Just prior to the kickoff of the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, Faraday Future hosted its own party to bring in the new year with its first production model, the FF 91 (pronounced “nine one” not “ninety-one.”) It’s essentially an electrical beast on wheels that promises decent range, an ultra-luxurious cabin, and a nice helping of intelligent technology. FF hasn’t spilled all of the beans yet, but we do know that the 91 is rated at 1,050 horsepower, offers an EPA estimated range of 278 miles, has autonomous capabilities, and has a charging speed of “more than 500 miles per hour.” According to Faraday Future’s press release, this electric supercar can hit the 60 mph sprint in a heart-stopping 2.39 seconds.

All of this sounds really good on paper, but one couldn’t blame you for being skeptical after all of the drama surrounding Faraday Future in the past. But, if you’re willing to take a chance, the reservation books for the FF 91 are officially open at FF.com and requires a fully refundable $5,000 deposit for your marked interest. Furthermore, the first 300 potential customers will have the option to upgrade their reservation to be on the official list for a launch-edition model that’s being dubbed the Alliance Edition. The option to do so will become available as early as March of 2017, so if you’re one of the first few to make a reservation, it’s something you might want to think about.

The FF 91 is set to go into production sometime in 2018, which means deliveries should commence in either late 2018 or sometime in the first half of 2019 at best. Then again, with a rocky past, you might want to expect delivery closer to 2020, just so you don’t find yourself let down. But, before that happens, let’s dive on in and take a good look at Faraday Future’s first production car.

Continue reading to learn more about the Faraday Future FF 91.

2018 Faraday Future FF 91

Specifications
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  • Model: 2018 Faraday Future FF 91
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Pros
Cons

Exterior

The exterior of the FF 91 is, in all reality, pretty wild. It’s got that large, glass greenhouse that we’ve come to accept as something that will be the norm on future cars, to go with a low-slung roof and long wheelbase. There are but a few body lines, all of which, however, happen to be in just the right place. The rear lights are geometrically pleasing, while the front lights are integrated into the nose and follow the contour perfectly. Much like electric concepts we’ve seen in the past, the 91 has that perforated front nose that features a number of LED lights. But, unlike some of the models we’ve seen in recent months, this thing also has the perfect mix of aggression up front. The lower portion of the fascia features a small lip and a simulated air dam while the corners of the fascia have some aggressive but simulated air inlets. The headlights are more or less a large LED strip that runs the width of the nose and curve around on the ends – I guess one could say that it’s like a mustache of sorts.

The front windshield is wide and long with windshield wipers that swing outward toward the edges of the windshield – a feature similar to that of some early 1990s GM vehicles. The roof is all glass and features an automatic dimming function to keep those UV rays in check, while the front hood area, A-pillar, and B-Pillars all feature a glossy black finish that matches the lower portion of the front fascia. With the primary finish being silver, the black offers the perfect amount of color accent. Looking at the 91 from the side exposes just how long this thing really is. The front doors seem excessively long while the rear doors are just a bit shorter. The side profile has what I like to call a staggered body line. By that, I meant there’s a body line in the front and rear that fades in the middle. Down below the body line picks up on the doors. FF calls this a “UFO” line.

Further down below, the doors take on a more sculpted look while the side skirts, if that’s what you would call them, feature the same perforations with LED backlighting that we saw on the front fascia. Father back, the rear quarters take on a unique, floating appearance, while the dot matrix taillights wrap around the side and come to a rather sharp point above the rear wheel wells. The glass in the rear door is actually small compared to that of the front, but this leads way to a larger rear quarter glass for third-row occupants – it’s a small compromise, but rear-most passengers will certainly appreciate the view. It should also be noted that the FF 91 makes use of side view cameras as opposed to mirrors.

Around back, this thing mirrors the front a bit as the fascia has that large vent hole in each corner. A gloss black insert makes up most of the lower fascia and house two thin but long reflectors. The most attractive thing about the rear end has to be the taillight setup. See, the taillights run the entire width of the rear and are LED in nature. They feature the same styling as the LED lights on the side skirts and front fascia and are excessively attractive for some reason. The rear windscreen is almost as large as the front, but due to the sloped roof, it’s not quite as long. All told, it’s a very attractive vehicle, and with Faraday Future’s only real competitor being Tesla at this point, it’s exactly what the doctor ordered if the brand is really going to take the market by storm.

