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Rimac says demand for electric hypercars has dropped

Unveiled in 2021, the 1,914-horsepower Rimac Nevera is limited to 150 units, and about 50 of those have already been spoken for. Part of the reason why two-thirds of the planned production run remains available is that demand for electric hypercars has dropped, the brand said.

“We started to develop the Nevera in 2016/2017, when electric was cool,” company founder Mate Rimac explained during the Financial Times Future of the Car conference in London, England. Fast-forward to 2024 and electric technology has become a lot more common; electrification is legally mandated across Europe, and nearly every company regardless of market positioning offers at least one EV.

“The regulators and some OEMs push it so much that the narrative has changed. They’re pushing stuff on us that we don’t want, so people get a little bit repulsed by it, this whole forced application. I’m always against it. I think everything has to be based on merit, so the product has to be better,” he added. Regular motorists don’t have a choice, but those who can afford a hypercar want one with a gasoline engine.

In turn, this shift is driving demand for electric hypercars — like the Nevera, the Pininfarina Battista, and the Lotus Evija — down. They’re more powerful and usually quicker than comparable gasoline-burning models, but companies are realizing that a sub-two-second zero-to-60-mph time isn’t enough to make a car appealing. Buyers with a seven-digit sum to spend on a car want analog technology, Autocar reported.

Rimac used the Apple Watch as an example.

“An Apple Watch can do everything better. It can do 1,000 more things, it’s a lot more precise, and it can measure your heart rate. But nobody would pay $200,000 for an Apple Watch,” he said. He noted that the Nevera remains the best-sold electric hypercar, however.

This realization at least partially explains why the Bugatti Chiron’s successor isn’t electric; it will be powered by a new V16 engine. Rimac, which owns Bugatti, said a battery-powered model’s sales figures would be “nowhere near” what it has planned for the V16-powered car. And, the shift will likely have an effect on Rimac’s product pipeline: it doesn’t expect demand for electric hypercars will go back up.

Rimac remains committed to electrification, it notably has partnerships with several carmakers including BMW and Hyundai, and it’s not about to stuff Bugatti’s new V16 engine in the Nevera to boost sales. Looking ahead, it wants to experiment with other types of drivetrain technologies. “It’s not about being electric; it’s about doing things that other cars can’t do and giving a unique experience,” the CEO said.

One project brewing behind-the-scenes in the brand’s Croatian headquarters is a nanotube-powered drivetrain capable of running on diesel, LPG, or hydrogen. It’s a system that heats “chemically different” liquid fuels to generate the electricity needed to zap a motor into motion.

May 9, 2024 / Comments Off

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Watch Rimac Nevera set a speed record of 171 mph — in reverse

The Rimac Nevera is an absolute beast. This 1,914-horsepower electric hypercar has been setting records left and right, from becoming the world’s fastest electric car, to tackling the Nürburgring in just over 7 minutes, and many more. So the folks at Rimac have had to get creative to find a new challenge, but find one they did. This time, the Rimac Nevera has set a Guinness World Record for the fastest speed in reverse.

This harrowing feat saw the Nevara back up at a top speed of 171.34 miles per hour. In the onboard footage below, you can see the view from the cockpit as the landscape recedes into the distance faster and faster. The vehicle data is interesting to watch, too, with the torque being distributed between the front and rear wheels, and the steering correction as the car drifts ever so slightly off the centerline. It’s all a bit disorienting.

So how did Rimac find itself aiming the rear end of the Nevera toward such a record? “It occurred to us during development that Nevera would probably be the world’s fastest car in reverse, but we kind of laughed it off,” said Nevara chief program engineer Matija Renić. “The aerodynamics, cooling and stability hadn’t been engineered for traveling backwards at speed, after all. But then, we started to talk about how fun it would be to give it a shot. Our simulations showed that we could achieve well over 150 mph, but we didn’t have much of an idea how stable it would be — we were entering unchartered territory.”

It’s hard to imagine driving in reverse at such speeds, and as Rimac test driver Goran Drndak can attest, it’s an odd experience. “On the run itself, it definitely took some getting used to,” Drndak said. “You’re facing straight out backwards watching the scenery flash away from you faster and faster, feeling your neck pulled forwards in almost the same sensation you would normally get under heavy braking. You’re moving the steering wheel so gently, careful not to upset the balance, watching for your course and your braking point out the rear-view mirror, all the while keeping an eye on the speed. Despite it being almost completely unnatural to the way the car was engineered, Nevera breezed through yet another record.”

The $2.2 million Rimac Nevera is powered by four individual motors, giving it a total of 1,914 horsepower and 1,740 pound-feet of torque. Driving forward, it’s capable of 0-60 in just 1.7 seconds, 0-100 in 3.21 seconds and 0-200 in just under 11 seconds. It set a top speed record of 256 mph. Its 120-kilowatt-hour battery is good for 350 miles of driving range on Europe’s WLTP testing cycle.

November 7, 2023 / Comments Off

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Ride along with Rimac on a flying drone tour of its factory and offices

Croatian automaker Rimac has developed some of the world’s most impressive EVs, and the automaker’s joint venture with Bugatti promises to bolster that innovation with more money and engineering resources. As you might imagine, building mind-blowing cars doesn’t often happen in a makeshift factory, and Rimac recently released a stunning drone-shot tour of its manufacturing facility that shows its home base is as advanced as its cars.

Similar to the all-in-one factories used by Formula 1 teams, Rimac’s factory houses offices and administrative functions in addition to the production lines. That said, we’re not talking about a traditional auto factory here. Rimac’s factory floor is bright and spotless, with more of an operating room vibe than anything to do with auto manufacturing.

Though short, the drone tour gives us a surprising level of access within the facility. Some of the shots bring the drone awfully close to freshly built multi-million-dollar cars, of which a handful were shown in the video. We also get shots of the company’s dynamometer facility and quality control efforts.

Rimac is currently shipping the Nevera, a 1,914-horsepower electric hypercar with two gearboxes and a boatload of performance records that include a 0-62 mph time (100 km/h) of just 1.81 seconds and a top speed of 256 mph. It also set records at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Nürburgring this year, achieving the fastest production EV titles at both locations.

