Callum aims for Skye with off-road EV

An exclusive electric A off-roader called Callum Skye, branded "the world's most beautiful high-performance multi-terrain vehicle" by its creators, is being launched by the Warwick-based design group formed and fronted by former Jaguar design boss lan Callum.

- STEVE CROPLEY

The Skye, the first prototype of which is expected to be running in the spring, is a compact, twin-motor, all-wheel-drive, two-door creation. It is the Callum company's first own-brand vehicle, designed and engineered entirely in-house. It has a target weight of just 1150kg, 50:50 weight distribution and a road footprint similar to that of a Renault Clio, with an overall length of just over 4.0 metres and a width of 1.9 metres.

The Skye's bold shape, which the company says is driven by its capabilities, is based on a strong "accent loop" surrounding the door apertures, with a horizontal body structure running through the whole car and providing mountings for the two large doors, which are glazed below the waistline as well as above it. There's space inside for a pair of occasional rear passengers.

lan Callum led the design work but credits Aleck Jones, a digital modeller, and the company's expanding, five-strong supporting design team for much of Skye's sophisticated look. The Callum company's total staff now runs to more than 20 people, although lan Callum says the firm's intention is always to remain "small and agile".

As the first all-new Callum model, the Skye succeeds successful programmes unveiled since the company's 2019 formation, including a highly individualistic reinterpretation of the 2001 Aston Martin Vanquish (an lan Callum original), a string of impressive forays into product design and some still-secret collaborative projects. As well as lan Callum, the company's well-proven principals include managing director David Fairbairn and head of engineering Adam Donfrancesco.