PIËCH GT – Swiss dream car set to enter production soon

One of the stars of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show was from Switzerland and had a name that is only otherwise known in connection with Volkswagen. It was with the Piëch Mark Zero, a magnificent design concept for a 100% electric GT, that the young brand, headquartered in Zurich, presented itself to the general public for the first time. The Piëch Automotive start-up was founded in 2017 by Toni Piëch, son of longtime Volkswagen boss Ferdinand Piëch and Rea Stark Rajcic. Their plans were ambitious to say the least: two years after the creation of their company, their concept was exhibited in Geneva and three years later, the car was to be marketed. Despite the coronavirus crisis, the people of Zurich seem to have kept their word, because the Piëch GT is now entering a test phase and its market launch is scheduled for 2024.

“We have developed a sports car with a timeless design, just as we had dreamed of it,” explains co-founder Rea Stark Rajcic, who says he has long spoken with many enthusiasts about what was lacking in the market. “The result is a modern classic vehicle, which is not subject to consumption cycles. The new Piëch GT should convincingly carry the genes of a classic sports car into the electric age, ”he says. The technical characteristics are promising: despite its relatively large battery, the GT should only display a weight of 1800 kg on the scale, develop a power of 450 kW / 611 hp, which should allow it to reach the 100 mark. km / h in less than three seconds. And with its battery with a capacity of 75 kWh, which should be able to be recharged to 80% in eight minutes, the Piëch GT should be able to travel 500 km, according to the WLTP standard.

Propulsion is provided by three electric motors: a 150 kW synchronous motor, located on the front axle, and two on the rear axle. The fact that part of the battery modules are in the central tunnel and the rest are placed on the rear axle should allow to obtain a driving as it was until now only known on cars of thermal engine sport, with a low seating position, precise handling and direct vehicle response.

Next spring, Piëch Automotive plans to build a second GT prototype, which should be followed in 2023 by other models. The start of series production in the factory of a renowned car manufacturer is scheduled for 2024. The plans of the Zurich residents remain ambitious: to release 1200 vehicles in the first year, and to design two successors to the GT, namely an SUV and a sporty sedan. The price of the Piëch GT remains, for the time being, unknown.