This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, electric car startup Faraday Future unveiled its first production car, the FF91. It's a 1050-horsepower all-wheel-drive minivan-looking thing that can go 378 miles on a charge and drive itself. A select few were chosen to ride along in a couple of FF91 prototypes to get a sense of what the car—and the company—is really like. So here's what happened.

Late yesterday, myself, along with a select few members of the press, were transported from the main CES convention center next to the Westgate Hotel & Casino to Faraday's offsite presentation location, around 20 minutes away. It was the same place the unveil took place, minus the stage and seating. That left a large, open area where Faraday could show off its "Beta" prototype cars.

I was one of the last people of the day to get a ride. The car, seen above, was nothing more than a drivetrain testing platform, devoid of any real interior or self-driving capabilities. What it did have though, was the 1050 horsepower, 130 kWh battery, all-wheel-drive powertrain, complete with air suspension and rear steering.

Inside were four racing bucket seats, along with a switchboard for a host of basic functions like the horn, lights, and master power. You could even see the bare chassis surrounding you. It was very much a test bed meant to display the performance capabilities of the car, rather than a showfloor item.

I hopped in the passenger seat, accompanied by one of Faraday's test drivers, Matt Lubbers. After buckling in, he took me around for a few mid-speed zigzags around the open space to demonstrate the four-wheel-steering and cornering attributes. The car seemed to handle well, and there was much less body roll than I was expecting. This only lasted for around 10 seconds though, so I can't say for sure it can outrun your favorite car on a backroad.

After that, Lubbers set up the car at one end of the facility, and aimed directly at a wall of pylons a few hundred feet away. The idea was to perform a "Moose test" with the FF91 to demonstrate its agility. This involves driving straight at an obstacle and turning at the last second to avoid it.

Lubbers nailed the throttle, and we launched towards to the plastic cones. He asked me to tell him when to make the maneuver, so I scanned the floor to see where the tire marks were from the previous runs. I figured all of the tech-savvy bloggers gave the car a little leeway with the turn, and the car had a little more in it. I yelled "NOW" about ten feet from the pylons, and after a quick screech from the tires, we slipped to the left without issue. "A little later than most," muttered Lubbers.

Immediately after, we lined up at a cone-marked start line in a corner of the facility. This was, of course, to show off the FF91's acceleration. During the presentation on Tuesday, Faraday claimed its new production car could accelerate from 0-60 in a frankly absurd 2.39 seconds. In case you've forgotten, that's a hundredth less than the quickest-accelerating car on the market right now—the Tesla Model S.

Lubbers asked me to place my head against the seat's backrest so as not to suffer any whiplash, then he gunned it. Thanks to the less-than-optimal road surface, the rear-biased AWD system caused the rear tires to scream frantically. But once it caught traction, I can say for certain I've never been in a quicker car. Even the 900-horsepower AMS twin-turbo R8 I drove a couple of years ago could not match this for off-the-line pounce. Is it quicker than a P100D? I haven't had the opportunity to drive one, so that comparison will have to wait.

Despite all of the rumors surrounding Faraday Future and its car, this demonstration shows it's not all smoke and mirrors. During the two hours I spent in the facility, I watched the cars take one person after another around the test area, doing threshold handling maneuvers and full-throttle accelerations. Make no mistake, these cars were being beat on. Even the LIDAR-equipped test car performed well, taking me to and from a parking spot without ever touching a control. These cars exist, and they work.

The only mystery remaining then, is how Faraday will produce the FF91. There's certainly demand, with over 64,000 preorders in the first day alone. I asked the company's Vehicle Line Executive, Bill Strickland, about the production worries, and he assured me, "we're all passed that."

We'll see what the future holds.

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