SPEED is not the first thing that comes to mind when you mention the words 'electric car'.

But the latest exhibit at a Hampshire tourist attraction recently set a new world record for the fastest acceleration achieved by a street-legal electric vehicle.

The tiny two-seater reached 121mph in just 9.86 seconds and is said to be capable of leaving high-powered supercars in its wake.

Built on the Isle of Wight in 1974 the heavily-modified Enfield 8000 has gone on show at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

Describing it as a wolf in sheep’s clothing a museum spokesman said: “It’s a formidable drag-racer with supercar-beating performance - but it’s completely road-legal and remains docile enough to be driven at normal road speeds.”

The bright yellow vehicle is owned by motoring journalist Jonny Smith, presenter of the Channel 5 show Fifth Gear.

He rescued it four years ago - when it was considered a flood-damaged write-off - and rebuilt it to show how fast an electric car could go.

Originally equipped with a 6kw motor that produced a top speed of just 40mph, the vehicle has been completely re-engineered using the latest technology.

Last summer it achieved record-breaking acceleration at the Santa Pod drag-racing circuit in Northamptonshire and was crowned the fastest road-legal electric vehicle in the world.

The car’s drag-racing name is Flux Capacitor - a tribute to the time-travelling DeLorean in the Back to the Future films.

Jonny, 37, said: “The essence of this project is about resurrecting a forgotten underdog and giving it some 21st century hot rod-inspired treatment.

“I fancied building a hot rod electric car a while back but thought rather than convert a piston-propelled relic why not remind the world that electric vehicles aren’t a new invention.”

The car is powered by a pair of 400v batteries - the type normally found in the starter motor of a Bell Super Cobra attack helicopter.

Jonny says the vehicle has a top speed of about 140mph and can travel 50 miles between charges.

About 120 Enfields were built on the Isle of Wight during the oil crisis in the early 1970s. They boasted an on-board charging system and aimed to provide a fume-free alternative to conventional cars.

The one on show at Beaulieu was originally used by South East Electricity Board as a research vehicle.