HomeMediaWatt’s this? Looks like a 356, but it’s electric powered

Watt’s this? Looks like a 356, but it’s electric powered

Watt Electric Vehicle Company shows its Porsche-inspired Coupe

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You are correct if you think the Coupe from British premium electric vehicle manufacturer Watt looks a lot like a vintage Porsche 356. 

“The Coupe’s all-new composite body is inspired by the legendary 1955 Porsche 356a,” the company said in its news release. 

“However,” it added, “all exterior surfaces are subtly different to optimize aerodynamic efficiency and house the state-of-the-art bonded aluminum chassis and bespoke suspension. 

“Inside, the entirely new cabin majors on beautifully executed simplicity, using premium-grade lightweight materials while also providing the range of creature comforts expected in a modern vehicle such as air-conditioning and mobile connectivity.”

Neil Yates and the PACES platform

The Coupe represents two firsts for Watt Electric Vehicle Company,” company founder and owner Neil Yates is quoted in the announcement. “It is our very first model – and the first to utilize our PACES modular EV (bonded-aluminum) architecture, which will underpin many next-generation specialist passenger and commercial EVs. 

“With our debut vehicle we wanted to build a light, engaging sports car, at the opposite end of the spectrum from the current trend toward hugely powerful, fast accelerating, but heavy electric supercars.

“We have been able to keep the Coupe’s weight to a minimum – under 1,000 kilograms – yet we have also structurally integrated a 40kWh battery into the chassis and exceeded all EUSSTA (European Small Series Type Approval) safety crash testing standards. We have also achieved near 50:50 weight distribution too.  

Design sketch for Coupe interior

The WEVC Coupes focus is on engaging the driver, providing enjoyment in real-world situations from city streets to B-roads. With double wishbone suspension, 16-inch wheels and 60-profile tires, it has a comfortable ride, excellent steering response and a handling balance that is entertaining and exploitable, rather than chasing outright lateral grip.”

He added that the car should offer 230 miles of range in real-world driving.  The 120kW powerplants will be rated at 160 horsepower. Zero to 62 mph sprint time is in the 5-second range.

The company said it has completed 10 months of prototype testing and is accepting orders for its Launch Edition cars. It plans to reveal the car in full production trim in late summer 2021. Base price is £81,250 ($122,800) and deliveries are planned for early 2022.

For more information, visit the Watt Electric Vehicles website.

Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Dear Mr. Edsall,

    Let me say first that I always truly enjoy your fine articles.

    But this one, not really so much. Believe me, its not your writing but the content of information within.
    Patterned after an 1955 356a, eh? I’m sure that there are attorneys in Stuttgart, Germany studying this article with great interest at this very moment.
    I believe that Porsche has patents on the distinct shapes of all of their automobiles. The next few months (or years?) should be entertaining in this regard.

    The interior sketch of this ‘Porsche 356′ shows 3 pedals on the floor, count ’em. No shifter though. If this ‘Porsche’ is electric, then there might not be a transmission at all, and surely not a manual requiring a clutch pedal. Just a slush box if a tranny is even required.
    My main beef is electric cars in general.
    LONG LIVE THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND IT’S ABILITY TO ATTACH TO MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.
    Yes, I know my age is showing (70+) but I do like a third pedal in all of my vehicles.

    Thank you,
    Seamus8491
    PS I would appreciate any comments that anyone might have.

  2. I don’t have an issue with electric cars as long as they provide classic styling (as is the case with the Watt Porsche) AND are reasonably priced, which is NOT the case with the Watt car. Being a classic car guy and restorer I think if I were to go all electric I would convert 1959-1965 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia using the extended range Tesla batteries. I have looked into this conversion and estimate I could complete it for about $50K including the base car itself and the batteries and drive motor. Sure that is more money than a Chevy Bolt but the classic styling of the VW makes the extra $$ well worth it. The Watt Porsche is a good looking car with classic styling but NOT $122,800 good looking…sorry. It would need to be far less than that for me to buy it.

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