Back in 2009, I was chatting to some Formula 5000 racers who were panicking that the Chrysler 5.0-litre V8s they ran in their single-seaters might cease to be available as the manufacturer had gone into liquidation.
Morgan uses Ford threes and BMW’s fours and straight sixes, while Caterham goes for Suzuki and Ford, and Ariel has a long history with Honda fours. All of which has encouraged a new spirit of experimentation among the ‘men in sheds’ who make niche sports cars. Morgan, for instance, has realised that the R&D work necessary to build the XP1 has given it a new mastery of software that will help both the future EV and also the next versions of the Plus 4 and 6.
Weight is still an issue, although Hole claims the 33kWh battery means the XP1 is only around 70kg heavier than the combustion version.