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If you aren’t sure what to make out of the headline above, let me tell you, you are not alone. It’s a lot to process, especially on a Monday. Let’s try again: fire-spitting Renault Twizy monster “truck.” Citroen Ami micro EVs racing on a velodrome. One hundred laps. Get it now?
No, it’s not AI, and trust me, several of us on staff thought the clip below showing 10 Amis on a bicycle track was AI-generated. What you’re seeing here is an event called L.A. C.O.U.R.S.E., which, according to this YouTube video, stands for the L’Ami Challenge Original Ultra Racing Sport Event.
Because everything is in French, I couldn’t really understand much of what’s going on in the Twitch stream, but you don’t really have to to appreciate the race itself. However, this Reddit post claims that this one-off race was organized by famous French YouTuber Sylvain Lyve, who pitted 10 French streamers against each other in the little EVs.
You can watch the full, one-hour race here:
As a big fan of the Citroen Ami micro EV—I’ve never driven one, but I have its corporate sibling, the Fiat Topolino—I was immediately hollering when I saw that some brave souls decided to get together and race against each other. And even more so when I saw the racing venue and the fire-shooting safety car. Oh, I’m sorry, I meant “Unsafety Car,” which is literally what they call it. I don’t know who out there makes Twizy monster truck conversions that look like open-wheel formula cars, but whoever you are, thank you.
Per that Reddit thread, the goal of the 100-lap race is, well, to win, but primarily to finish the long race with at least 10% battery remaining. Like the Topolino, the Ami can squeeze an estimated 46-mile range from its 6 kW single-motor and 5.5-kWh battery combo. Top speed in the Topolino I drove was 30 mph downhill, so I don’t know what speeds they were hitting on the velodrome, though Lyve’s video claims the speed limiters were increased to 70 km/h, about 43 mph.
I thought the Wiene 500 was incredible, but this… this may be better than that. Thank you, French people.
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As deputy editor, Jerry draws on a decade of industry experience and a lifelong passion for motorsports to guide The Drive’s short- and long-term coverage.
