1180 bhp Ariel Hipercar had Michelin OE tyres

Yeovil-based Ariel Motor Company is probably best-known for the hair-raising fun associated with its Ariel Atom and Nomad. However, last August the company entered supercar territory with the launch of the 1180 bhp electric-powered Hipercar.

But which tyres are transferring the 295bhp and 450Nm of torque per wheel to the road? Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tyres in 265/35/20 size on the front and 325/30/21 on the rear, with the option of the Michelin Cup 2R tyres for even more grip. The lightweight 9J front and 12.5J rear forged wheels on the current car will be replaced by bespoke carbon wheels on the production car.

325/30 R21 Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tyres are fitted to the rear of the Ariel Hipercar as standard (Photo: Ariel)

With all this and full torque vectoring available, the Ariel Hipercar offers sub 2 seconds to 60mph and sub 4 seconds to 100mph.

“We still have a lot of testing, tuning and detail work to carry out over the next year or two prior to production, but what we are showing [in August] is essentially what we intend to produce. Developing another of the world’s fastest and technically advanced cars is important for us but anchoring the technology that has been developed in this country and building a British EV supply chain is vital for the UK economy. Hipercar isn’t just a milestone in vehicle design, it’s a demonstration of what we can do as an industry”, said Simon Saunders, director of Ariel.