Hispano Suiza has launched a second model, the Carmen Boulogne, a sportier evolution of the iconic Carmen. The Carmen Boulogne is a fully electric and exclusive hypercar designed, developed and manufactured in Barcelona, of which only five will be made.
The Boulogne name dates back to 1921 when Hispano Suiza made a racing version of its high-performance H6 Coupé and entered it in the George Boillot Cup, an endurance race lasting more than 3.5 hours around the French city of Boulogne. There, Hispano Suiza achieved three consecutive victories with André Dubonnet (1921), Paul Bablot (1922) and Léonce Garnier (1923) driving the mighty Hispano Suiza H6.
The Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne pays tribute to these historic motorsport victories with this powered version that delivers 1114 CV (820 kW) – 95 CV more than the Hispano Suiza Carmen – a maximum speed limited to 290 km/h and an acceleration of 0-100 km/h in just 2.6s. The Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne weighs 1,630 kg, 60 kg less than the Carmen. This reduction has been achieved thanks to the optimisation of structural elements such as the suspension, the carbon fibre subframe, new CNC parts and a carbon fibre roof, among other things.
The Carmen Boulogne is powered by four permanent-magnet synchronous engines, two on each rear wheel. The torque of each engine is controlled through sophisticated vectoring systems developed in-house with the expertise gained in Formula E. From 0 to 6,500 rpm, the engines are capable of reaching a maximum of 1,600 Nm of torque, allowing for astonishing acceleration and seemingly endless power and traction. The lithium-ion polymer battery has a capacity of 80 kWh that allows it to develop a driving range of up to 400 km. The batteries are designed and produced in-house, including a complete temperature control system to ensure that the cells can operate optimally.
The entire body of the Carmen Boulogne is made of carbon fibre, visible under a clear varnish that emphasizes its sportiness and preserves the timeless elegance of this model. It sports the same semi-circular headlights and aggressive “scowl” as the Carmen, with the difference of an imposing copper-coloured grille.
The design, engineering and production is the result of the expertise of Hispano Suiza and QEV Technologies, a company specializing in the development of electric motors and motorsports.
The price of the Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne starts from 1.65 million euros (plus local taxes), and its manufacturing process, handmade with the utmost precision, requires approximately twelve months.
The five units of the Carmen Boulogne hypercar join the 14 units of the Carmen to reach a total of 19 units in production, with the first unit ready to be delivered in 2022.
