creating a singular, Tron-style aesthetic.
However the know-how is about much more than creating physics-defying bikes. Donut Lab is increasing its motors to all types of platforms, from scooters to heavy-duty vans, making a platform for straightforward adoption by electrified startups.
Donut Labs’ motors within the Longbow Motors Speedster (Tim Stevens for Engadget)
Of all these platforms, although, Longbow’s implementation is probably the most compelling I’ve seen. The attraction begins with the model. Co-founders Daniel Davey and Mark Tapscott (who, with Jenny Keisu, based Longbow after stints at Tesla and Lucid) informed me they wished to supply a basic but in addition trendy and compelling look. The roofless Speedster has an edge over its glass-topped Roadster by way of visible simplicity, however a whole lack of any safety from the weather — even a token windscreen — will make it viable just for probably the most dedicated of open-air fanatics.
Uncovered or protected, you will end up located in a particularly spartan inside. Issues just like the gauge cluster and first controls had been coated, set to be revealed later, so I can not say for positive precisely what the Longbow appears like on the within. But it surely was designed to be primary and minimal to an excessive, an abject rejection of the remainder of the touchscreen-laden machines on the street in the present day.
There may be one seemingly pointless piece of apparatus within the inside, although, and that is a shift knob. EVs, in fact, hardly ever have transmissions, so there isn’t any outright have to shift. The aim of that lever can be a thriller for now, as neither Davey nor Tapscott would affirm its perform, however it appears secure to anticipate some type of simulated gearshift motion, a la the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
The Longbow machines do not simply lack a transmission, they lack a conventional drivetrain format in any respect. The direct-drive Donut Lab motors are located proper contained in the wheel, releasing up house contained in the automobile’s chassis and serving to it to keep up its pert dimensions.
Longbow Motors Speedster (Billy Steele for Engadget)
Additionally they present a particular look, filling up the wheels as they do. There’s a draw back to this association, that being the heft of those motors hanging on the outer edges of the automobile. The suspension, then, has to work a bit more durable. However co-founder Mark Tapscott informed me that the positives outweigh the negatives, and that the dealing with advantages of getting a number of motors alone are price it.
To maintain the remainder of the Longbow’s weight centralized, the automotive makes use of a battery pack that runs largely alongside the middle of the machine, stacked vertically moderately than unfold all through the ground. This retains the mass centralized within the automobile whereas additionally enabling the sort of ultra-low seating you need in a machine like this.
It appears prefer it’ll be fairly a enjoyable package deal to drive, and whereas precise energy output from these Donut Lab motors hasn’t been confirmed but, the Speedster is alleged to dash to 60 mph in simply 3.5 seconds. That is supercar-like efficiency, however sadly, that efficiency will not come low-cost.
The Speedster begins at ₤84,995, or simply below $100,000 by present conversion charges. The Roadster is a good bit extra attainable at ₤64,995, or about $75,000. Nevertheless, given the splendidly chaotic state of worldwide tariffs proper now, anticipate the precise pricing right here to be considerably increased after they go into manufacturing later this 12 months. Reservations are open now on the company’s site.
That is somewhat too wealthy for my blood, sadly, however in case you’ve received the price range, a left-hand drive model can be out there. And sure, it’s going to be absolutely road-legal within the U.S.
