Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the new Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera. You may be trying to remember where you know the brand name from, or wondering how the Spanish manufacturer has risen from the ashes, but Hispano Suiza is now an ultra-exclusive hypercar brand. And the Carmen Sagrera is a 120th birthday present… to themselves. Under the supervision of President Miguel Suqué, great-grandson of the founder, Damiàn Mateu, Hispano Suiza is now making some of the most striking EVs, albeit only for a select few multimillionaires. Yes, this beast is battery-powered.
A Balancing Act
The design of the new Carmen Sagrera had to meet a few criteria. Firstly, it had to pay homage to the brand’s legacy of luxury. Secondly, it had to represent the spectacular performance on tap and, last but not least, it had to be futuristic and meet all the technology requirements of buyers. All three have been met with great success. The Bentley-esque front-end design combines both aggression and heritage, paying tribute to the Alfonso XIII sports cars of the early 20th century. The heavily creased front bonnet contributes to the mean looks and features functional vents. The low front splitter might be a nightmare around town but it makes the front end appear lower and adds downforce.
Moving to the side, the use of copper accents is evident on the carbon fibre side skirts and five-spoke wheels. The side also contains some nice touches, like the copper 120 inscription and the stork badge, a nod to Hispano Suiza’s production of aeroplane engines. At the rear, the stork-inspired spoiler stands out and supposedly optimises aerodynamics. The mental splitter sits just millimetres above the ground and is constructed out of carbon fibre. Overall, it’s a bold statement from a relatively unheard-of brand, as is the Cava Gold paint, which highlights the bulbous arches and sharp curves well.
Inside, there’s an abundance of Alcantara, with black and red leather details throughout. The use of shiny gold on the dashboard and air vents may not be to everyone’s taste, but you can’t say Hispano Suiza hasn’t gone all in to make the Carmen Sagrera unique. And just look at those pedals! The redesigned centre console and infotainment system are welcome changes, as Hispano Suiza looks to improve from the previous Carmen models.
The Performance to Match
The design gives the impression of incredible speed, and the new Carmen Sagrera’s numbers more than live up to it. Four electric motors combine to make 1,114hp and 1,160Nm of torque. This results in a soul-destroying 0-62mph time of just 2.6 seconds. Hispano Suiza has focused on more than just acceleration, though. There’s plenty of downforce, just in case you want to take your limited edition electric hypercar on track and the extensive use of carbon fibre means that it has a kerb weight of 1,875kg. Yes, it is heavy, but the new battery weighs in at over 600kg, so this is actually rather impressive.
All the power is sent to the rear wheels and the bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres will offer incredible grip and supposedly have a design inspired by the storks and mosaics of Spanish architect Gaudi. Wait, what? Anyway, the new hypercar has suspension to rival full-on racers, featuring adjustable shock absorbers and coil springs, as well as an anti-roll bar. There are also lightweight wishbones and axle shafts made from military-grade materials, although I’m not entirely sure this is necessary. Hispano Suiza also adds that aerospace and racing-grade bolts will ensure bulletproof fastening, although I’d expect the suspension to be properly attached on any car, let alone a limited edition hypercar.
The carbon ceramic brake discs can withstand insanely high temperatures, which is handy if you ever want to lap the Nürburgring, I guess. All in all, the new braking system has 5% more braking power than before, thanks to some other minor changes.
A Battery Boost
The Carmen Sagrera introduces the second generation of Hispano Suiza batteries. With a total capacity of 103kWh, there are a whopping 360 modules inside. Compared to the previous battery, this is an increase of 23kWh, representing an extra 62 miles or so in range. This brings the total range to just shy of 300 miles, a benchmark for most everyday EVs, so it is mighty impressive that a car with this level of performance can achieve it.
Watch This Space
The Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera will make its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this July, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Pricing has not yet been revealed, but don’t expect much, if any, change from £2 million ($2.53 million). The final car in the Carmen trilogy is part of a much wider plan for the Spanish brand. CEO Sergio Martínez Campos claims “2024 is the year of acceleration in which we are going to conquer key markets for us such as the United States, we will complete the European homologation and, of course, it is a year to celebrate our legacy.” It’s fighting talk, but if the Carmen Sagrera is anything to go by, the future is bright for Hispano Suiza.
