The first production car from China-based manufacturer Techrules has arrived, and — as tends to be the case with splashy new supercar companies in emerging markets — they’ve left any and all traces of subtlety at the door. And we don’t just mean the intergalactic silhouette.
Named Ren, the ride is the world’s first electric production supercar to utilize Techrules’ proprietary TREV (Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle) system. Where, say, the BMW i3 or Chevy Volt have range extenders with internal combustion engines that recharge the battery, the Ren uses turbines. Two of ‘em actually, and each can spin up to 96,000 rpm. Combined with a lighter weight and smaller battery than its competitors, the result is outrageous efficiency and performance alongside a wonderfully low environmental impact.
Designed and built by motorsport maven L.M. Gianetti, the Ren’s polycarbonate canopies are capable of three configurations: one track version for a single driver, one for the Le Mans (one passenger) and one that’ll house a driver and two lucky passengers. The Ren will also come with a package of other impressive tech, like advanced driver assist, a variety of driving modes, a self-leveling touchscreen and rear-view cameras that stream into three monitoring screens.
The launch model has a 25 kWh battery, 1,287 horsepower (Rubs eyes. Checks again. Still 1287 ponies.) and a range of 727 miles when you add 21 gallons of diesel fuel. The interior is equally as impressive: the cockpit is lined with luxury Italian leather, of course, and finished unexpectedly in denim from designer PT (Pantaloni Torino). Oh yeah: it also has pneumatic doors that kind of resemble those falcon jobs Tesla previewed last year.
A real space cowboy, this one.
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