October 3, 2023 / Comments Off

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Bugatti Rimac signs exclusive distribution deal with VW of America

Volkswagen Group of America (VGoA) has only just announced a deal it signed with Bugatti Rimac during Monterey Car Week last month. The deal gives VGoA exclusive rights to import and distribute Bugatti and Rimac products in the United States, and puts the COO of Bugatti America, Sascha Doering, in charge of the Rimac’s American outpost as well.

Mate Rimac, CEO of what’s now called the Rimac Group, said, “For both the Bugatti and Rimac brands, the U.S. is the strongest single market in the world, so it’s important that we curate a sales and ownership experience befitting the extraordinary cars that we’re delivering to customers. The alignment and cooperation with Volkswagen Group of America will allow a new dealer network in the States to evolve with the enormous experience and resources available to them, allowing us to combine all the best bits of a mass-market sales operation with the bespoke, customer-centric special touches that have become a hallmark of both Bugatti and Rimac brands.”

We suspect the news will have more effect on Bugatti dealers than Rimac dealers, but neither company explained what the new arrangement will mean. Rimac’s retailer map shows seven stores in the U.S. Three of those seven also sell Bugatti, one assumes they’ll only need to deal with paperwork and potential new showroom dictates. Of the remaining four, two sell numerous additional brands that include VW nameplates other than Bugatti, one appears to only sell Rimac and Koenigsegg, and one appears to sell just Rimac. Those latter two could be cut off from the herd.

However, it’s more likely that all of the dealers saw this coming once Rimac turned into Bugatti Rimac in 2021. For anyone interested in minutiae, Bugatti Rimac is a joint venture between Porsche and Rimac, the German sports car company owning a 45% stake, the Rimac Group owning 55%. The Rimac Group is the carmaking division and Rimac Technology, which engineers electric powertrains for other automakers like Pininfarina and is separate from the production cars, is 100% owned by Rimac Group.

No matter all that. By the time Bugatti’s new hybrid debuts next year, eager buyers should be clear on who they’ll need to call to place a deposit.

Related video:

September 21, 2023 / Comments Off

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Watch a Rimac Nevera set two dozen speed and acceleration records in a day

Rimac is no stranger to ultra-quick EVs, but its latest model is on a different level entirely. The Nevera recently recorded 23 new performance records, setting a new 0-400-0 kilometers-per-hour record and many more.

Rimac took the Nevera to a German test track, where it took just 1.81 seconds to reach 100 kmh (62 mph) and ran the quarter mile in 8.25 seconds. The standing mile flew by in 20.59 seconds, and Rimac set several other staggering records for acceleration between speed markers, such as 1.74 seconds for 0-60 mph and 3.21 seconds for 0-100 mph.

One of the more impressive numbers put up by the car was its 0-400-0 km/h (0-249-0 mph) time of 29.93 seconds. The assessment tests the car’s acceleration, aerodynamics, top speed, and braking, and Rimac said the Nevera did it more than a second faster than the previous record holder. A Koenigsegg Regera ran the test in 31.49 seconds in 2019.

Rimac equipped the car with street-legal Michelin Cup 2 R tires and ran the tests on a non-prepped surface. Testing took place at the Automotive Testing Papenburg facility, and Dewesoft and RaceLogic verified the records. Speed records sometimes run into trouble when doubters question the validity of testing, so having two independent testers on site is understandable.

While impressive, the records seem like a requirement for a $2 million-plus electric hypercar. Rimac began production on the car in late 2022, and the 1,914-horsepower electric powertrain uses four electric motors to generate its prodigious output. Surprisingly, the battery can support way more horsepower, but the car’s well-heeled buyers will have to make do with “just” 1,914 horses. Rimac claims a 258-mph top speed for the car, and the EPA estimates a 205-mile cruising range, though using more than a few horsepower at a time will likely shorten that distance by quite a bit.

May 17, 2023 / Comments Off

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Rimac engineer says 0-60 ‘below one second’ is possible

Monterey Car Week encourages all kinds of questions that are answered with outrageous numbers. How much is the Pebble Beach lawn worth? How many metric tons of palm fronds were sacrificed to make the toquilla straw that make the numberless Panama hats? And how fast can a fast car go? The Drive spoke to Rimac Nevera Chief Program Engineer Matija Renić at The Quail about that last question, wondering what Renić believes is possible for a 0-60 time. His answer: “Below one second.” There aren’t many things humans can complete in less than a second other than say three-word sentences like “Below one second.” The idea of being at rest as one’s lips purse for the “B,” and traveling 60 miles per hour by the time the tongue comes off upper alveolar ridge to finish the “d” is, frankly, absurd.

Regrettably, either The Drive didn’t probe Renić as to what technologies will make the feat possible, or it decided not to repeat Renić’s words. All we have is the oracular pronouncement and little way to conceive of how it could happen, along with lots of questions about tires.

See, people like Engineering Explained who do math for a living have figured that, for a street vehicle on street tires on a regular street, about 2.05 seconds is the lower limit of the stoplight drag. When the Tesla Model S Plaid ripped off a 1.85-second teleport to 60 mph for Motor Trend, that was on “the super sticky VHT-coated surface of Auto Club Famoso Raceway.” On a non-prepped surface, Motor Trend got that down to 2.28 seconds, Car and Driver pruned it to 2.1 seconds. But C/D bettered the Tesla’s time in a Ferrari SF90 Stradale, hitting 0-60 in 2.0 seconds flat.

Rimac claims the Nevera will hit 60 miles per hour in 1.85 seconds, a time also achieved on a prepped drag strip, but we haven’t seen instrumented proof of that yet. Among YouTube videos of the Nevera running the quarter mile, one dedicated thrill seeker pulled off a 2.13-second rip to 60 mph.

Speaking of drag strips, top fuel dragsters are the go-to monsters for hitting 60 miles per hour in under one second, doing the deed in roughly 0.7 to 0.9 seconds. In 2019, Jalopnik tried to figure out the G forces involved in such dashes, the math concluding that getting from zero to 60 in 0.86 seconds put a 5.3-G strain on the body. Having that potential in your street car would be like having your own roller coaster, and what we imagine would be a monumental bill for tires. Until we see such things possible for the regular (rather wealthy) driver, we’ll be paying even closer attention to what what Rimac has coming.