Exterior Dimensions

Length: 206.7 inches
Width: 89.9 inches
Height: 62.9 inches
Wheelbase: 126 inches

Interior

When it comes to luxury, it looks like the FF 91 is raising the bar a bit. To start off, the rear seats feature “industry-leading reclining angles” and feature first class features like lower leg, lumbar, and upper back adjustability for those who require the utmost best in comfort. All seats offer heating and ventilation as well as a massage function – something that Faraday Future says will leave passengers feeling rested and energized even after “being stuck in traffic for hours.” Of particular note, however, is the function the interior glass plays in normal day life. See, the roof and side glass all feature something called Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) that allows passengers to change the transparency of the glass with a simple tap of the finger – something you could consider tint-on-demand.

The FF 91 is also equipped with what is being called the FF EcoSystem. This is essentially a system that is said to blend devices, content, and applications all into one system. It also provides access to apps and content and has the ability to learn over time, ultimately leading to a more personalized experience for each passenger. New facial recognition technology allows the driver to access and drive the vehicle without the need for a single key. This is made possible by an outside camera, while camera’s on the inside are used to identify who is in the vehicle and subsequently adjust the vehicle's settings to suit the driver. This system can also recognize facial expressions and moods, which in turn allows the system to adjust things like the type of music, scent inside the vehicle, temperature, and massage functions to the driver at the time.

Unfortunately, that’s about all we know about the interior of the FF 91 as of the time of this writing. Faraday Future has yet to release any images of the interior up to this point, but an image of the B-Pillar showing a welcome sequence does show the silhouette of what is likely a very large and centrally mounted display screen. It’s likely similar to what you find in the Tesla Model S and Model X, but it looks like it could be quite larger. Again, this is a blurry shot, but you can see what I mean:

Drivetrain

Despite the fact that the reservation books are open, our information about what motivates the FF 91 is – like most of the interior – slim. But, we do know a little that’s worth discussing. We know that it is powered by a 130 kWh battery that was made in partnership with LG Chem and is said to be the “world’s highest energy density battery.” FF says that it has the ability to charge at more than 500 miles per hour while the home charger, which is a 240-volt system, can charge the battery to 50 percent in 4.5 hours. This battery powers a multi-motor system with real-time torque vectoring to the rear wheels. The brand claims all-wheel drive is an option, but there’s no word on what kind of extra cost is associated with it. All told, peak motor power is rated at 783 kW (about 1,050 horsepower) which is enough to push the FF 91 to 60 mph in 2.39 seconds. It’s been said that the VPA architecture of the powertrain system allows for multiple battery and motor configurations, so much like the Tesla Model S, the FF 91 should be available with a number of power outputs and performance levels – ultimately meaning there should be more affordable options as time goes on.

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Outside of this, the only other information we have is related to the built-in safety features, which includes an autonomous drive system with 13 short- and long-range radar sensors, 12 ultrasonic sensors, 10 high-definition cameras, and one 3D retractable lidar sensor. FF only speaks of level three autonomy in its most recent press release, but with a sensor array like that, along with the likelihood that the FF 91 will be capable of OTA software updates, level four autonomy should be available in the future. The rearview mirror has been replaced by a display screen that blends the view of the side cameras and the rear cameras into one image – a feature that supposedly eliminates blind spots while the car also has a “driverless valet” feature that allows the car to park itself and be summoned for pickup after a day of shopping at the mall.

Drivetrain Specifications

Powertrain multi-motor setup
Horsepower 1,050 HP
0 to 60 mph 2.39 seconds
Range 378 miles (EPA est.) and over 700 km (NEDC est.)
Charging Speed More than 500 miles per hour

Pricing

At this point, pricing is a complete mystery, but upon placing a reservation for the FF 91, you’ll be asked to make a refundable deposit of $5,000. Yahoo Finance claims that Jason Wallace – Faraday’s director of experimental marketing – has said that the FF 91 will start out in the “$100,000 range.” For now, that’s about all we have to go by, but we will surely learn more in the coming months as the FF 91 gets closer to going into production.