See the Aspark Owl SP600, an electric hypercar that has reached 272 mph.

Japan's Aspark is working on a new, more powerful version of its Owl electric hypercar.

The new version, dubbed the Owl SP600, has reached a top speed of 438.7 km/h (about 272.6 mph) in prototype testing, as measured by the onboard Racelogic V-Box.

When a production version with the same top speed is released, the Owl SP600 will become the new record holder for the world's fastest production EV. The current record is 256 mph, set by Rimac Nevela in 2022.

The fastest gas-powered vehicle is the SSC Tuatara, which reached 282.9 mph in 2021. The one-off Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+ recorded 304.7 mph in 2019, but Bugatti's production version is limited to a lower top speed figure for safety reasons.

The Owl SP600 was driven on June 8 at Automotive Testing Papenburg in Germany, with racing driver Marc Basseng at the wheel. This is where Nevara set the record, featuring a 7.6-mile loop that includes two 2.5-mile straights.

Aspark has not revealed any details about the Owl SP600, except that it uses custom-made Bridgestone tires designed for extreme speeds. It probably has more power than the original Owl's 1,984 hp and perhaps some lightweight modifications.

Aspark lists the original Owl's 0-60 mph time as 1.69 seconds and rollout as 1 foot; it is not certain if the Owl SP600 will surpass these figures.

Like the original car, of which only 50 are planned, the Owl SP600 is being developed in partnership with Italy's Manifattura Automobili Torino (MAT), an independent contract manufacturer specializing in hypercars; MAT is Glickenhaus 003 and Apollo Intensa Emozione, which it also manufactures.

No release date has been announced for the Owl SP600.