• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

A Japanese Electric Car Just Destroyed Tesla’s 0-60 Acceleration Record

By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 19, 2018, 2:18 PM ET

Japan-based boutique carmaker Aspark has accomplished what until recently seemed impossible: creating a street-legal electric car that goes from 0 to 60 miles an hour in barely over 1.9 seconds.

The car, called the Aspark Owl, destroys the acceleration of most of the world’s most expensive gas-powered street racers. The $3 million Bugatti Chiron has clocked 0-60 in a leisurely 2.3 seconds, while the Lamborghini Aventador does it in a positively glacial 2.7 seconds. By comparison, no less an authority than Top Gear describes the OWL’s performance as “ridiculous.”

The feat was captured in a video, recently highlighted by Jalopnik.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Of course, it might not be entirely fair to compare the Owl’s acceleration to high-end gas cars. Electric motors have inherently higher torque and better acceleration than gas engines at lower speeds, while gas cars can often hit 70 or 80 mph faster. A fairer comparison, then, might be to Tesla’s all-electric Model S, which last year became the fastest-accelerating production car in the world. Its billed 0-60 acceleration time is 2.5 seconds, though independent tests have seen times just under 2.3 seconds.

The Owl, then, could soon become the zippiest car you’ll ever pull up next to at a stoplight—but there are two caveats. First, according to Jalopnik, the recent run was made with a set of racing tires, many of which aren’t safe or legal for everyday driving. But Aspark is working towards hitting a sub-2-second 0-60 using street-legal tires.

The second condition is a bit bigger: the Owl will reportedly be priced at $4.4 million, and start with a limited production run of 50 vehicles. You could buy nearly 65 base Model S’s for that price, or about 22 of the upcoming $200,000 Tesla Roadster. That car isn’t coming until 2020, but Tesla is already promising that it can match the Owl, with a 0-60 time of 1.9 seconds.

About the Author
By David Z. Morris
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Middle EastIran
Trump gives Iran 48 hours on Hormuz, threatens power plants
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy and BloombergMarch 21, 2026
5 hours ago
Middle EastIran
Israel says ‘war is not close to ending’ as its nuclear research center is targeted for first time, hours after Iranian enrichment site was hit
By Samy Magdy, Melanie Lidman, Jill Lawless and The Associated PressMarch 21, 2026
6 hours ago
AIOpenAI
OpenAI plans to almost double its headcount this year, FT says
By Liza Tetley and BloombergMarch 21, 2026
7 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentMusic
BTS begins comeback tour to reclaim status as one of the world’s biggest pop acts after completing Korea’s mandatory military service
By Juwon Park, Kim Tong-Hyung, Hyung-Jin Kim and The Associated PressMarch 21, 2026
7 hours ago
Middle EastIran
U.S. allows sale of stranded Iran oil to cap fuel-price rises
By Se Young Lee, Millie Munshi, Yongchang Chin and BloombergMarch 21, 2026
7 hours ago
Politicsarms, weapons, and defense
The U.S. has the world’s most advanced military, but the unforgiving economics of wars in Iran and Ukraine show quantity has a quality all its own 
By Jason MaMarch 21, 2026
8 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.