Visually, nothing is left of the former Ford Transit, it can only be guessed at.
But first a brief overview. The new SuperVan uses the underbody of the Ford E-Transit Custom, which will be launched in the second half of 2023. Thanks to the extended wheelbase, there is space for a water-cooled 50 kWh battery that feeds four electric motors with a total of 2000 hp. They, in turn, shoot the two-tonner from 0 to 100 km/h in under two seconds and further to far north of the 300. Slicks, brakes and chassis from racing try to stand up to the performance.
Optics: The Transit can only be guessed at
Despite all the economy to keep the weight low, the SuperVan is equipped with a large display.
Opening the featherweight carbon doors reveals the FIA-compliant racing bucket seats and roll cage. The only part from the series is the huge 15-inch infotainment system, on which driving and vehicle data, battery status and more can be monitored in the SuperVan. The driving modes can also be set here and a burnout and launch control function can be activated.
Ride: The acceleration is breathtaking in the truest sense
On this cue, I squeeze myself into a racing overall and slip on my helmet. A role as a co-driver is announced, but that’s a good thing. Firstly, I don’t want to drive the one-off too lumpy a day before it’s supposed to be able to prove it in front of an audience at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Second, my pilot’s name is Romain Dumas, a two-time LeMans winner, record holder at Goodwood, etc. So buckle up and pray. “Are you ready?” Romain asks. “Yes,” I swindle briefly and am anything but prepared for what the SuperVan is about to do.
There can actually be no talk of acceleration. Accompanied by deafening screeches and buzzes, the device catapults itself forward. This is what it must feel like to be hit in the back by a 42-ton truck. My stomach, which was just wrapped around my spine, slams against the abdominal wall the next moment when I brake.
Curves are no less impressive. Absolutely insane how the device sticks to the asphalt of the airfield where the colleagues from Top Gear usually test. But there is another way. After a few nice apex turns, Romain starts drifting wildly across the airfield. What a spectacle! A few more burnouts and the demonstration will be over.
When asked how the SuperVan feels behind the wheel, Romain says: “It’s good, the car is pretty fast. It’s really fun and gives good feedback.” Proof that Ford has done more than just a marketing gimmick and put a really capable racing machine on its wheels. I look around again, checking my internal organs for correct alignment and wondering how such a Transit Nugget camper would do as a SuperVan.