Related video:

August 26, 2022 / Comments Off

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Rimac Nevera gets EPA and CARB certification

The Rimac Nevera has got its visas to come to the U.S. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board certified the battery-electric hypercar from the newly minted Bugatti Rimac corporation for use on American roads, automaker CEO Mate Rimac posting the papwerwork on his Facebook page. The CARB paperwork shows the Croatian coupe with 287.28 miles on a charge, slightly down on the 342 miles of range the Nevera makes on the European WLTP cycle. Among the reputable electric hypercars we know of right now, Rimac’s range figures beat all thanks to the Nevera’s 130-kilowatt-hour gross battery. The Aspark Owl makes do with 69 kWh, the Lotus Evija packs 70 kWh, the Pininfarina Battista has a 120-kWh pack.

There are a number of reasons we’d love to sample the Nevera, beyond its specs and the company founder’s impressive mix of nous and enthusiasm. One is to experience real-world range of this particular electric hypercar, which Mate says “makes the highest use of regenerative braking of any other car on the market now.” When regeneration isn’t enough, considering the 258-mph top speed thanks to 1,914 horsepower and 1,741 pound-feet of torque, six-piston Brembos clamp 15.3-inch carbon-ceramic discs. Another is the “AI driving coach,” a software-driven mode to help a driver improve lap times on the track thanks to “clear and precise visual guidance” about the racing line, as well as braking and acceleration points.

Mate also said that Production Car #002 is undergoing pre-delivery testing around the company’s base in Zagreb, Croatia now. We take that to mean the first production model is already in customer hands, usually a signal that public sightings are headed for social media. However, based on the few Rimac Ones photographed in the wild, the owner group seems to be a discreet bunch. Bugatti Rimac will manufacture 150 Neveras total at €2 million apiece ($2.1M U.S.), some tiny sliver of that cleared to pass Customs in the U.S. We suppose they’re headed to climate controlled garages where they’ll be parked next to a Rimac One.

Related video:

July 11, 2022 / Comments Off

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Rimac Nevera crash tests: Nine 1,914-hp supercars destroyed

Homologating a car to meet the various safety rules for various markets is a time-consuming and very expensive proposition. For the Rimac Nevera, a 1,914-horsepower electric supercar, that process has taken four years, a company-issued release says.

Billed as the fastest-accelerating car in the world, the Nevera goes 0-to-60 in just 1.85 seconds and claims a top speed of 258 mph. It stickers at €2 million ($2.27 million), so its crash testing was not to be taken lightly.

Rimac says that Nevera prototypes were put through the ringer with 45 physical crash tests that destroyed nine examples. If you’re keeping track, that’s over $20 million in smashed Rimacs.

Fortunately, for the many more passive safety tests, computer simulations could be used instead. Rimac says engineers conducted thousands of digital trials using High Performance Cluster computers capable of extremely detailed simulations. A physical test might take just 80 milliseconds, Rimac says, but a single HPCC simulations could take as long as 20 hours of processing time.

The simulations also proved useful in telling engineers what kind of adjustments were required to get the actual crash test cars to pass. They then made those changes to the real cars’s design before, as Rimac puts it, “subject[ing] them to ‘the wall’.”

While European crash testing was completed last year, the final test for U.S. certification took place in January. The test in question mimicked a 20 mph side impact with a pole, to replicate sliding into a lamppost or tree (this seems to be an all-too common fate for supercars). It’s a difficult test, as it strikes the car in a spot where there’s very little car — and thus little space for energy-absorbing crumple zones — between the stationary object and the occupants.

However, the company says that the Nevara performed quite well — so well, in fact, that the door closest to the impact could still be opened post-crash. The fact that the Nevara is composed of a carbon fiber monocoque — the largest single piece of carbon fiber used in a car — that stretches from the front suspension to the rear. Rimac says that makes the Nevara the stiffest production car ever built. Its torsional rigidity measures 70,000 Nm/degree, while a “regular” supercar registers 40,000 Nm/degree, the company explained. It also adds that the 440-pound monocoque can withstand more than three times the weight of the car.

Only 150 Nevaras will be built, each powered by four motors and a 120 kWh, 6960-cell battery that provides 1,914 horsepower and 1,741 lb-ft of torque. Hopefully the crashed units don’t factor into that production tally.

February 20, 2022 / Comments Off

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A look at the Rimac Nevera by Doug DeMuro

In his famous style of video, YouTube video creator Doug DeMuro takes us through the ‘quirks and features’ of the impressive Rimac Nevera, one of the most powerful cars in the world, a true hypercar, and it’s all-electric too with a power output of nearly 2,000 hp, and while we’ll be looking at nr 002/150, this is still a pre-production sample, so there are some quirks that don’t work yet, but even this one offers absolutely mindblowing acceleration … from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2 seconds.

Started out as Rimac Automobili, this small car builder from Croatia made some impressive statements all the way back in 2018 when Mate Rimac unveiled the C_Two at the Geneva Motor Show, for Concept Two, let’s go over the figures again: total power output from four electric motors at 1,914 hp, delivering a top speed of 412 km/h (258 mph) and acceleration figures of 1.85 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill, this would be the start of a new breed of hypercars.

No other car builder came even close to these numbers, not any of the large companies, nor any of the more exclusive makes like Pagani, Koenigsegg … or even Bugatti, which makes the next detail even more interesting, today Porsche owns a controlling interest in Rimac, but on the other hand, Rimac now owns an interest in Bugatti. It seems the technology on electric hypercars that has been developed by Rimac gained some serious interest from the top brass at the VAG Group, and with the next evolution for Bugatti being at least hybrid, combining the two seemed a great idea, so on November 1, 2021, we saw the launch of ‘Bugatti Rimac’ as a company.

But back to the Rimac Nevera all-electric hypercar, we’re talking about a $2,400,000 two-seater performer, but if you look at the styling and the high-tech interior, you’ll notice Rimac took the Bugatti route and created a luxurious, relatively comfortable hypercar, even the exterior isn’t too wild or exotic looking, the styling is more subdued in fact, almost classy, which might be the only remark you could make about a car that can reach 300 km/h in just 9.3 seconds … it doesn’t look fast standing still, unlike most models from the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari.

