21 February 2024
Hispano Suiza has unveiled the first images of its new hypercar, the Carmen Sagrera, in a 12-second teaser video. It will be the third model in the company’s range of all-electric hypercars and is due to be unveiled in mid-2024 to mark the brand’s 120th anniversary.
The new version is called the Carmen Sagrera, and teaser footage revealing a large rear wing made from carbon fibre suggests the car has been honed for the racetrack.
Hispano Suiza has also confirmed a more efficient battery with a capacity of 103 kWh replaces the 80-kWh unit fitted to the existing Carmen. The company estimates the current battery can cover up to 250 miles on a charge, and the new battery will likely have a higher estimate given its larger capacity.
The Carmen made its debut in 2019 with a peak output of 1,000 hp. A more hardcore version known as the Carmen Boulogne, paying tribute to the victories of the Hispano Suiza in the Georges Boillot Cup Race, was launched in 2020, boasting an extra 100 hp. There is no word on how much horsepower the Carmen Segrera will have.
The Carmen was developed in partnership with fellow Spanish company QEV Technologies, a supplier involved in the development of electrification for production cars and the world of racing.
The car features a carbon-fibre monocoque structure to help keep it stiff and light, and with its 1,000-hp output, it can sprint to 60 mph from rest in under three seconds. Top speed is capped at 155 mph (249km/h).
Production is extremely limited – just 14 examples of the Carmen were built, plus five more Boulognes, and Hispano Suiza hasn’t said yet how many Sagreras will be built.
The company’s new hypercar, designed by Francesc Arenas, will have a rear end dominated by a large exposed carbon-fibre spoiler.
This evolution, resulting from the technical team’s expertise – led by CTO Juan Fernández – gives the model an even sportier look, without compromising the hyperlux philosophy, a concept coined by Hispano Suiza when it launched the Carmen back in 2019.
This is in addition to the new 103-kW battery capacity, which will increase the overall driving range.
The new Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera expands the range of electrified hypercars and will be the ideal testimony to the 120-year history of the company founded by Damián Mateu and Mark Birkigt in Barcelona in 1904.
Sagrera is a nod to Hispano Suiza’s roots – La Sagrera district of Barcelona was, in fact, the area where the company established its first large production factory.
The growing success of its models forced Hispano Suiza to move to La Sagrera, renowned for its booming industrial activity.
In 1907, Hispano Suiza built there its first large factory, which allowed the company to increase its production. It was located on Ribas Road, where it came to occupy a surface area of 50,000 square metres, and underwent two extensions to meet the growing market needs, employing 1,800 people.
Founded in Barcelona in 1904 by Damià Mateu and Marc Birkigt, Hispano Suiza is a proudly Spanish car brand, owned by four generations of the Suqué Mateu family.
The original Hispano Suiza ceased building cars in 1946, but the company was revived late last decade by Miguel Suqué Mateu, the great-grandson of Damián Mateu, one of the co-founders of the original company. The Carmen is the first car from the modern company.