It seems that just about every few weeks a new hypercar emerges. Consequently, it seems high-end Porsches, Ferraris, McLarens and Bugattis just don’t cut it anymore. Recently, a number of small scale manufacturers from all corners of the globe are getting in on the act. Over the past few years, we’ve seen automakers emerge from countries that are not really known for high-performance automotive products. In this case, we’re looking at the Dendrobium D-1.

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Biomimetic design

The new British firm Dendrobium Automotive Limited Dendrobium created the D-1. The car’s design is inspired by nature, but its performance is still rooted in technology. Williams Advanced Engineering (of Formula 1 fame) collaborated on the development of the D-1. Interestingly, Dendrobium is a genus of orchids, which includes nearly 2,000 species.

Famed design

This British creation made its public debut at the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans. Dendrobium boss Nigel Gordon-Stewart was one of the men responsible for the creation of the famed McLaren F1 supercar. He has drafted other F1 notables including designer Peter Stevens and Steve Randall. They did much of the suspension, chassis and brake set-up on the F1. Incidentally, Stevens was also responsible for the Jaguar XJR-15 and Lotus Elan.

The team used carbon fibre, composite and exotic alloy materials extensively in an attempt to get the D-1 down to 1 750 kg. There will be a motor on each axle for a total system output of over 1 300 kW. Notably, the shape of the original D-1 has already been altered as Stevens explains: “My small changes to the D-1 to create the new XP-2 were inspired by improving airflow of the car, as well as visually enhancing the drama of this exceptional electric hypercar.”

Finally, click here for other instalments of the EV Hypercars series. Previously, we featured the One Nio EP9, Lotus Evija, Aspark Owl, Rimac Nevera, and the Automobili Pininfarina Battista.

Dendrobium D-1 – Vital stats

0-100 km/h: 2,7 sec
Max speed: 322 km/h
Peak power: 1 340 kW
Peak torque: 2 000 N.m