This is Gordon Murray’s electric sportscar

It weighs less than a Lotus Elise. It's only got two seats. It sounds like a microwave. Internetters, meet the Teewave AR.1.

The AR.1 is a prototype, fully functioning rear-wheel-drive electric sports car designed by Gordon Murray, who was commissioned by carbon fibre specialists Toray Industries to build something using their toys that was also ‘attractive'. At its heart sits a carbon fibre monocoque - contributing to an overall kerb weight of just 850kg including the mid-mounted 240kg battery - together with carbon fibre crash structures and an aluminium alloy sub frame. Yay for aluminium alloy sub frames!

It sources its electric drivetrain from "a commercial electric vehicle currently on sale" (rumoured to be a Mitsubishi i-MiEV)), but with a "unique electrical architecture and control unit" developed by Murray. As such, it produces 63bhp and 133lb ft of torque from standstill. Thanks to that slim fast bodyweight, it has ‘performance targets' of 0-31mph in 4.4 seconds, 0-62mph in 11.4 seconds and a top speed of 91mph.

Battery charging time takes six hours and Murray reckons it emits 31.4g/km using a ‘Japanese energy mix'. But if you put your organic lentil soup to one side, you'll learn that Murray has put "a great deal of attention" to the low centre of gravity and suspension setup which he claims results in excellent ride and handling. We'd probably believe him. After all, he designed the McLaren F1 and that wasn't half bad, was it?

The whole thing took just nine months from concept to finished, slidey sportscar prototype. What say ye, dot.com types?