Let’s first check out the video by Doug DeMuro now:

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Only 150 units of the Rimac Nevera will be available worldwide, and it seems the first units could be heading to their lucky owner very soon, in the next few weeks already, and let’s not forget with all the ‘low emission zones’ popping up in cities all over the world, an electric hypercar is just what you need to go downtown in style, I just wonder if any of these 150 units will actually be driven regularly, or if they will become a toy for the ultra-high net worth individuals to show off in their garage, only to be taken out onto the road occasionally to drive to an event.

I’m already wondering what Bugatti Rimac will unveil in the near future, will there be a Chiron successor first as the production run for the current flagship from Mulsheim is nearing the end of the limited production as only 500 Chiron are to be made, and they are down to less than 40 units remaining to be built. Or will we get another model from Rimac to succeed the Nevera, or get this … why not a Nevera Roadster, now that would be amazing, having this much power in a convertible model, that would really interest me more than a closed coupé, to be honest.

Whichever it will be, it is obviously clear the automotive world is at a turning point in history, we might be seeing a few more ICE powered hypercars in the near future, but let’s face it, in a matter of five to ten years the majority will be electric-powered, all the big names are developing hybrid models as we speak, or already have them in their lineup, while they all are preparing all-electric models as we speak … so the future will be different for sure.

December 14, 2021 / Comments Off

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Best New Performance Hybrids & Electric Cars

No one would argue that the past year-and-a-half has been a truly challenging period for human civilization, though it has not seemed to put even a dent in the momentum of the vehicle electrification movement. If anything, automakers were presented with a unique opportunity to showcase their credentials in this space; with the disruption of routine living circumstances, this was a moment when the global audience’s attention could be more easily procured, if done in the right way.

As it happened, a slew of new electric vehicles would be announced and even enter production during this time, bringing with them much excitement, fanfare, and most importantly a positive outlook on the future, albeit through an automotive lens. Nevertheless, automobiles are a topic that most people have in common, and the industry certainly didn’t fall short on providing its fair share of feel-good moments during this gloomy time – definitely for the car enthusiasts, and probably for the green movement too.

EVs (such as the Porsche Taycan) ordered by customers before the pandemic started, were generally delivered on-time if not ahead of schedule (like mine). During the pandemic, production levels remained vigorous, along with the unveiling of new models – some of which are simply game-changing. The emergence of cars such as the Rimac Nevera, Lotus Evija and Pininfarina Battista proved that automakers were generally unfazed by the chaos of the past 2 calendar years, delivering the goods as promised and not finding any reasons to have done anything but.

There’s no shortage of hybrid options either, with many of the world’s most impressive machines displaying the incredible potential of this technology. The likes of Ferrari’s SF90 Stradale and Lamborghini’s Sián have been showcasing that hybrid engines are not just a stop-gap measure before electrification proliferates. Rather, they are viable complement to fully-electric cars, both now and likely into the distant future. B io fuels could play a key role in this development, and possibly even prolong the existence of the combustion engine for some time to come.

Here are 15 of the Best New Performance Hybrids & Electric Cars, you can buy today.

Acura NSX Type S

Acura has just announced that they will be producing a limited-edition NSX Type S variant for the 2022 model year, which will also serve as the swan song for the brand’s halo car (now in its second generation). Officially unveiled during Monterrey Car Week, the Type S will be the “quickest, most powerful and best-handling production NSX ever” according to the automaker, with an enhanced version of the 3.5L twin-turbocharged hybrid engine now producing 600 hp and 492 lb-ft of torque. The 9-speed DCT and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) have also been optimized to get the most out of the car’s improved performance. The NSX Type S will also come standard with a carbon-fiber roof, as part of its weight reduction protocols.

Distinctive design cues and more aggressive aerodynamics are also at the core of the car’s improved driving character, with race car components – such as a GT3-inspired rear diffuser – being among the most easily distinguishable features. The NSX Type S will also come with redesigned front and rear bumpers, unique 5-spoke wheels, Pirelli P-Zero tires, and a retuned adaptive suspension system. Optional features such as Gotham Gray exterior paint and an available Lightweight Package – which includes carbon-ceramic brakes and more carbon fiber components – are also exclusive to the Type S. Limited to a production run of only 350 units.

Rimac Nevera

It’s probably a good thing that this Rimac was built with a predisposition to exhibit ballet-like agility, because it’s going to need all the grace in the world to tame all that’s brewing within. In combination, all of the 4 electric motors can generate up to 1,914 hp (1.4 mW) and 1,740 lb-ft of torque (2,360 Nm). This allows the Nevera to absolutely annihilate the popular 0-60 mph benchmark in just 1.85 seconds, with an equally impressive 1/4 mile time of just 8.6 seconds – good enough to make it the fastest production vehicle ever made, by some margin. Top speed is stated as 258 mph (412 km/h).

Ferrari SF90 Stradale

At first glance the SF90 Stradale sounds like a car we should all fear; a soul crushing proposition. It is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (Ferrari’s first) with four-wheel-drive, built on a new ‘multi material‘ platform and has even more electric driver aids than ever before. It is enough to make old-school Ferrari fans and drivers run straight for the exits (probably to pick up a 458 Speciale instead). But those who are willing to consider the outcomes with an open-mind are sure to be satiated, if not entirely blown-away.

In the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, the company has partnered its F154 V8 engine with a 7.9 kWh battery, which allows the twin-turbocharged V8 hybrid to produce up to 986 hp in total. The three electric motors combine to deliver 217 hp, an can even bring the SF90 Stradale to a speed of 84 mph and complete over 15 miles, all on their own power. Aside from a mind-boggling 0-60 mph time of 2.1 seconds, this configuration also makes the SF90 the first mid-engined Ferrari to be all-wheel drive. Handling is also greatly enhanced with torque vectoring now being available on the front-axle. The car also features an all-new chassis made of carbon fiber and aluminum. The sleek body panels and its aerodynamic shape help the model make a whopping 860 lbs of downforce at speed, and the whole profile of the car is extremely low so it can slash through the air at high speeds.

