Laffite LM1 electric hypercar: description, data, photos

Bruno Laffite begins the next attempt to start a car manufacturer. One of the first works is said to be the electric bolide LM1, which, however, does not look very innovative.

If you feel like it’s ringing in the back of your head, the keyword laffite may trigger memories for two reasons. First, of course, because of Jacques Laffite, who drove in Formula 1 in the 1970s and 1980s and won six of his 176 races there. On the other hand, you may have heard of his nephew, Bruno Laffite. He was once a racing driver himself and has been trying his hand at car manufacturing for a while.

In early 2015, the name Bruno Laffite appeared on the circuit of the car project. He was one of the brains behind Zarooq Motors from the United Arab Emirates; the company wanted to launch a desert buggy with a cup to make one with the Sand Racer 500GT. After the project fell through, Laffite restarted it four years later in the form of the Laffite G-Tec X-Road. Around the same time, the company launched the X-24, a Le Mans road racing car. But even these cars quickly became silent again.

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A new experiment with the Laffite LM1

However, Bruno Laffite seems to be a man who does not give up easily. So he completely launches his activities as a car manufacturer and, together with his partner Pascal Cohen, launches Laffite Automobili. The company is headquartered in the northern Italian city of Turin, but has chosen the United States as its first preferred market. Fittingly, Laffite presents its starting line-up, which includes the LM1, an electric hypercar, in the context of the Formula 1 race in Miami.

A competitor to famous cars like the Rimac Nevera (see video) was created in collaboration with the Italian engineering company LM Gianetti. Lines of 5.20 meters long, 2.00 meters wide and 1.05 meters long Laffite LM1, whose wheelbase is 3.15 meters, also comes from a famous house: GFG Style, the design studio of Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizzio is responsible for the appearance of 1,650 kg sports car. Still, the LM1 looks like 592 electric hypercars before it and maybe 592 electric hypercars after it.

Laffite LM1 with familiar details

Short front, long tail: The classic standards of a mid-engine car from the combustion era are also characteristic of the Laffite LM1. Details such as scissor doors or air vents, which serve as a link between the roof and the rear wing, are certainly unusual in this segment. Now we are also quite used to the aero-coated rims. The round bodies, which are 21 inches at the front and 22 inches at the rear, carry Pirelli P Zero in dimensions 275/35 R21 (front axle) and 315/30 R 22 (rear axle).

In detail: Zarooq Sand Racer 500GT

Zarooq Motors

There are more surprises to discover inside. For example, the steering wheel in a typical racing car shape forming a figure eight (or infinity sign) on its side. Behind it are large shift paddles with many control buttons and a driver’s information display. Three more monitors are placed on the dashboard: one behind and above the row, two more in the area of the A-pillars. The latter provides images from rear-view mirror cameras, which are located on the front pillars and point backwards. We also see a lot of carbon and round air vents in the interior, which also act as a home for the climate controls.

Electric engine with 1,167 hp and sound

The in-house electric motor is located on the rear axle, producing 858 kW (1,167 hp) and a maximum torque of 1,600 Newton meters. The Laffite LM1 is said to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 1.98 seconds and reach a top speed of 350 km/h. A unique selling point may be the prospect of a “revolutionary sound system”, which is intended to give the electric machine the sound of an old racing engine.

The battery pack of previously unknown capacity should enable a range of 410 kilometers with “very fast” charges of up to 350 kilowatts. Laffite calls for a DC refueling time of 20 minutes for the LM1.

25 copies arranged

“We want to meet the completely different expectations of our collectors,” says Laffite co-founder Pascal Cohen. According to the official statement, the limited edition will consist of “between 24 and 26 examples”, with each car being uniquely specified and therefore unique. Bruno Laffite and his associates have not yet revealed when the Laffite LM1 will be launched and how much it will cost.

Opinion poll

Sure, of course. best.

Nope. It’s already confusing now.

Conclusion

With the Laffite LM1, the next electric hypercar is rolling towards us, which will be very powerful, very rare and probably very expensive. However, the bolide does not make a particularly creative impression. And according to the specifications, the LM1 is already being taken left and right by rivals already on the market.