At the Goodwood Festival of Speed next week, Nagoya, Japan-based AIM Company Ltd. will give its EV Sport 01 concept vehicle a second outing. Designed by SN Design Platform, an independent design company led by renowned automotive designer Shiro Nakamura of Nissan fame, the car was first revealed in April at the enthusiast-oriented Automobile Council 2023 event in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture.

The Japanese engineering company will debut the electric concept at Goodwood with timed runs as part of the First Glance category. The car was created to be fast and fun to drive with compact dimensions of under 4 m long and a curb weight under 1.5 t.

Founded in 1998, AIM focuses on automotive research and development including powertrains for internal combustion and electric applications. It is well known for participating with its 5.5-L V10 engine in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010 as Team Oreca Matmut AIM, coming in fourth overall and the highest-placed gasoline engine entry that year. The EV Sport 01 is not only the company’s first vehicle but also the first application of its APM200 high-performance electric motor.

“The vision for the AIM EV Sport 01 was fast, and enjoyable to drive, while the mainstream trend for EVs is AWD, the character of this car called for a RWD configuration,” said Yukinori Suzuki, AIM President and Chief Executive Officer, commenting on the debut at Goodwood. “Having created our own series of advanced electric motors, the AIM EV Sport 01 is also the perfect way to showcase our expertise in advanced powertrain development.”

Suzuki will personally drive the car up the famous hill at Goodwood.

“We reinterpreted the classic sports cars of the 1960s with a car that is nimble, while the character of this car called for a RWD configuration, which then helped to inform how we created the overall look and stance of the car,” said Nakamura. “Japan and the U.K. share a love for small sports cars, so it is particularly fitting we can demonstrate our car at Goodwood.”

Although the car was developed as a concept to showcase the capabilities of the AIM Company, early reaction to the car following its reveal in April has encouraged the company to develop a feasibility study for a limited production run. The car is now undergoing testing and evaluation while the company continues to invest in its EV powertrain systems for both OEM customers and potentially for its own vehicles beyond the EV Sport 01.

The EV Sport 01 two-seat coupe with dual-motor real wheel drive is 3.9 m (12.8 ft) long, 1.9 m (6.2 ft) wide, 1.2 m (3.9 ft) tall, on a 2.4-m (7.9-ft) wheelbase. Curb mass is a low 1425 kg (3140 lb) thanks to body panels made from a carbon fiber laminate structure, an interior “bathtub” of all carbon fiber, and a multi-tubular aluminum frame. Suspension is by double wishbones front and rear, with 20-in wheels fitted with 235/35 ZR20 front and 275/30 ZR20 rear tires.

The car’s APM200 motors were developed with Equipmake. Designed to meet the requirements of a high-performance traction motor, its unique spoke architecture enables the rotor to be liquid-cooled to increase the motor’s continuous power output capability. With a maximum speed of 10,000 rpm, the motor incorporates an integral 5.5 :1 epicyclic gearbox, which means the gearbox’s output shaft can be connected directly to the wheel hub.

Controlled by a torque vectoring system, two of the motors on the rear axle of the car produce a combined peak of 360 kW and 740 N·m (546 lb·ft). The powertrain’s inverter is rated at 720-V input and 380-kW output. The car’s laminate rechargeable lithium batteries with a capacity of 81 kW·h are configured in four packs.