Revived Vanwall Unveils Electric Hot Hatch "Van der Bell S
Vanwall, led by former Formula 1 director Colin Kolles, who now runs the racing team ByKolles, is looking to revive the historic British brand from its base in Germany.
ByKolles, as Vanwall, aims to enter the World Endurance Championship's premier hypercar class with its new LMH racing car.
Since this class is only open to manufacturers, ByKolles will need to provide a production car. The Vanwall Vandervell S is an electric hot hatch named after Vanwall's founder, Tony Vandervell.
Unveiled on Monday, the Vandervell S promises to begin deliveries in Europe in late 2023; only 500 units are planned, with prices starting at 128,000 euros (about $138,000). Production will take place at Bicoles' headquarters in Grading, Germany. [The two models are the standard Vandervell S with 320 hp and the spicy Vandervell S Plus with 580 hp. Both are all-wheel drive and have a range of over 250 miles, with 0-60 mph times estimated at 4.9 and 3.4 seconds, respectively.
The exterior styling is heavily influenced by 1980s rally icons like the Audi Sport Quattro and Lancia Delta S4, while the interior has not yet been revealed but is said to be covered in leather and carbon fiber.
The exterior will also feature carbon fiber elements and 22-inch wheels.
ByKolles has also previously announced plans to produce a road-going version of the proposed LMH race car; the prototype, called the Vandervell 1000, was unveiled last September.
The original Vandervell was a British racing team whose drivers included Stirling Moss and Lotus founder Colin Chapman, and won the first F1 Constructors' Championship in 1958. championship. A few years ago, plans were made to build several continuation models of Vanwall's 1958 F1 cars, and efforts were made to revive them. It is unknown if these cars were ever built.
