A tiny car is making a big statement across the pond, as Wells Motor Cars confirms that it’s doubling the output of its tiny performance car, the Vertige.
According to Autocar, Wells Motor Cars is looking to ramp up the Vertige’s production to 12 cars in 2026, then 24 in 2027. It may sound like tiny news, and not just because of the Vertige’s size, but it’s actually a pretty big deal in today’s landscape. In the midst of a massive push for cheap EVs, people are still pining for a true driving experience. The people yearn for driver’s cars.
Wells Vertige: deliberately simple, tastefully small
The Vertige was first revealed at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed as Robin Well’s dream sports car – and limited production started in 2023. It’s a mid-engined performance car that weighs just 1,870 pounds, powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter Ford Duratec four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower. It has a six-speed manual transmission and unassisted rack-and-pinion steering. The compact vehicle is under 13 feet long and 5.7 feet wide, with 7 cubic feet of rear cargo space. In other words, it’s not convenient.
But as more and more carmakers abandon their sedans to focus on do-it-all SUVs with 14 rows of seats and unlimited room for your four-person family and electric vehicles that bore you to sleep but then take over for the next 250 miles with 74 nanny functions, it’s refreshing to see a totally useless sports car that just wants you to have fun.
For Wells, he wants the Vertige to hit that rare sweet spot between a comfortable modern car and an old-school driver’s car experience. There’s a heated windscreen for rainy days, there’s Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto… But don’t expect all the bells and whistles of most modern cars. Don’t expect 12 touchscreens, a voice telling you to sit up straighter, or an overabundance of safety features for mindless commutes.
“I’m deliberately making a simple vehicle,” Wells said, noting “how frustrating it is to drive modern cars.” He continued: “You can’t go anywhere without going through 100 menus and turning loads of stuff off, which then comes back on again if you’ve gone to get a coffee or something.
“Peace of mind and quietness is the new luxury, and that’s the philosophy that I’m following here.”
You don’t need to buy a Vertige, just understand why its existence matters
I’m not delusional here. I don’t think Vertige is going to change the entirety of the car landscape. I don’t think the majority of drivers even want a car like the Vertige. There’s a reason that Wells Motor Cars is only making 24 when it “ramps up” production in 2027.
However, it still says something that Wells Motor Cars is encouraged to make more Vertige. It means that car manufacturers have not given up their passion for cars, their love of driving. It means there’s still hope. Seeing Mazda excitedly talk about its rotary engine sports car and Wells Motor Cars dive deeper into the philosophy of a simple, lightweight performance car keeps car enthusiasts’ spirits soaring as the majority of carmakers compete to have the cheapest, ugliest, longest-range EV.
We can’t fault automakers for panicking over China’s EV prices, but it doesn’t mean we only want uninspired electric vehicles with LED light bars. I don’t think anyone is angry that EVs exist. I think car enthusiasts are scared that only EVs will exist. We don’t care if the highways are filled with depressed EV drivers just waiting for the commute to be over – as long as we have cars like the Vertige to keep us smiling on canyon drives (or even while heading to the gym).
The current price for a custom, built-to-order Vertige is about $116,000 to start. It’s unclear what the price of the upcoming models will be, but it doesn’t matter. We don’t need to buy one to be happy it exists.
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