Electric Elegance

By Lisa Duncan

Montecito’s Eden by the beach was positively purring this past weekend, as a decidedly electric affair unfolded behind the discreet gates of the Spirit House, home to Xorin Balbes. The occasion? An exclusive afternoon launch fête for the sleek new arrival on the motoring scene – the Longbow Speedster.

Guests, an eclectic crowd comprised of the well-heeled and wonderfully curious, mingled through sun-dappled gardens with something chilled in hand, while light bites circulated with ease. Among those in attendance were Kasey Carll, Elle Frimat, Sabrina Afifi, Helen Lash, Stephane Colling, and Jim Crook of Montecito Motors.

But the true scene-stealer sat gleaming with quiet confidence: a gorgeous green convertible, the Longbow Speedster, a study in sculpted sophistication and spirited engineering. This featherweight charmer tips the scales at just 1,973 pounds – 40 percent lighter than a Lotus Emira V6. With a single rear-mounted e-motor delivering roughly 270 horsepower, it’s expected to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in a brisk 3.5 seconds, with plans to hit the road next year in a limited production run of 150 units planned for 2026 – proof that, in this case, less truly is more.

Behind this beauty are co-founders Daniel Davey and Mark Tapscott, Chapman devotees with a passion for light, fast, agile machines. Having worked at Tesla and Lucid, they’ve seen what works – and what doesn’t. Alongside Swedish tech investor and former X Shore CEO Jenny Keisu, they’ve created an electric sports car Colin Chapman himself might well have approved. As Company COO Tapscott put it, it’s “a modern sports car that doesn’t look like something from the future nobody wants to drive and doesn’t look like a pastiche of something from the past.”

As golden hour cast its glow, one thing was clear: in Montecito, even a motorcar debut feels like a most marvelous garden party – with just a hint of horsepower.