--- title: "1,985-HP Aspark Owl Electric Hypercar to Attempt Nurburgring Lap Record: Report" description: "Active aero and monstrous quad-motor all-wheel-drive could give this Japanese-built machine a real shot at setting a new benchmark." date: "2019-11-13" modified: "2019-11-13" authors: - name: "James Gilboy" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/31008/1985-hp-aspark-owl-electric-hypercar-to-attempt-nurburgring-lap-record-report" categories: - "Car Tech" - "Electric Vehicles" - "News" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" --- # 1,985-HP Aspark Owl Electric Hypercar to Attempt Nurburgring Lap Record: Report ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* An official from Japan's homegrown hypercar startup Aspark has reportedly announced in an interview that his company's electric, nearly 2,000-horsepower [Owl]() will gun for a lap record at the Nürburgring within four months. "We're aiming to achieve a new lap record. We're hoping to have set the record by March 2020," confirmed Aspark boss Masanori Yoshida to [*Top Gear*](). "We're confident this car has the most speed in the world. It's got amazing performance." ![message-editor%2F1573677194737-asparkowl05.jpg]() *Aspark Owl, *Rinaldi Fabio, Aspark Company** Yoshida didn't specify what class of lap record the Owl will tackle, though we think it's reasonable to rule out [the Porsche 919 Evo's overall record]() as Aspark's target. Likewise, beating the electric record set by Volkswagen earlier this year with the ID.R prototype is a tall order for a road car, so we'll assume Yoshida intends for the Owl to beat either the quickest electric supercar (the Nio EP9, at 6:45.9) or the best time set by a road-legal car, which came from the modified [Porsche 911 GT2RS MR](). We've contacted Aspark for a clarification and will update when we receive one. ![Aspark Owl]() *Aspark Owl* *, *Rinaldi Fabio, Aspark Company** ![Aspark Owl]() *Aspark Owl* *, *Rinaldi Fabio, Aspark Company** ![Aspark Owl]() *Aspark Owl* *, *Rinaldi Fabio, Aspark Company** Neither time will be easy to beat, though the Owl's performance specs suggest it has a fighting chance. Quad-motor all-wheel-drive with every imaginable electronic assist might be enough to make manageable its 1,985 horsepower (1,480 kw) and 1,475 pound-feet of torque, which, with a one-foot rollout, Aspark says can launch the car from zero to 60 in 1.69 seconds *on street-legal tires*. From there, the Owl can bolt up to 186 miles per hour in another 8.9 seconds, and eventually on to a top speed of 248 mph. ![Aspark Owl]() *Aspark Owl* *, *Rinaldi Fabio, Aspark Company** ![Aspark Owl]() *Aspark Owl* *, *Rinaldi Fabio, Aspark Company** The Nürburgring's 154 corners, of course, don't favor straight-line speed, and that's where the Owl's 4,189-pound weight may prove troublesome. Aspark has done its best to mitigate the penalty of weight by making the Owl as low and sleek as possible, with a 39-inch roofline lower than that of the famously squat Ford GT40, and active aerodynamics. Much of that weight comes from the Owl's "unique" 64-kWh battery pack, which gives it a range of 280 miles [NEDC in lab-perfect conditions]() (presumably less in the real world). A full recharge, Aspark says, can be accomplished in 80 minutes on a 44-kilowatt feed. Only 50 miraculous Aspark Owls will be produced. Let's hope the Nürburgring doesn't eat one of these birds of prey to make that number 49. ![message-editor%2F1573678066657-asparkowl04.jpg]() *Aspark Owl, *Rinaldi Fabio, Aspark Company** ## Author James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids." ### Author social links [Instagram]()