Porsche Taycan Turbo S

The Taycan Turbo S is the ultimate Porsche EV. The absolutely mind-boggling 750 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque it instantaneously produces, rockets the car from 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds – hypercar territory, that is. It manages to combine this with 911-level handling characteristics and is infused with the same essence we’ve come to expect in all Porsche sports cars. Porsche ceramic composite brakes (PCCB) are standard fare on the Turbo S, as are the otherwise optional 21” Mission-E Design wheels. To provide even more extra stopping force, the Turbo S is also fitted with larger front and rear rotors than what is installed on the 4S and Turbo models.

With the introduction of the new Cross Turismo range of Porsche Taycan models, we’re now entering the second act of the company’s electrification strategy. The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo carries over the EV-platform and performance from its sedan counterpart, then amalgamates them with the utilitarianism of a sporty crossover / estate. While a number of the Cross Turismo models’ design elements bear an obvious resemblance to the sedans, they offer something very distinct as well.

Lamborghini Sián

Amongst this list of very special cars, the Sián is perhaps the most special. That’s because the Lamborghini Sián is the most notable example of an automobile which uses a supercapacitor – the ‘super’ added because, well, you need a really, really big capacitor to help power a car. In this configuration, the supercapacitor collects and stores energy (primarily from regenerative braking). In certain moments (such as a launch), the supercapacitor dumps all of its energy into an electric motor which immediately and briefly adds an extra 34 hp on top of what the Sián’s 785 hp 6.5L naturally-aspirated V12 engine produces. This means that up to 819 hp is sent to all 4 wheels, with the electric motor integrated into the transmission to reduce weight and improve responsiveness.

As long as the supercapacitor keeps getting recharged – which can be achieved with just seconds of hard braking – there will always be that extra bit of power boost at the car’s beckoning. Compared to an EV battery which takes much, much, longer to fully recharge, and weighs substantially more, you might be wondering why supercapacitors aren’t the dominating technology in electric or hybrid vehicles today. Well, there are a few very important reasons for this. For one, supercapacitors aren’t able to store energy for long periods of time like a battery, making them unviable to be the primary food source for an electric vehicle… at least for now.

Tesla Model S Plaid+

Tesla recently announced that they’ve added a new trim for their Model S and Model X. The base “Long Range” models will still use dual-motors, while the new high-performance models will be replaced with “Plaid”. While this is mostly down to marketing and rebranding, the Model S will have also have a Plaid+ option later this year; for performance junkies, this is the most significant news as this package incorporates Tesla’s latest battery technology. The Plaid+, with it’s brand new architecture, is said to be capable of 0-60 mph in under 2 seconds and a range of up to 520 miles on a single charge.

Needless to say, figures like those will surely lead to an upheaval of the current status quo in EV-land and will have competitors scrambling to keep up. Word is, these claims are far from anecdotal, as an 1,100 hp prototype version of the Tesla Model S Plaid+ has already beat the Mclaren P1’s lap time at the legendary Laguna Seca raceway in California, USA. Tesla is already taking orders on its website, where it starts at a price of $131,100.

Koenigsegg Regera

Koenigsegg unveiled its Regera hybrid hypercar model at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, and since then it has generated plenty of hype amongst car enthusiasts and performance junkies. Besides a regular combustion engine, the Koenigsegg Regera also utilizes 3 electric motors which dole out 700 hp and 663 lb-ft of torque via a 4.5 kWh liquid-cooled battery pack. As a result, the car now produces 1,500 hp (which the company likes to market as 1.11 MW), making it the most powerful hybrid supercar in the world. Its combustion engine is a 5.0L twin-turbocharged V8 which produces an out-of-this-world 1,100 horsepower and 922 lb-ft of torque without electric assistance.

Koenigsegg has gone on to claim that the Regera can theoretically reach top speeds of over 400 km/h, although this has not yet been made official.

Lotus Evija

Lotus has been hyping their new fully-electric automobile, going as far as saying that the Evija will be a “mind-blowing supercar”. The car features two electric motors which output its outrageous 2,000 hp. The battery is placed in the middle of the car where a typical internal combustion mid-engine car would have its beating heart, helping it to achieve an ideal weight distribution. Lotus sought to strike the perfect balance between a track car and a road car, and that extends to the cabin – a minimalist, driver-focused interior design but with plenty of the comfort and convenience features you’d expect in a civil grand tourer. The Lotus Evija has been named as ‘The One to Watch‘ in Top Gear’s 2021 Electric Awards .

The Lotus Evija was built with a simple goal – to be the absolute pinnacle of world-class engineering and the most powerful performance car ‘For The Drivers’. It harnesses Lotus’ technical expertise, fine-tuned over more than seven decades, to create a masterclass of automotive excellence. Judges at the IDA commented that the Lotus Evija “paves a way towards a more sustainable future whilst embodying an exceptional aerodynamic aesthetic”, and that “its seductive style elevates the Evija to be the world’s most premium sustainable car”.

Audi e-tron RS GT

The 2022 Audi e-tron GT is the four-ringed company’s first entrant into the high-performance EV weight class. It looks to shake up a playing field which includes the likes of the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan, the latter of which it shares many of the same underpinnings. Audi has marketed the e-tron GT as a fully-electric grand tourer, as a opposed to a sports saloon EV like the Porsche Taycan. This sets clear expectations right away of what makes the e-tron GT an entirely unique offering – not quite as powerful (compared to the Turbo and Turbo S), a little less nimble and sharp in the handling department, slightly more utilitarian with extra cargo room and a typically impressive Audi-esque interior.

The entry-level e-tron GT produces 469 hp, which can be boosted up to 523 hp when using launch control. This is good for 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 152 mph, making it most comparable to the Porsche Taycan 4S which ends up being a smidge quicker using the same measuring stick. Stepping up to the RS model will net you 590 hp with 637 hp available in overboost mode. This allows the RS e-tron GT to complete the 0-60 mph sprint in 3.3 seconds, which is slower than Tesla’s and Porsche’s quickest EV models by 1.3 seconds (Model S Plaid) and 0.8 seconds (Taycan Turbo S) respectively.

