How A Team Of Supercar Veterans Plans To Outrun Tesla With A 1,973-lb EV

Tesla’s second-gen Roadster has been “coming soon” for so long that it is starting to feel like a myth. Spotting an opening, a young British company called Longbow wants to grab the spotlight and the Roadster name before Elon Musk finally gets around to it.

However, Longbow isn’t a newcomer. The founders have pulled in some serious industry muscle: Mike Flewitt, who ran McLaren for eight years; former Lotus Europe boss Dan Balmer; and Michael van der Sande, who has steered brands like Alpine and Lucid Europe. At the core is Daniel Davey, an engineer with Lucid and Tesla experience, now steering his own ship.

The company’s first creation, due in 2027, is the Speedster. Think two seats, rear-wheel drive, no windscreen, and an absurdly low target weight of 1,973 pounds, which is lighter than some kei cars. Zero to 60 is promised in 3.5 seconds, and the price is pegged around $110,000.

Not long after will come the Roadster. It keeps the same platform but gains a removable roof and about 220 extra pounds, still staying featherweight by EV standards. It should hit 60 in 3.6 seconds and cost around $84,000—a direct jab at Tesla’s original $250k Roadster price tag.

For Flewitt, the charm is that Longbow is chasing things the industry seems to have forgotten: small footprints, light weight, and a focus on the driver. As he puts it, these traits have been slipping away as performance cars get heavier and more tech-laden.

If Longbow hits its goals, the first all-new Roadster you see on the road might not have a Tesla badge at all. And given the specs, that might not be a bad thing.