We’d forgive you if you’d forgotten that Hispano Suiza exists. The low-volume Spanish company (whose name means ‘Spanish-Swiss’ in reference to its founders’ nationalities) was originally a kind of Spanish Rolls-Royce, building both luxury cars for the era’s jetset and aircraft engines between 1904 and 1946. After that, it took a brief 73-year break from car manufacturing.
It returned in 2019 with the electric Carmen, an art-deco-influenced supercar apparently defined by the philosophy of ‘hyperlux’. Okay then. Anyway, this year is the brand’s 120th birthday, and it’s celebrated with the most powerful, most exclusive and maddest version of the Carmen yet: the Sagrera.
Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera – interior
Named after the La Sagrera neighbourhood of Barcelona, where Hispano Suiza set up its first large scale factory, the Sagrera uses four electric motors to send 1100bhp and 856lb ft of torque to the rear wheels alone. Yikes.
That’s enough for a claimed 0-62mph time of 2.6 seconds, while a newly-developed 103kWh battery pack, arranged in a T shape across the centre of the car, also provides a quoted 298 miles of range.
Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera – rear
It’s been developed as the most driver-focused version of the Carmen yet. Adjustable shocks and springs are fitted all round, and the suspension arms are made of some unspecified ‘military-grade’ material, which is apparently up to eight times tougher than traditional steel. It also has 400mm carbon ceramic brake discs all around, and the steering has a new setup compared to past versions of the Carmen.
It also hasn’t shied away from the sheer retrofuturist weirdness of its predecessors’ designs. Quite the opposite, in fact. Easily the centrepiece of the Sagrera is its vast rear spoiler that branches out in both directions like a pair of wings. That’s not a coincidence – it’s inspired by Hispano Suiza’s logo, which is a stork. Inside, the centre console has been redesigned, and the infotainment system given an overhaul.
Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera – side
The company’s head of design, Francesc Arenas, said: “I dare say that with the Sagrera, we have refined the concept of sportiness, while maintaining our tradition of excellence and setting the stage for future designs, fulfilling the desires of our customers”. We have to imagine Hispano Suiza’s customers’ desires are fairly specific, in which case, job done.
There’s no word on when it’ll go on sale or for how much, but the Sagrera will be doing its best Kate Bush impression by running up that hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.
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