The new Leapmotor C10 proved to be no sort of sporty EV when we tested it recently, but things are about to change for the family-oriented SUV thanks to Irmscher
Irmscher is best known as a German tuning company that has historically specialised in modifying Vauxhalls (or Opels as they’re branded across Europe), but it’s wheeled out a monster new Leapmotor i C10 Irmscher, packing a host of visual and technical upgrades.
Starting off with the powertrain. Leapmotor (which, like Vauxhall, is owned by Stellantis) offers the C10 as a range-extender or more suitable in this case, as an EV. The regular electric model has a 215bhp electric motor on the rear axle, however the new Irmscher C10 puts out 598bhp from a dual-motor setup. That’s enough for a zero to 62mph time of four seconds flat – well below the regular car’s 7.5-second time.
There’s a larger battery too. 81.9kWh compared to the 69.9kWh unit we get in the rear-wheel drive car. That’s enough for a range of 272 miles – only slightly more than the single-motor’s 263-mile range.
The C10 is Leapmotor’s largest car here in the UK, sitting above the tiny T03 and the upcoming B10. While it only arrived this year, Auto Express already has some tremendous deals available now on the Buy A Car service – where you can save an average of over £4,000 on brand-new C10s.
Leapmotor hasn’t said what other technical upgrades have been given to the C10, but to counter that massive uplift in power we’d hope the brakes have been suitably uprated, and we do know the dual-motor does have a firmer suspension set up too.
Exterior changes are fairly mild, although the stealth black gives it a mean look. There’s red detailing on the front bumper, new alloy wheels, a red pinstripe down the side with ‘Irmscher’ script and a larger roof-mounted spoiler.
Just 250 Irmscher C10s will be built, and unfortunately only for the German market at this stage, with prices from 49,900 euros (roughly £44,000). There’s no word yet on if Leapmotor will bring the more powerful dual-motor C10 to the UK, though it has announced a performance ‘Ultra’ brand, initially in its home market.
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