This is the fastest street-legal electric vehicle in the world

MotorsLifestyleGraham Scott/Autocar

Looking at the pictures, you may find this hard to believe, but this is the fastest street-legal electric vehicle in the world. It covered the Santa Pod quarter mile in 9.86sec, with a terminal speed of 121mph. It produced 8bhp when it was built. It now produces 800bhp.

Of course, the next question is: why? Motoring journalist and TV presenter Jonny Smith has a sort of answer. He drove the first Nissan Leaf and decided he wanted to build an electric hot-rod, using an old electric vehicle as a base. The Enfield perfectly fills that quirky role

First job was to remove the 8bhp electric motor and the Robin Reliant rear axle. In went two DC motors, along with four battery packs: three under the bonnet, one in the rear. In so many ways does this car resemble the Gatling guns on a Bell SuperCobra attack helicopter – they share the same battery packs.

The name, Flux Capacitor, is of course that of the hero vehicle of the ‘Back to the Future’ films. There’s even a Flux Capacitor box inside – though to be strictly accurate it’s a phone charger underneath. There is also a full roll-cage, banks of switches and a general air of seriousness in the tiny space. But if you want to drive the thing you still have to switch it to ‘Valet’. 

This gives you 1200A, quite enough to realise the car handles well, tracks straight and makes a lot of mechanical noise thanks to the aggressive limited-slip diff, metal-bushed motorsport suspension and other lumps of hewn exotic metals.

Switch from Valet to Race and the acceleration shows up how heavy your head is. From standstill, you pass 60mph in less than three seconds. The lack of engine roar is odd, but you’re concentrating too hard to notice much as the acceleration is ferocious and constant. 

We just about manage to stay in this space-time continuum, but it’s close. As we whir down, the eye catches a piece cut out of a 1976 Autocar road test, which is taped on the transmission tunnel. Here’s one memorable sentence: ‘the Enfield is no candidate for the drag strips’. So much for road tests. 

ArticleThis is the fastest street-legal electric vehicle in the worldHaymarketHybrid Cars And Electric Cars

Jonny Smith’s Flux Capacitor is out of this world.

This is the fastest street-legal electric vehicle in the worldPublishedGalleryMedium width3Friday, January 20, 2017 - 17:37OnEnable video endboarddefaultFriday, January 20, 2017 - 17:30Greater LondonGB