The finished car will have stability management, the ability to vary torque between its axles almost instantly and at least one limited-slip differential at the rear, and Riedl says a second one at the front is under consideration.
My passenger ride is conducted on the airfield’s concrete apron but is sufficient to prove that, even when short of its ultimate output, the EL1 feels seriously potent.
The lack of bodywork means the prototype weighs a fair bit less than the finished car’s 1790kg target weight and greatly increases the sense of speed – especially with small stones thrown into the cabin when the front wheels are turning.
The accelerative forces are serious, and I get no sensation of the powertrain de-rating under repeated hard use. It generates savage cornering forces, too – although it’s obviously struggling to put its power down when turning.
My driver, Marc Schefbauer, races karts as well as working for E-Legend, and he’s fighting hard to manage what is obviously a sudden transition between understeer and oversteer on the dusty surface.
The lack of locking differentials is also obvious in the frequent puffs of tyre smoke from the unloaded inside wheels.
There’s clearly much work to be done before the EL1 is completed, but the naked prototype proves that, even when below full potency, E-Legend’s powertrain is capable of delivering what feels like a Group B- appropriate level of performance, if not the sound and fury.
Holzinger says that the finished EL1 will be shown next year and the first customer deliveries will start soon after. Several cars have already been sold, but buyers with €890k (£763k) to spend – plus more for the taxman – can still put their name down for one of the run of 30. We should also find out which other Group B hero has inspired the follow-up EL2 next year.