Pininfarina Battista

When the Pininfarina Battista was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019, it was touted as the first fully-electric hypercar. Having been teased with bits and pieces up to that point, the Battista would finally secure its place in history as the first complete amalgamation of a zero-emissions hypercar. I doubt that anyone would be offended – least of all, Pininfarina – if the Battista was mistaken as ‘just another’ one of Ferrari’s super cars. Afterall, the design elements are deliberately signature from the company; and that’s really the best part of it all.

Beneath the silhouette lies something less familiar – the absence a typically mid-mounted combustion engine, for one. The Ferrari…. I mean…. Pininfarina Battista is fully-electric, and beyond that very notion, things only start to get even more crazy. The Battista utilizes 4 motors – one for each wheel – which produce a combined 1,900-horsepower and 1696 ft-lb of torque. That level of performance and technological sophistication won’t come cheap either, with each car priced at around $2.3 million USD.

Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro

The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro still uses the same Cosworth-built naturally-aspirated V12 engine with a 6.5L displacement – but now with 1,000 hp available at a screaming 11,000 rpm. Significant weight has been shed on the Valkyrie AMR Pro by removing the entire hybrid system, using an extremely light carbon fiber body, and incorporating carbon fiber suspension components. Thanks to its aerodynamic efficiency, the Valkyrie AMR Pro offers track performance previously only seen on Formula One cars.

Mercedes-AMG Project One

The third electric motor is integrated into the turbocharger, while the fourth is mounted directly on the car’s combustion engine, producing another 120 hp of the Project One’s total power output of “beyond 1,000 hp”. Mercedes-AMG has also claimed that the turbo lag on the Project One is not only eliminated in this setup, but the response times should now be shorter than those cars powered by a naturally-aspirated V8.

Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid

Porsche has provided no shortage of options within any of its model line-ups, with the relatively recent addition of E-Hybrid models serving up even more choices for those seeking a more eco-friendly experience from the brand. While the Taycan is the only model fully-committed to electrification, the E-Hybrids are an impressive alternative for those who aren’t quiet ready to make the big step over to the other side. Currently, E-Hybrid models can be found within the Panamera and Cayenne model line-ups, and are destined to be in the mix with other models such as the Cayman, 911 and Macan in the not so distant future.

The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is at the top of the food chain when it comes to the range, and is the only model (notwithstanding the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid) to feature a hybridized version of Porsche’s 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8. On its own, the petrol engine produces 563 hp and 567 lb-ft of torque, with the E-Hybrid electric motor adding up to 134 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The Sport Turismo estate-style body would definitely be our pick, as it also provides a greater sense of both utilitarianism and style to boot.

Koenigsegg Gemera

Hinted at for a long time under the codename ‘KG12′, the latest Koenigsegg megacar has been revealed: The 2022 Koenigsegg Gemera. The Gemera is Koenigsegg’s first proper 2+2 GT car, or due to the power it produces, ‘mega-GT’ if you will. The car outputs a combined total of 1.27 MW of power, or by more traditional measurements, 1,700 HP and 2,581 lb-ft of torque. This is achieved through the combination of an extremely powerful, 2.0L twin-turbocharged camless + freevalve inline-3 engine – nicknamed the ‘Tiny Friendly Giant’ – which produces 600hp all on its own, and is partnered with three electric motors.

Two electric motors are placed at each rear wheel, with a third motor attached to the crankshaft of the engine to boost power to the front axle. All three motors have a combined output of 1,100 HP. Koenigsegg has confirmed that orders can be taken through the Expressions Of Interest website, and that the base price is $1.7 million USD.

McLaren Speedtail

This 1,055 hp car will take you to 250 mph, and then to the Opera, on the same set of tires (to paraphrase McLaren spokesperson, Wayne Bruce). More than that, the Speedtail is a car that reminds us that the automotive world serves to inspire and excite us, as much as it does in moving us from one place to the next. Though, in the case of the Speedtail, it moves us unlike anything else out there.

September 6, 2021 / Comments Off

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Rimac CEO on Porsche-Bugatti deal: ‘I am not somebody to play it safe’

Mate Rimac is used to being the underdog. At the Geneva auto show in 2009, the then-21-year-old Croat walked to the Koenigsegg booth looking for his idol, Christian von Koenigsegg. In those pre-YouTube-saturation years, Rimac didn’t know what the namesake of his favorite car brand looked like. And no one knew him. So he approached “the most serious-looking guy” at the stand and went on to befriend his idol, Rimac said in an interview on Aug. 13 in Carmel, Calif.

Twelve years on, Rimac, now 33, has more than leveled the playing field with his Swedish friend. On July 5 his Rimac Automobili — the tech and supercar company he founded in his garage — announced a joint venture with Porsche AG to take control of Bugatti. The 112-year-old French crown jewel in parent company Volkswagen AG’s crown, Bugatti sells cars like the 1,480-horsepower Chiron Pur Sport, which gets 8 mpg in city driving. The brand traditionally does not disclose specific sales results but is known to deliver roughly 80 vehicles globally each year. Rimac has characterized the acquisition as “removing some distractions” from VW.

According to the terms of the deal, Rimac holds a 55% stake in Bugatti-Rimac while Porsche owns the remaining 45%. Earlier this year, Porsche had also separately increased its stake in Rimac to 24%.

Rimac himself will take the helm of Bugatti-Rimac, while Porsche’s Oliver Blume and Lutz Meschke will join a supervisory board for the company. It’s all quite a change of view for a guy used to working behind the scenes.

“The stakes are getting bigger,” Rimac said. “But I am not somebody to play it safe. Never. Not even close. So if there is going to be some friction with our shareholders and more experienced people that come into the company, it’s going to be that.”

The arrangement marks the first time Volkswagen has ceded control over one of its brands to a company and a person so young. It also signals a subtle stratification of the company’s premium marques, dividing those aligned with Rimac, which includes Porsche and Bugatti, from those such as Audi and Bentley that are likely to continue using VW’s own electric components.

“We are already developing stuff that will be soon in high-volume Porsches,” Rimac says. “Not special projects, but the mainstream.” The company provides EV tech such as batteries for carmakers including Koenigsegg and Pininfarina.

