Last year, a group of German students established a world record for the quickest electric car, pulling 2.5Gs and hitting 62 mph in 1.461 seconds. That record has now been broken by another team of Swiss students, whose car has now passed the one-second mark.
The AMZ team’s car, Mythen, completed the 0-62 mph run in 0.956 seconds, more than half a second faster than the previous team’s record – a lifetime in any timed automotive event. The car was constructed by researchers from ETH Zurich and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Art, and it broke the acceleration record of 12.3 meters.
The hand-built automobile weighs only 140 kg and is propelled by a unique 321-horsepower engine. Dario Messerli, AMZ’s head of aerodynamics, stated, “Power isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to setting an acceleration record; effectively transferring that power to the ground is also key.” He went on to explain how Formula One cars use downforce to transfer power and how the crew devised a vacuum system to successfully suction the car to the ground.
The Speirling has two turbines behind its cockpit that draw air from beneath the automobile, allowing it to outrun cars such as the Rimac Nevera. However, none of this compares to the Swiss team’s efforts, but at least the Speirling has a roof.
