What is a Hypercar?

The Hispano Suiza Carmen and Carmen Boulogne have marked a before and after in the automotive industry, in the same way that their predecessors did more than a century ago.

Pioneers in technology, elegance, exclusivity, and performance, the Hispano Suiza Carmen and Carmen Boulogne have earned the title of hypercars, a concept that raises the capabilities of these vehicles to a new level.

Technology

The Hispano Suiza have been developed, quite literally, on the racetrack. Renowned motorsport engineers, technicians and mechanics, with experience in Formula E make up the Hispano Suiza Technical Team. In addition to that, the brand’s development driver is former Formula 1 and touring car ace Luis Pérez-Sala, who completed countless km behind the wheel of the Carmen on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the roads surrounding it. 

For all these reasons, it is no secret that Hispano Suiza created a vehicle ahead of its time, using cutting-edge technology rarely seen before in a model designed for road use.

The result is a vehicle delivering 1,114 CV of power – the Carmen Boulogne – and 1,019 CV – the Carmen – with a fully electric engine, with a driving range of 400 km on a full charge in zero emission mode. All this thanks to the 80 kWh battery it is fitted with.

Performance

 What would a hypercar be without dream performances? Both the Carmen and Carmen Boulogne can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds. With prodigious power (820kW) and a curb weight of just 1,690kg (60kg less in the case of the Boulogne version), the Carmen delivers outstanding performance.Although it is designed for the road, it feels perfectly at ease on the racetrack, just like a racecar.

Design

Design is one of the hallmarks and differentiating factors for Hispano Suiza. The brand has taken care of the details both inside and outside and ensured to make everyone entering one of its vehicles feel that they are inside one of the most exclusive cars ever created.

For the exterior of the Carmen, Hispano Suiza took the iconic 1930s H6C Dubonnet Xenia as an inspiration. An evolution of the Xenia, the Dubonnet was more powerful and had a more aerodynamic body. The Carmen is a modern representation of that car, adapted to the new times, with an electric motor and featuring the most advanced technology.

As for the interior, the Hispano Suiza features the best materials, inspired by the interiors of the most luxurious Hispano Suiza models of the past. The two-seater cabin exudes refinement and opulence, perfectly complementing its performance. On the dashboard, for example, high-quality machined aluminum and wood trim are used. The classic clock located in the middle of the dashboard is a nod to the clocks of the first cars of the brand. Likewise, the triangular gear selector is a nod to the steel triangle that could be found on previous models of the brand.

Exclusivity

No two Hispano Suiza are the same, and that is also an important feature of the hypercar concept, since each owner can have a bespoke model in their garage, made specifically for them, thanks to the “Unique Tailormade” programme. Thanks to it, Hispano Suiza clients can choose from more than 1,904 combinations for the interior and exterior of their new Carmen, thus configuring a unique model. 

Production of the Hispano Suiza Carmen and Carmen Boulogne is limited to 24 units in total.

Legend

Hispano Suiza represents pure history of the Spanish, European and global automotive industry. Founded in Barcelona in 1904, the company manufactured more than 12,000 cars and 50,000 aircraft engines in its first era, between 1904 and 1946. Its pioneering character, design, performance, quality and luxury attracted aristocrats, intellectuals and artist, such as King Alfonso XIII of Spain, Coco Chanel, Albert Einstein or Pablo Picasso.