Quarkus P1 is France’s New Track-Ready, Extremely Lightweight Supercar
If you love French cars—and we know that many of you do—then you need to see the latest creation from across the Atlantic, especially if you think that supercars like the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport or Delage D12 (the latter developed with the help of former F1 champ Jacques Villeneuve) are too fat.
Earlier this month, Damien Alfano, founder and CEO of the new Quarkus brand, unveiled a unique supercar concept that’s said to be “born for the track, homologated for the road and aimed at gentlemen drivers.” Called P1, it has one simple goal: to make people happy, Alfano claims.
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The design is much more about functionality and aerodynamic performance than pure aesthetics. With the engine mounted in the rear, the front section has a huge cut-out where the engine bay would be in order to funnel air over the car's body. The front fenders are connected by a body-coloured deck up top and an integrated lip spoiler down low. At each corner is a vertical LED bar that serves as daytime running lights.
The super-smooth silhouette continues with a pod-shaped cabin and muscular rear fenders. Completing the package is a giant, whale-tail wing in a black finish, plus a large and boxy diffuser that fits oddly into the whole picture.
Want to know what the most remarkable part is? The P1 reportedly tips the scales at less than 500 kilograms, or not even half the weight of a Mazda MX-5. Think about that for a minute. "Quarkus does not make a 2-ton electric tank," Alfano wrote in a post on his LinkedIn page. Indeed, it’s the complete opposite of the Tesla Cybertruck.
As for the turbocharged 1.0-litre engine with hybrid technology, it produces over 250 horsepower and revs up to more than 10,000 rpm, which is absurd. By the way, the chassis is fully adjustable.
Further details will be announced soon, but pre-orders have already started. Don't miss the photo gallery above. Those who attend the Festival Automobile International in Paris from January 26-30, 2022 will get to see the Quarkus P1 up close.