VanMoof is back. The high-end electric bicycle company speeds into a new era atop the S6, a high-tech ride that CEO Eliott Wertheimer called, in a release, its "ultimate bike."

The S6 is the first VanMoof e-bike unveiled since the Dutch company was acquired by Lavoie, a scooter company owned by McLaren Applied — a separate spinoff of the better-known McLaren Group — and it reflects the bikemaker's desire to reclaim ground lost in the past few years.

As proof of the S6's next-gen capabilities, VanMoof cites talking points like a frame so subtly streamlined that the new shape is only barely perceptible and a smattering of refined tech.

For instance, the bike's instant-speed boost button is now "more responsive," the wheels' "AutoShift Hub" adjusts gear levels in real-time to the rider's speed, and a "Central Core" build into every S6 bike is described by VanMoof as "the strongest system we’ve ever built."

Other features include a locking system built into the rear wheel and digital tracking capabilities accessible through Apple's Find My network.

Available for pre-order from VanMoof's website for €3,298 (about $2,900), the VanMoof S6 aims to hark back to the era in which VanMoof was stylish celebrities' preferred mode of transport.

The company entered a visible period of trouble in 2023, leading to VanMoof declaring bankruptcy before it was snapped up by Lavoie. The S6 is Van Moof's attempt to start fresh and win new converts, indicated by its offer of a three-year warranty to S6 buyers and promises to use parts accessible at "any qualified bike shop in the world," according to a 2024 statement.

Initial reviews are positive and the available information sounds promising enough. If nothing else, VanMoof's S6 sure sounds like McLaren of e-bikes on paper. Riders will find out on the road come August.

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