It’s beastly right down to the last atom

IN RECENT years the world has believed the people of California have turned soft. The “Golden State” adopted the Toyota Prius as its car of choice, and from Santa Cruz to Santa Monica the West Coast has become a mecca for yoga-practising octogenarians. But the new Beast suggests the Californians haven’t entirely lost their bite.

The sports car is the work of Rezvani, a start-up on the outskirts of Los Angeles. It would be fun to see the other names considered — Brute? Psychopath? Bar Brawler? — but the company is keener to discuss the car’s performance. And what performance: accelerating from standstill to 60mph in 2.7 seconds, the Beast will have Prius drivers choking on their lentils.