Former leaders of McLaren and Alpine team up with former Tesla employees to develop an EV roadster ahead of Tesla. | Carscoops

      A British startup intends to introduce ultra-lightweight electric sports cars by 2027, recruiting experienced industry professionals to compete with Tesla.

      UK-based electric sports car manufacturer Longbow has brought on board several prominent figures from the industry.

      Mike Flewitt, Michael van der Sande, and Dan Balmer all have backgrounds at McLaren, Alpine, and Lotus.

      The company plans to develop its Speedster and Roadster EVs, which will compete with Tesla, starting at a price of $84,000 from 2027.

      Elon Musk’s lengthy agenda includes numerous priorities considered more pressing than the eagerly anticipated Roadster, which still lacks a definitive release date. However, a British startup aims to take advantage of this postponement by launching its own Roadster EV, having already recruited some high-profile automotive executives to facilitate this endeavor.

      Related: Former Tesla Executives Unveil New Electric Roadster Designed to Provocatively Challenge Elon Musk

      Former McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt, ex-Lotus Europe CEO Dan Balmer, and Michael van der Sande, who has previously worked at Lucid Europe, JLR's special projects division, and led Alpine, have joined the advisory board of Longbow. The company was co-founded by engineer Daniel Davey, who brings experience from both Lucid and Tesla.

      Two vehicles, one foundation

      Longbow is developing two similar models based on its proprietary aluminum EV platform, with production of the first model set to begin in the UK in 2027. Named the Speedster, it is a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive EV without a windshield, targeting a remarkable curb weight of 1,973 lbs (895 kg), and promising a 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time of just 3.5 seconds.

      Following the $110,000 Speedster, the related Roadster is on deck, and the name is intentionally a jab at Tesla, whose own Roadster was initially suggested to bear a price tag of $250,000.

      Set to retail at $84,000 if all goes as planned, the removable-roof fastback is expected to accelerate to 60 mph a tenth of a second slower than the Speedster due to a 220 lbs (100 kg) weight penalty. Nonetheless, it still weighs less than a 15-year-old Lotus Elise and half as much as most contemporary EVs.

      Longbow’s co-founder Daniel Davey explained his reasoning for enlisting Flewitt, van der Sande, and Balmer by stating, “You have plans and you have ideas, but what you need to be able to do is sense check each of those with people who’ve done it before.”

      Flewitt, who previously turned down requests for McLaren to create an SUV and resigned unexpectedly in 2021, expressed to the magazine that he perceives qualities in Longbow's vehicles that are increasingly rare among other automakers.

      Veteran perspective

      “You look at [the Longbow] product, it’s a compact sports car; it’s built around driver engagement; it’s a good size; it emphasizes lightweight,” Flewitt remarked.

      “These are all characteristics that, frankly, I feel are beginning to disappear in the industry. To see someone entering the market with cutting-edge technology that prioritizes those attributes is quite innovative, and it truly caught my attention.”