Photo: Dendrobium
The Le Mans racetrack in France drew large crowds of racing enthusiasts this weekend, as the iconic endurance race decided its victors and losers. But the spectacle unfolded not only on the track itself, but also on its sidelines.
At the Michelin hospitality area on the approach to the final chicane before the pit straight, a strange electric machine seemed right at home in this environment: the Dendrobium D-1.
Showcased there as “the first all-electric hypercar to be shown at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans,” the D-1 was on site as a preview of things to come from 2021, when the rule changes will open the floodgates and allow the entry of a host of new cars in the upcoming hypercar class of the endurance championship.
“When fans come to Le Mans, they are here to see superfast endurance racing, the toughest and, I think, most technically demanding racing in the sport,” said in a statement Dendrobium’s CEO Nigel Gordon-Stewart.
“To have so many fans genuinely excited about a future of high-performance electric hypercars with zero emissions is really pleasing.”
The Dendrobium D-1 has been shown several times following its official presentation in the final months of 2018, but to date the exact technical specification of the model has not been announced. All we know so far is the total power developed by the car: 1,800 horsepower.
It’s not clear how long it will take before Dendrobium begins selling the D-1, and not even the exact shape the production version of the car will take. For now, the only things Dendrobium sells are 1:18 scale replicas of the car, priced at $250.
In February 2018, the company showed a variation of the D-1 called XP-2. Designed by Peter Stevens, one of Gordon Murray’s partners in the creation of the McLaren F1, this interpretation is supposed to come with improved airflow compared to the stock version.
Showcased there as “the first all-electric hypercar to be shown at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans,” the D-1 was on site as a preview of things to come from 2021, when the rule changes will open the floodgates and allow the entry of a host of new cars in the upcoming hypercar class of the endurance championship.
“When fans come to Le Mans, they are here to see superfast endurance racing, the toughest and, I think, most technically demanding racing in the sport,” said in a statement Dendrobium’s CEO Nigel Gordon-Stewart.
“To have so many fans genuinely excited about a future of high-performance electric hypercars with zero emissions is really pleasing.”
The Dendrobium D-1 has been shown several times following its official presentation in the final months of 2018, but to date the exact technical specification of the model has not been announced. All we know so far is the total power developed by the car: 1,800 horsepower.
It’s not clear how long it will take before Dendrobium begins selling the D-1, and not even the exact shape the production version of the car will take. For now, the only things Dendrobium sells are 1:18 scale replicas of the car, priced at $250.
In February 2018, the company showed a variation of the D-1 called XP-2. Designed by Peter Stevens, one of Gordon Murray’s partners in the creation of the McLaren F1, this interpretation is supposed to come with improved airflow compared to the stock version.
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