By now, I am sure you know about Ferrari’s latest and (definitely not) greatest design - the Luce EV was designed by former Apple design chief Sir Jony Ive and his creative collective, LoveForm. Despite what the proportions may suggest, the controversial Italian model is classified as a BEV executive sedan. The car has already become a meme, and everyone has something to say about it. And, oh boy, is there a lot to say!
While I would love to take my turn at roasting the Ferrari Luce’s design, I stumbled upon a post on LinkedIn shared by one of my connections, where they briefly talked about Ferrari’s EV sedan and compared it to the design of what I initially thought to be a Ferrari EV concept that somehow skipped my attention. The car in question is the Longbow Speedster - a lightweight barchetta sports car, powered by one or four electric motors, depending on the configuration. More on that in a bit.
Longbow Speedster looks like a Ferrari concept from the 2000s.
My initial thoughts when gazing upon the Longbow Speedster were that this was a new rendition of the 2000 Ferrari / Pininfarina Rossa, with a bit of Monza SP thrown in for good measure. Having been established in 2023, Longbow Motors is a young company, but the team behind the name seems to have the right idea.
Currently, there are two EV models the company offers - the featherweight Longbow Speedster and the Longbow Roadster, which is slightly heavier but features a full-size windshield and a fixed roof. From every aspect, Longbow’s offerings are a modern reincarnation of the lightweight British sports car.
The Speedster is a more track-focused variant, featuring no roof and only a small windscreen instead of a proper windshield. It tips the scales at 895 kg or 1,973 pounds while sprinting from 0 to 62 mph in 3.5 seconds. The Roadster is a slightly more practical option. That one tips the scales at 995 kg / 2,193 pounds, and adds 0.1 seconds to the 0-62 mph time. It is also much more affordable at £64,995 (~$84,000) versus the Speedster’s £84,995 (~$110,000). The Speedster’s production is limited to 150 units, while the Roadster is more mass-produced, with exact planned production numbers undisclosed.
Both models feature an 800-Volt architecture with a 55-60-kWh battery. Due to the very lightweight nature of both sports cars, this translates to an electric range of 275-280 miles on a single charge.
Behind the Longbow name sits a dedicated team of former Tesla, Lucid, and X Shore executives, who strive to make lightweight hand-built EV sports cars that are fun. I always love it when a small startup schools a legacy carmaker who has seemingly lost the plot. I think Longbow’s sports cars give you Ferrari-like looks and EV performance, without the astronomical price tag. As for the Ferrari Luce, one good thing about it is that it made Jaguar's Type 00 Concept look more acceptable. What are your thoughts on this bold new car company? Do you think the c company’s sports cars embody what Ferrari should strive for with its EV models? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Related story: How the Controversial Ferrari Luce EV Transforms Automotive Design and Captures the Female Driver Market
About the author
Dimitar Angelov has been an automotive journalist since 2014. His passion for cars and motorcycles led him to take up classic car restoration at the Classic Car Museum in Malta. While living there, he also graduated with a Master's in Media and Communications. Aside from Torquenews, his work can also be seen on Topspeed.com, HotCars.com, Motorheads.com, Jalopnik.com, and his own website, Ridereverie.com, where he also includes motorcycle content.
Other relevant experiences in the automotive scene include working at a Toyota dealership, professional driving, and automotive insurance. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
Image source: Longbow Motors, Ferrari
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