Exagon Furtive e-GT – Electrifying French Sports Coupé

If electricity sets your pulse racing, then look no further. Exagon Motors, the French racing firm that showed off its all-electric sports coupé, the oddly named Furtive e-GT at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, has unveiled a validation prototype.

The 2+2 coupé was brought to the Magny Cours racing circuit in France with Nicolas Prost at the helm. Prost is the oldest son of four time Formula One World Driver’s champion, Alan Prost.

The standard Furtive e-GT features two Siemens sourced electric motors, each producing 125kW, for a combined output of 254kW (340hp) at 5,000 to 10,000 rpm and a constant torque of 480Nm.

Power for the motors is stored in a set of lithium-ion batteries producing 50kWh. Exagon Motors claimed they would last approximately 10 years with 3,000 recharge cycles. The sports coupé can cruise in near silence for between 197 to 402km (122 miles to 250 miles), depending on how the car is driven.

For those that travel longer distances, there is an optional range extender in the form of a small displacement engine that recharges the batteries directly and does not drive the wheels. This increases that range to 807km (just over 500 miles). The concept is similar to that used in GM’s Chevrolet Volt.

As befitting its sports car image, the Furtive e-GT sprints from 0 – 100km/h (62mph) in just 3.5 seconds and onwards to reach v-max of 287km/h (178mph). However, road going versions will be electronically limited to 250km/h (155mph).

The interior of the car seems to be inspired by Lamborghini, especially with the switch gear in the centre console. The control knob also seems to have been lifted straight out of BMW’s parts bin.

The car is scheduled to hit showrooms in 2012, with the company planning to build just approximately 100 cars a year.