Vanwall: Return with an electric compact sports car?

Behind the new establishment of Vanwall stands, among others, the Romanian-born Colin Kolles (55), who was once a team principal in Formula 1 at Hispania Racing and is now managing director at Vanwall. The new models are named after the British industrialist and Vanwall founder Tony Vandervell and are intended to be assembled in Germany. Vanwall describes its model as a Sport Crossover Vehicle (SCV). This is a compact five-door model, which is expected to launch as Vandervell S and Vandervell S Plus. The electric drive in the S delivers 235 kW/320 hp, while the Plus version offers 427 kW/581 hp. Vanwall specifies the range as up to 450 kilometers in the S and up to 420 kilometers in the S Plus. Thanks to all-wheel drive, acceleration from zero to one hundred is achieved in 4.9 seconds (S) and 3.4 seconds (S Plus). The S is limited to 185 km/h, while the S Plus can reach 265 km/h.

The Vandervell is supposed to stand out with low weight - however, data on weight or weight distribution is still missing, as well as information on battery and charging performance. The Vandervell models will only be sold through direct sales for the equivalent of around 150,000 euros. Sales are slated to start in the third quarter of 2023. Vanwall managing director Colin Kolles explains:

“We want to develop unique vehicles of a new generation with high quality and great performance that are able to convey the strong passion that defines the Vanwall company.”

In the long term, a limited-edition street-legal endurance hypercar is expected to complement the Vandervell S and Vandervell S Plus. According to Kolles, the Vandervell 1000 is already in development - the figure could point to the maximum output in hp. Initial road and race tests have already been completed.

Inside, the model is set to feature high-quality materials and a cockpit that aims to establish a connection to motorsport through "outstanding ergonomics." Customers will be able to choose from all body colors and five complementary interior configuration options. Custom options are available upon request. The car is fully road-legal and comes with a two-year quality and service warranty.

The company is currently located in Bavarian Greding (Roth district), not far from the start-up E-Legends in Beilngries (Eichstätt district). It remains to be seen whether the Vanderwell will indeed go into production in the third quarter.

What does this mean?

The next surprise from the Altmühltal region or its surroundings: After "E-Legends" in Beilgries, the Vanderwall now drives past the backdrop of the Jura cliffs. And it is supposed to go into production extremely quickly. How all this was financed and developed remains discreetly in the dark – but the concept of an electric, slick compact car will certainly find its fans – and could make life difficult for an upcoming Lancia Delta top model.