The tail-heavy, handcrafted body is voluptuous from every angle, flowing rearwards to a pair of circular tail lights with the flying-stork symbol at the centre. Remarkably similar to the Dubonnet Xenia, the carbonfibre Carmen is a unique proposition. The new Carmen Boulogne model basks in that racing heritage, with four rear-mounted motors powered by a 700V battery.
A T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack sits in the area behind the two passengers and runs forward, between the front seats. Extensive use of carbon fibre and aluminium suspension trims the weight down to just 1,700kg – lightweight for an all-electric car loaded with batteries.
Entry to the cabin is a performance in itself, with theatrical scissor doors that rise and pivot in one movement. Inside, the cockpit is retro-modern, with carbon- fibre seats swathed in leather, hand-trimmed by Spanish artisans. Each interior is finished in rare-wood veneers and copper-coloured aluminium. A perfumer has even been employed to offer customers the right scent for their vehicle. (The car I drove had a floral bouquet.) A triangular gear selector nods to the style used on the dash in historic models.
The Boulogne links to an app on the owner’s phone to set the cabin temperature, or a host of other features. That includes a very good alarm, although I doubt any thief would get far in a hypercar that could have been created especially for the Instagram generation.
Being all-electric, there’s no sound as the Carmen powers away. I have just three laps of the three-mile Catalunya circuit, with a Tesla acting as pace car. Unlike a noisy Lamborghini, the Boulogne feels easy to drive – a grand tourer for the new millennium, with an explosive burst of speed when required. It sits on ultra-low-pro- file Pirelli track tyres, which are road legal and wrapped around rather beautiful alloy wheels. Enormous carbon-ceramic brakes provide the stopping power.
The silence is deafening as the Hispano Suiza follows the racing line into the Repsol bend, through La Caixa and on around the seemingly never-ending Banc de Sabadell, without a squeak from the tyres. If it’s all too quiet, you can always flick on the six-speaker stereo, which offers 360-degree sound.