At this point, Rimac admits that his 1,000-person, decade-old operation is far from an underdog. Porsche just paid the company $70 million, he says, and Rimac’s $2.4 million Nevera supercar recently turned in the quickest quarter-mile time ever for a production car. The Bugatti-Rimac venture will retain both Bugatti’s headquarters in Molsheim, France, and Rimac’s headquarters in Zagreb, Croatia.

“It feels really interesting when you think where we came from — this country has never had an automotive industry,” Rimac says of Croatia. “We had absolutely no idea what we were doing. And now our tech is in so many cars, and with Bugatti this whole thing is a huge responsibility.”

He is used to the pressure by now. Call it discipline à la automaker.

“I was told by our big OEM customers, if you screw up, the next day we send 30 trucks, they pick up everything, you are dead,” Rimac says. “If you screw up and you don’t deliver, everything stands still, and then you are dead. You are dead.”

Related Video:

August 22, 2021 / Comments Off

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20 Most Expensive Hypercars On Sale Today

You’re just a quick Google search away from discovering that there are A LOT of mind-blowingly-expensive cars out there. Take your pick from any variation of search terms like “most expensive cars in the world”, “highest price paid for an automobile” or “most valuable cars ever made”, and be prepared for results that will probably surprise you; a list of cars that is more diverse and extensive than you’re probably thinking right now.

It’s no longer uncommon to see automobiles being sold for well into the tens-of-millions, with auction sales – particularly for classic cars – skewing prices upwards into the stratosphere. Our list is focused on cars that can still be bought from the manufacturer brand new, either as a new build or right off the showroom floor (no auctions or older cars). We’ve gone ahead and done the work of filtering candidates from this interestingly vast pool of cars, using further criteria (outlined below) which allows us to whittle the shortlist down to ‘just’ 20 multi-million-dollar cars.

Still for sale or not explicitly declared by the producer as being discontinued
Well beyond the concept phase (i.e. it’s actually going into production, if not yet already)
While it’s totally expected that all of these cars will be built in extremely limited quantities, one-off models are not included

Even with all of these filters in place, compiling this list still presented some challenges. Given these cars’ limitless and bespoke customization options – in addition to limited-edition trims and special packages – actual prices can have little to no bounds. So, we go on the best information that’s out there with regards to “starting prices”, which manufacturers aren’t shy to asterisk as being “estimates” or “uh…we’ll tell you sometime after we get your down payment”. Everyone’s usually fine with this arrangement – that’s just how things work at this level of the game.

Prices can even change drastically throughout the production process (and from as early as the concept phase) as automakers and customers encounter their own boons and obstacles – it’s amazing for example, how much currency exchange rates are at play when it comes to determining the final MSRP. Things like this may notably increase or even decrease previously marketed prices. Ultimately, $2.0 Million (USD) ended up being the baseline for entry onto this list. We tried to include a wider range of “supercars”, but at this stage our hand was forced to declare this as a hypercar-only space. That’s how crazy things have become, but I digress…

Hypercars are the new zenith in today’s automotive landscape, transcending the boundaries of the supercar to create a space occupied only by the most outlandish things that can still be called cars. While some of the relatively larger luxury and exotic car companies have created their own interpretations of the hypercar, many of these vehicles have been crafted by specialty automotive boutiques or singular-focused companies who are looking to showcase new technologies or smash land speed records. It is these very outfits that we will be focusing on, in this list of hypercars that are available to purchase in 2021. In terms of the everyday automobile, none of these will be household names; but they will be more than familiar to those who worship the automotive deities.

Bentley Bacalar – $2.0 Million

So what’s the most expensive, modern-day Bentley money can buy? That would have to be the $2,000,000 Bentley Bacalar, a two-seater, convertible luxury sports car that comes with the famous W12 engine and uses 5,000-year-old wood for its interior trim. While its engine is the evergreen W12 6.0L TSI unit that has been around since 2003, it has been further enhanced for the Bacalar to offer the smoothest ride possible, and still provide a massive 650 hp and 900 Nm of torque. Despite being closely related to the Continental GT, Bentley still had to produce over 750 custom parts for this car even though they only plan on releasing just twelve units to the public. While not normally considered a ‘hypercar’ marque, this particular Bentley however, certainly checks all the right boxes.

Ferrari Monza SP1 & SP2 – $2.0 Million

Both the Monza SP1 and SP2 are based on the Ferrari 812 Superfast and come with a 6.5LV12 engine with 810 hp sent to the rear wheels. An aluminum chassis and carbon fiber body make for a lightweight car with an absurd power-to-weight ratio. Expect a sub-3-second sprint from standstill to 60 mph, and scintillating 7.9 seconds to get up to 125 mph. Top speed will be around 186 mph. The primary difference between the two models is that the SP1 is a single seater, while the SP2 is a two-seater, with each configuration also impacting other elements of the car. The Monza SP1 has a tonneau cover, while the SP2 gets rid of the cover to make room for the second passenger. There is small windscreen and a second roll bar hoop in the SP2, which further differentiates the two designs from one another. We don’t think these cars will be approved for road use, so expect them to be track-day-only machines. Furthermore, only a maximum of 500 examples will be produced.

Lotus Evija – $2.1 Million

McLaren Speedtail – $2.3 Million

Meet the new Speedtail – an aptly-named addition to McLaren’s Ultimate Series of automobiles. This limited-edition car – of which only 106 examples will be built – represents McLaren’s unyielding pursuit of maximum top-speed. Whereas other McLaren’s blend handling, acceleration, and driving dynamics in a harmonious package, the Speedtail has a more singular focus. That focus is speed; ludicrous amounts of it. McLaren has labeled the Speedtail a Hyper GT, which seems fitting given the excess of the car and its abilities. This 1,055 hp car will take you to 250 mph, and then to the Opera, on the same set of tires (to paraphrase McLaren spokesperson, Wayne Bruce). More than that, the Speedtail is a car that reminds us that the automotive world serves to inspire and excite us, as much as it does in moving us from one place to the next. Though, in the case of the Speedtail, it moves us unlike anything else out there.

