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Tesla Model S P85D Will Get Smoked in a 1/4 Drag Race by this Small European EV

The car you are looking at began its life in 1975 as an Enfield 8000. While the small British city car was born as an EV, it wasn't capable of speeds above 40 mph (64/h) and it had an 8 HP engine.
Enfield 8000 Flux Capacitor 4 photos
Photo: Flux Capacitor
Enfield 8000 Flux CapacitorEnfield 8000 Flux CapacitorEnfield 8000 Flux Capacitor
Now, though, after a three-year restoration/preparation project, this 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) long little monster has 1,000 HP and, occasionally, a wheelie bar coming out of its behind so it won't tip over. It goes by the name Flux Capacitor and has caused a bit of a stir among the drag racers present at the FIA European Finals at Santa Pod.

The car belongs to Fifth Gear TV show presenter Jonny Smith who also drove it during the event. Jonny entered the highly contested Street Eliminator category, where some of the fastest cars compete. As the name suggests, all entrants have to be street-legal, something they prove during a mandatory 25-mile (40 km/h) street cruise around the Northants countryside.

If you break down and can’t get back to the race track without outside help, you're disqualified. Harsh, but we managed to keep our charge and complete the event,” explains Jonny.

The Flux Capacitor managed to qualify with an an 11.27 second quarter mile at 118 mph (190 km/h), after which Jonny taller axle gears in an attempt to go even faster.

Let's just say it worked, but it wasn't enough to defeat the 2,000 HP Nissan GT-R it was pitted against. However, bowing out of the competition with a 10.846 seconds run at 121.11 mph (195 km/h) was more than Jonny could have hoped for.

Because, you know, that makes the Enfield 8000 turned Flux Capacitor the fastest road-legal electric car in Europe, and also faster than a Tesla Model S. And not just any Model S, but the Ludicrous Mode imbued P90D, which has an official 10.9 seconds time for the quarter mile.

The record, though, might not stand for long, as the even faster P90D is on its way, and it will certainly go under P85D's 10.9 time.

Below, you'll find the full specifications for the record car:

FLUX CAPACITOR ENFIELD 8000 TECH SPEC

BODYSHELL: Aluminium, painted by Roadhouseretro.com in Lambretta GP ‘Yellow Ochre’, Plastics4Performance.com Lexan windows, glassfibre moulded bumpers
CHASSIS: Custom roll cage, trans tunnel altered to house twin motors & 'mini-tubbed' rear.
SUSPENSION: AVO shocks on Hillman Imp A-arms, rose-jointed four-link rear suspension with narrowed Ford 9-inch LSD axle with 6-inch long (!) prop shaft, removable wheelie bars.
MOTORS: 2 x 9-inch DC Current Racing motors rated for 2000 amps @ 170v, 5500rpm max. No gearbox. Direct drive.
WHEELS: British Wolfrace slot mags refurbished by Wicked Wheels, 12x5" front, 14x7" rear
BRAKES: Bespoke front disc conversion with AP Racing calipers by BG Developments.
BATTERIES: 144 x 4.2v military grade lithium-ion Kokam 'pouch' cells (connected in 2 parallel and 72 series) split into into 3 battery packs. Originally used as engine starter and mini-gun batteries for a Bell SuperCobra attack helicopter. Discharge 378v/1600amps in a 10 second pulse. Battery packs and BMS (Battery Management System) by Hyperdrive Innovation.
PERFORMANCE: 530kW, 1100lb ft+, 700+bhp. 0-60 in 3 seconds. Quarter mile in 11 secs. Top speed 120mph (est), battery range approximately 30 miles (still testing).
WEIGHT: 882kg (minus driver)
FUEL: Electricity supplied by npower (240v, 32-amp)
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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