2012 Exagon Furtive eGT
Price: Not Listed
Engine: Two Siemens-built electric motors
Torque: 354 lb-ft.
Horsepower: 340
0-60 MPH: 3.6 sec.
Top Speed: 155 mph (est.)
EST. Range: Up to 500 miles with range extender
Seen… Not Heard!
Written by Nicolas Bates
By now, most car enthusiasts are attuned to the next “big thing” in the auto industry: electric vehicles. However, certain manufacturers, like Fisker and Tesla, have tried to take these vehicles to the next step – creating performance oriented electric vehicles.
French automaker Exagon Motors has done just that with the Furtive eGT; a quite unassuming coupe, I might add. But we all know how much looks can deceive.
Stylistically, the coupe seems to take after the newest Hyundai Genesis Coupe and, perhaps, the newest Infinity G37 Coupe. One might say there is a slight Renault influence as well. Despite what you may or may not think about the car’s appearance, Exagon Motors did not try to make the Furtive eGT look like it arrived for the sole purpose of being in a science fiction movie; and that, I applaud. However, the wheels do seem to belong more to a lowered ’95 Pontiac Grand Prix with chrome accents, than to a performance vehicle. What’s the word for gaudy in French? The front of the car is void of any extremely large vents or openings one would normally see in high-performance internal combustion vehicles. Of course, this is for obvious reasons: there is no large amount of heat to help dissipate. The Furtive eGT definitely looks as if it underwent wind tunnel testing for help in design. The rear of the car is also fitted with an extremely smooth look, and sports a diffuser down low.
Exagon Motors prides itself on having Luc Marchetti direct its projects. He has helped Exagon Motors prepare cars for FIA World Touring Car Championship, rally cross and ice racing competition. Exagon Motors is no stranger to the world of highly competitive auto racing. Perhaps some of the stats on the Furtive eGT will solidify my previous remarks.
The Furtive eGT is no feather, although no pig either. Coming in at a rough weight of 3,527 lbs, the car seems it could stand to lose a pound or two here or there, but the fact that it has the equivalent of 340 hp and 354 ft-lbs of torque (available from 0-5,000 rpm due to its design) may start to ease your worries of a car that is far too heavy for its own good. Although the Furtive eGT is not stamped as a supercar, it can still reach 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and has a respectable limited top speed of 155 mph. According to Exagon Motors’ press release, the Furtive eGT, when not running a governor and on the track, should be able to reach a speed of nearly 190 mph. When one hears of the weight versus horsepower ratio, they might think this is just another gimmick. But please, keep in mind the Furtive eGT has all of its torque available all the time. Perhaps it should be considered a supercar after all.
The chassis of the Furtive eGT is made of a carbon, aluminum and steel honeycomb mix. Four disk brakes slow the car from its potential speed-crazed trips to the track and comes standard with regenerative braking on the rears. The transmission is a 3 gear apparatus with no clutch and is operated via paddle shifter behind the steering wheel. Reverse is accomplished by rotating the engine in an inverse direction and speed is electronically limited for safety reasons. Exagon Motors teamed up with Siemens Corporate Technology for the motors that would power the car, and Saft, a worldwide leader in high-performance batteries, to provide power for the motors. The Furtive eGT also takes a huge step forward in the sense of autonomy with an electric car. Exagon claims at a constant speed of 56 mph, the Furtive eGT can range 179 miles. With its optional range extender (a small gas engine with a low cylinder capacity which charges the batteries when they have reached the limit of their autonomy), however, Exagon Motors claims a range of an astounding 500 miles on one charge.
From its capability to hit high speeds as fast as it does, to its newly developed range extender option, the Exagon Motors Furtive eGT is truly a revolutionary automobile in every sense. Not only has one manufacturer been able to produce a nimble, quickly accelerating all-electric vehicle, but also one with autonomy levels heads above the competition. Exagon Motors has not released when exactly production is to start on the Furtive eGT, or if it will be legal in the U.S.; however, production has been announced for the calendar year of 2012. You’ll have to see it, however. Because you certainly won’t be able to hear it fly past you.