Design is the predominant connection between people and automobiles. Moreover, technology acts as a catalyst to help better synthesize an emotional connection to cars. Pair an elegant design with avant-garde technology, and you've got an awe-inspiring product. Blending these two worlds is precisely what Austria-based startup DEUS Automobiles is attempting to do with electric hypercars.
Founded by automotive designer Adrian-Filip Butuca in 2020, DEUS Automobiles is on track to become Austria's first hypercar manufacturer. However, creating a car, let alone a hypercar, is a resource-intensive task. That's why the team at DEUS has a plan and several partners to help bring his vision to life.
A Passion For Automotive Design
Born in Romania and growing up in Vienna, Austria, in the 2000s and 2010s, Adrian-Filip Butuca held an affinity for automotive design. Surrounded by the inception of many iconic 2010s vehicles, such as the Bugatti Veyron and the Koenigsegg Agera, Butuca had many sources of inspiration for designing a hypercar. In his teenage years, Butuca began developing 3D models of concept vehicles.
One reason why his enthusiasm in the automotive design space grew was due to his family's company having roots in the manufacturing field. "DEUS Automobiles started from a family business that has more than thirty years of experience in other fields than automotive, for example, packaging, media production, and pharmaceutical fields, so we were not until now involved in automotive," Butuca told HotCars. But transitioning from entirely different sectors to the auto space would be a complicated feat.
Partnering Up For Success
To bring Butuca's idea to fruition, he first needed business partners to conceptualize the design into a physical product and supply the technical underpinnings necessary to power a hypercar. The first step was to make contact with an established manufacturing company. Butuca reached out to the renowned Italdesign to inquire about its manufacturing expertise. Owned by the Volkswagen Group, Italdesign has worked on many vehicles ranging from everyday cars like the Hyundai Sonata to much more revered cars like the Lotus Esprit.
After Butuca showed his designs to Italdesign, the Italian company agreed to the venture. "Our role in this partnership is to give the technical support," said Marco Volpengo, the head of automotive business development at Italdesign Europe. "We are planning to produce the Vayanne in our plants in Torino, and we are using the most advanced technology to make this dream come true."
Soon after, Italdesign contacted United Kingdom-based Williams Advanced Engineering to assist with the EV components. Williams Advanced Engineering is an engineering consultancy firm that supplies electrical components ranging from batteries to motors. It has worked with a number of automakers, including Nismo, Aston Martin, and Lotus.
"We got involved in the program really because of our existing partnership with Italdesign where we are really complementary in delivering the technical knowledge and knowhow to take the wonderful ideas that Adrian-Filip has come up with into the show car released at New York, but also taking that forward into the production reality we hope to see in the coming years," says Dyrr Adash, head of strategic partnerships at Williams Advanced Engineering.
The Benefits Of Partnering
Scoring these two well-known organizations in the automotive industry is a pretty big deal, especially for an OEM like DEUS, still in its youth. "But with two established partners, Italdesign and Williams Advanced Engineering, we found the perfect partners to complement this lack of experience," Butuca told HotCars.
"Italdesign, with its heritage and production capabilities, was able to refine that vision and that idea into something feasible, and into something ready for the road," Butuca added. "Williams Advanced Engineering provides the groundbreaking electrification technology needed to support the claimed figures."
With Williams Advanced Engineering working with DEUS, the two companies could estimate the Vayanne's experimental performance specifications. The Vayanne's specifications are ridiculous, albeit they are still in the computer simulation stages. DEUS is anticipating a staggering output of 1640kW or 2,200 horsepower. DEUS quotes a 248 mph top speed and an expeditious 1.99-second sprint to 62 mph.
Ridiculous Power
With 2,200 horsepower, the Vayanne should outdo practically everything in the industry, including the Bugatti Chiron and the Koenigsegg Gemera. However, DEUS still has a long path to follow before it can put these figures to the test. The trio of companies agrees that 2025 is the likely year in which the Vayanne's production will commence. Unlike some other hypercar manufacturers still in the 3D rendering stages, DEUS has a 1:1 scale show car with an interior.
While there is no footage of it moving any faster than a slow roll, it provides the audience with what the Vayanne will look like, inside and out. The design of the prototype is unique and fascinating. Some design elements resemble other sports cars, but most bodywork facets look completely bespoke, especially towards the rear.
Daily Drivability
Regarding the overall design language, Butuca did not want the Vayanne to resemble a typical electric car. "The Vayanne cannot be categorized into a trend. We've had so many people come up to us and ask, 'is this electric?' because the car doesn't look electric, and that was our intent— to be timeless," Butuca said. "The final product came up step by step, but the main philosophy behind it was to make something daily drivable and enjoyable while also maintaining a timeless design."
Making a hypercar driveable on a regular basis is undoubtedly an arduous feat. While the exterior appears to have a clean, fashionable look, the interior is a deviation. Unlike a traditional 'timeless' interior design with analog gauges and a lack of modern commodities, the Vayanne's interior seems quite contemporary. But contemporary is what helps sell a driver's vehicle.
With a killer design and technical underpinnings supplied by one of the best brands in the industry, DEUS Automobiles, and its partners are ready to bring the idea to reality. 2,200 horsepower is not a small number by any means, but Williams Advanced Engineering has a proven track record. Pairing these daring specs with a bold 2025 release date, the industry will be watching to see if the production version will live up to the concept.