Japanese engineering firm Aspark has claimed the title of the fastest electric car in the world with the latest version of its Owl electric hypercar, reaching an impressive 272 mph.
The Aspark Owl SP600 is described as an “evolution” of the original four-motor Owl, first unveiled in 2017. While Aspark hasn’t provided specific details about the changes or the meaning of “600” in the name, some differences are apparent.
Firstly, the SP600 features a significantly longer tail, enhancing straight-line stability by keeping the air attached to the car for longer. The rear adaptive wing has been removed, replaced by a small shark fin in the center of the rear section.
Additional aerodynamic improvements include vertical winglets on the nose, new louvers above the owl-eye headlights, more bodywork around the sides, and discs over the wheels to reduce turbulent air. Bridgestone also developed special tires for the vehicle, based on the road-legal Potenza Race tire.
Built by Manifattura Automobili Torino (MAT) in Italy—the same company that constructed the original Owl and the Apollo Intensa Emozione—the Owl SP600 has been undergoing testing over the past few months, consistently achieving speeds of 420 km/h (261 mph).
For the top speed attempt on June 8, the Aspark team went to the Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) facility in Germany, utilizing its 7.6-mile oval course. Nurburgring 24h winner Marc Basseng was the driver chosen for the high-speed runs on the 2.5-mile straight—a relatively short distance compared to the 5.5-mile run at nearby Ehra-Lessien.
The team initially recorded reliable speeds of around 420 km/h (261 mph), then reached 430 km/h (267 mph), and finally achieved the record top speed for an EV of 438.73 km/h (272.61 mph).
In November 2022, Rimac set the world record for the fastest electric production car with the Nevera, officially measured at a top speed of 412 km/h. The model that set the record in Papenburg is currently described as a “production intent prototype.” Therefore, Rimac remains the fastest electric production car in the world for now.
