Longbow Motors Debuts Speedster EV with In-Wheel Motors

UK-based EV startup Longbow Motors unveiled its Speedster at CES 2026, featuring in-wheel motors from Donut Lab. The vehicle weighs just 2,200 pounds, making it lighter than a Mazda Miata.

Co-founded by Daniel Davey, Mark Tapscott, and Jenny Keisu, the Speedster offers a minimalist design and supercar-like acceleration. It sprints to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The interior is extremely spartan, lacking a traditional transmission.

Reservations are open now, with the Speedster starting at £84,995. The vehicle is set to enter production later this year and will be road-legal in the U.S.

Longbow Motors has introduced the Speedster, a high-performance electric vehicle displayed at CES 2026. The vehicle utilizes advanced in-wheel motors from Donut Lab, a spinoff of Verge Motorcycles. These motors allow for a bespoke design that results in a curb weight of just 2,200 pounds.

This weight is notably over 100 pounds less than the current king of lightweight roadsters, the Mazda Miata. The direct-drive motors are situated directly inside the wheel. This arrangement eliminates the need for a traditional drivetrain layout, freeing up space within the vehicle's chassis.

The motors also provide a distinctive aesthetic, filling up the wheels as they do. However, this configuration places the motor's heft on the outer edges of the vehicle. Co-founder Mark Tapscott noted that while the suspension must work harder, the handling benefits of having multiple motors outweigh the negatives.

The Speedster is a roofless vehicle, offering visual simplicity compared to the glass-topped Roadster variant. It lacks any protection from the elements, including a windscreen, catering to committed open-air enthusiasts. The interior is designed to be extremely spartan and minimal.

Gauge clusters and primary controls were covered during the showcase, with full details set to be revealed later. Despite the lack of a transmission, the interior features a shift knob. The function of this lever was not confirmed by the founders, though it is expected to simulate gearshift actions similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

To centralize mass, the vehicle uses a battery pack that runs along the center of the machine, stacked vertically rather than spread across the floor. This design enables the ultra-low seating position typical of sports cars.

While exact power output from the Donut Lab motors has not been confirmed, the Speedster is said to sprint to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. This performance places it in the supercar category. The vehicle will be fully road-legal in the United States.

The Speedster starts at £84,995, which is approximately $100,000 based on current conversion rates. The Roadster model is priced at £64,995 (about $75,000). However, given the current state of international tariffs, actual pricing may be higher when the vehicles go into production later this year.

Reservations are currently open on the company's website. A left-hand drive version will be available for purchase.