Dongfeng Built a McLaren-Wannabe Fastback With Optional Scissor Doors

With a fastback silhouette and coupe-style frameless doors, the five-seat, four-door eπ 007 has an impressive drag coefficient of only 0.209 Cd, which is close to that of the Tesla Model S (0.208). There are slim LED headlights at the front, extending into the fenders. We are dealing with an EV, so there is no grille at the front, not even a faux one. The eπ 007 rides on five-spoke blade wheels with red calipers.

For aero reasons, it comes with retractable door handles and an active spoiler at the rear. It measures 192 inches (4,880 millimeters) in length, 74.6 inches (1,895 millimeters) in width, and 57.4 inches (1,460 millimeters) in height, while the wheelbase is 114.7 inches (2,915 millimeters) long.

The eπ 007 has scissor doors as an option for those who have always dreamed of driving a McLaren but could not afford it and are now willing to pay 22,000 yuan ($3,058) for the special package that includes them.

That adds to the starting price of 159,000 yuan, which is the equivalent of $22,100. The carmaker also offers a subsidy of 10,000 yuan ($1,390), which can apply to paint, optional equipment, or packages that the customers select. The package is also offered for the higher trims like the 620Pro and 540Max.

And those doors are far from being the only McLaren-inspired item on the car. There is a large 15.6-inch touchscreen in the center console. Meanwhile, the driver reads the relevant information regarding driving on an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster that can flip around, a move that the McLaren 720S's display could do.

Eight-point massage seats, a premium surround sound system with 20 speakers, 64-color ambient lighting with adjustments depending on the driving style, and facial recognition for the unlocking of the door are also on the menu.

Customers can choose from several powertrains with either front- or rear-wheel drive. The entry-level version is the 53Pro with a battery pack of 56.83 kWh for a range of 329 miles (530 kilometers) on a single charge. An electric motor generates 215 horsepower (218 metric horsepower)and 229 lb-ft (310 Nm). It needs 6.8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph).

The intermediate version is the 620Pro with the 70.26 kWh battery pack and an electric motor good for 268 horsepower (272 metric horsepower) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm) of torque. It takes 5.8 seconds for the 0 to 62 mph run and can drive as far as 385 miles (620 kilometers) before it needs to be plugged in again.

The 540Max is the range-topping variant. It comes with the same battery pack as the 620Pro but with a shorter range of 336 miles (540 kilometers). The powertrain integrates two electric motors that generate a total of 536 horsepower (544 metric horsepower) and 472 lb-ft (640 Nm) of torque. Those are the figures that make it run from 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds.

A Dongfeng eπ 007 with a range extender is also part of the plan. The carmaker refers to it as the 200Pro. It comes with a 1.5-liter engine, a 28.39-kWh battery, 215 horsepower (2018 metric horsepower), and 229 lb-ft (310 Nm) of torque. The 200Pro can drive as far as 124 miles (200 kilometers) on electric power only. The total range for this version is of 1,200 kilometers (646 miles).

There are 31 sensors on this car, all supporting the eπ Pilot advanced driving assistance system. It includes remote control parking, traffic sign recognition, lane keep assist, and forward collision warning, among many others.

The McLaren wannabe model is expected to hit the showrooms in the first quarter of 2024. Dongfeng is planning to launch ten more models within the next three years.