Tag: racer
The UrbanRebel Racing Concept is an incredible electric racer with 400hp – there is nothing boring about this EV
THE first thing anyone asks about a new electric car these days is, “How far does it go?”
Rather than, “How fast does it go?”
Which does make the future of motoring sound disappointingly boring.
Cupra won’t say how far the UrbanRebel Racing concept will go on a single charge. Or indeed how quickly it can recharge.
But that’s all right with me because the answer to the second question is: Very.
This thing is hilariously fast and playful, on dirt or tarmac.
And you’ll want to keep on throwing it at every apex . . . until the battery runs out.
As the first journalist in the world to get behind the wheel of UrbanRebel at the Montmelo rallycross circuit in Spain, I can confirm there is absolutely nothing boring about this EV.
It forces you to re-evaluate your sensible perception of e-mobility.
I could hardly hear a word pro driver Jordi Gené was trying to tell me as he slammed this pocket e-rocket through the infield’s twisty turns.
“It’s the gearbox! It’s right behind your head!” he yelled.
A far cry from the serenely silent glide and comfort of a sensible Cupra Born.
So it looks and sounds like a thoroughbred race car — albeit from the inside. From the outside it just sounds a bit odd.
More flexible with its on-demand torque deployment and brake regeneration than an internal combustion-engined racer, it handles like a fat go-kart on amphetamines.
But at 1,350kg, she’s about 350kg heavier than she would be if she had petrol running through her veins.
“She’s much heavier than she looks” Jordi yells, as I find out how much pressure is needed on the brake pedal to avoid a whoopsie on my out lap.
But it’s only under physical braking that you ever feel the weight that physics can’t deny — so my tip is just dab them for positioning, flick out the tail and get drifting.
Capable of sprinting from 0-62mph when the lights go green in just 3.2seconds, this dual-motor 4WD racer delivers 335hp of continuous power with a boost option of 430hp.
But it sure feels like more with its lightning linear acceleration and bone-shaking ride.
This riotous little yob does not like standing still.
So much so that they didn’t bother with a “park” button. Just D for “drive” and N for “neutral”.
Everything else is typical rally car with the obligatory roll cage, trick stick (hydraulic handbrake), fire extinguisher, and a big red emergency stop button.
Just don’t expect these as options on the roadgoing Cupra UrbanRebel — the sensible evolution of this ballistic experiment that’s scheduled for release in 2025. That will be a very different car.
It will have five doors for starters and feature all sorts of 3D-knitted bio-materials and recycled polymers in a futuristically spacious cabin.
It will also be front-wheel drive and 235hp, with a range of around 270 miles.
Cupra will also make small EVs for Volkswagen and Skoda in Spain, priced between £20k-£25k.
But we’re told UrbanRebel will be the most powerful, priciest and prettiest . . . as well as being the first to go on sale.
It’s fair to say Cupra, once the sporty sub-division of Seat, is the new darling of the VW Group and is being pushed as a fresh, disruptive global brand.
It won’t be long before Cupra sales eclipse Seat’s own.
We clearly like what we see with Britain currently Cupra’s second biggest-selling market in the world, behind Germany.
The UrbanRebel will help keep that momentum, showing that Cupra is serious about bringing excitement to the EV world.
Serious with performance, serious with disruptive design and serious in vying to be the non-boring electric car you will want.
Ten things YOU should know as a car owner
- When is your MOT due? Find out here
- When is your car tax due? Find out here
- Is it illegal to drive barefoot?
- How many units can you drink and drive?
- What do dashboard warning lights mean?
- Is it illegal to drive without road tax?
- Can you be fined for breaking the highway code?
- How to change the address on your driving licence
- What does MOT stand for?
- Is it illegal to park across someone’s driveway?
Free-to-play racer Disney Speedtorm has been delayed until 2023
Kart racer Disney Speedstorm had a vague “2022” release date, but there’s perilously little 2022 left. Developers Gameloft have now confirmed what you could have guessed: the game will now release sometime in 2023 instead.
The spectacular 3-screen Ridge Racer arcade sim left to rot, and the fans who saved a ’90s treasure
Ridge Racer 2 Teased for PlayStation Premium, Video Deleted Soon After
Kaser Focus: A plumber, a witcher and a street racer walk into a bar
British Superbike racer Chrissy Rouse, 26, dies after crash
NASCAR driver goes BERSERK on a fellow racer after a wreck at Martinsville Speedway
Oddball derby racer Trail Out is crash happy in the best way
Man, I was worried this week. I’ve had a string of possible reports that were all disappointingly tepid. Then I played Trail Out, a chaotic crash-and-ram racing game with, for some reason, a story mode about a former stunt driver who is very much some guy. I’m still not sure if he’s talking to himself, through the fourth wall, or to his dog. His best friend wears a gas mask and lifts weights in the junkyard without breaking eye contact.
The racing is very solid, but more importantly it has character. Odd, odd character.
Disney Speedstorm Shows A Disney Mash-up Racer
The Disney universe kart racer Speedstorm got a fresh trailer at the Disney Marvel games showcase event. The cinematic trailer showed us Mickey Mouse, Mulan, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Sully from Monsters Inc, all donning their racing gear with custom karts.
The trailer made sure to show little touches of personality from each of its characters. Jack Sparrow uses a gear-shifter shaped like a sword hilt, while Mulan has a dragon rocket built into her car. It also teased that a Monster Inc. track is coming soon. The trailer suggests some acrobatic kart moves, with ramps that can raise you over other parts of the track.
The brief look at the Monsters Inc. track also showed some of the game in action, with a behind-the-tailpipe perspective you’d expect from a kart-racer. It also seemed to indicate even more Monsters Inc. characters will be included, like Randall, Celia, and of course, Mike Wazowski.