Rimac Nevera – $2.4 Million

Although it is not the first EV to be powered by 4 permanent magnet electric motors, the Rimac Nevera does come with its own unique electric drivetrain design. By strategically placing a pair of 200 kW electric motors in front and another two 500 kW electric motors in the rear, the engineers were able to give the rear-biased Nevera an ideal 48:52 (front:rear) weight distribution. It’s probably a good thing that this Rimac was built with a predisposition to exhibit ballet-like agility, because it’s going to need all the grace in the world to tame all that’s brewing within. In combination, all of the 4 electric motors can generate up to 1,914 hp (1.4 mW) and 1,740 lb-ft of torque (2,360 Nm). This allows the Nevera to absolutely annihilate the popular 0-60 mph benchmark in just 1.85 seconds, with an equally impressive 1/4 mile time of just 8.6 seconds – good enough to make it the fastest production vehicle ever made, by some margin. Top speed is stated as 258 mph (412 km/h).

Pininfarina Battista – $2.5 Million

I doubt that anyone would be offended – least of all, Pininfarina – if the Battista was mistaken as ‘just another’ one of Ferrari’s super cars. Afterall, the design elements are deliberately signature from the company; and that’s really the best part of it all. Beneath the silhouette lies something less familiar – the absence a typically mid-mounted combustion engine, for one. The Ferrari…. I mean…. Pininfarina Battista is fully-electric, and beyond that very notion, things only start to get even more crazy. The Battista utilizes 4 motors – one for each wheel – which produce a combined 1,900 hp and 1696 ft-lb of torque. That level of performance and technological sophistication won’t come cheap either, with each car priced at around $2.5 million USD. The decision by Automobili Pininfarina to start producing electric cars right off the bat came relatively easy for the company, which was not tied down by a past involving the combustion engine – they could begin their journey with a clean (no pun intended) slate.

Mercedes-AMG Project One – $2.7 Million

After months of teasing and speculation, Mercedes-AMG has officially unveiled the world’s first road legal car equipped with a Formula 1 powertrain – the 1,000 hp Project One. Its 4-digit power output comes from an improved version of the hybrid system found inside the W08 F1 car, which also includes a turbocharged 1.6L V6 engine and four electric motors. The two front electric motors on the Project One are of the latest and greatest technologies available, with each unit being capable of revving up to 50,000 rpm and producing 160 hp on their own. The third electric motor is integrated into the turbocharger, while the fourth is mounted directly on the car’s combustion engine, producing another 120 hp of the Project One’s total power output of “beyond 1,000 hp”. Mercedes-AMG has also claimed that the turbo lag on the Project One is not only eliminated in this setup, but the response times should now be shorter than those cars powered by a naturally-aspirated V8.

Koenigsegg Jesko – $2.8 Million

The Koenigsegg Jesko was unveiled at the most recent Geneva Motor Show to date – the 2019 edition – drawing a lot of attention in Switzerland when the covers came off. This was a brutal looking car in true Koenigsegg tradition; with a claimed top speed of 300 mph, from what they claim is their lightest and most powerful 5.0L twin-turbocharged V8 engine yet. Numbers like 1,600 hp on E85 biofuel and 1,280 on regular gasoline were mentioned, along with a maximum torque of 1,106 lb-ft requiring a special 9-speed multi-clutch gearbox built in-house by Koenigsegg. At 170 mph, the aerodynamic design of the Jesko with its massive rear wing at play, creates 2,200 lbs of downforce … at its top speed, this number increases to more than 3,000 lbs of downforce!

Bugatti Chiron $2.9 Million

With a name honoring Louis Chiron – Bugatti’s Grand Prix driver in the 20s and 30s, who swept up virtually all the major races he participated in – the stakes were always going to be raised even higher. Operating beyond the known best-standard in any field is incredibly tough; new battle lines had to be drawn. Alongside the pre-marketing activity, which led to those hundreds of names on the pre-order list, Bugatti tested the Chiron extensively across several continents. This was to ensure that whatever the conditions, it was head and shoulders above the competition. The 8.0L W16 from the Veyron is no bad place to start from any perspective; that engine had no shortage of power, producing 1183 hp in ‘SuperSports’ configuration – at launch, the fastest production car in the world. With the Chiron, Bugatti has built upon that blueprint and founded an entirely new platform – one which has seen extensive improvements in all areas over its predecessor. It is stunning, it is capable, and it has the price tag to match. The “base” Chiron is still a monster.

GMA T.50 $3.0 Million

As impressive as a 12,100 rpm redline sounds, its 654 hp and 345 lb-ft of torque doesn’t sound extraordinary by today’s standards. But rest assured this engine, and this car, are on the cusp of a truly “redefining” moment in automotive history. Crucially weighing at just 178 kg, the engine plays a huge factor towards the T.50’s overall curb weight of just 980 kg – about one-third that of a contemporary supercar or hypercar. The GMA T.50 is the culmination of decades of Gordon Murray’s aerodynamic and mechanical engineering experience. Part of what makes the T.50 so exciting, is that it incorporates the design and function of the infamous Brabham BT46 “Fan Car.” A gigantic fan – powered by the camshaft of the engine and coupled with the curved underbody of the BT46 – created an active venturi effect that quite literally vacuumed the car onto the road, and allowed it to corner at barely believable speeds and levels of grip. The T.50 will feature something similar, and likely more advanced. On a road car. We can’t wait to see this in the flesh.

Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro – $3.1 Million

The new Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro isn’t just another version of the original Aston Martin Valkyrie with some added aerodynamic parts. They’ve also increased the wheelbase of the original chassis by 380 mm, and added 96 mm and 115 mm to the front and rear track width respectively. These changes effectively lengthen the entire car by 266 mm, essentially making it a ‘longtail’ version, as their rivals McLaren would call it. The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro still uses the same Cosworth-built naturally-aspirated V12 engine with a 6.5L displacement – but now with 1,000 hp available at a screaming 11,000 rpm. Significant weight has been shed on the Valkyrie AMR Pro by removing the entire hybrid system, using an extremely light carbon fiber body, and incorporating carbon fiber suspension components. Thanks to its aerodynamic efficiency, the Valkyrie AMR Pro offers track performance previously only seen on Formula One cars.

W Motors Lykan Hypersport – $3.4 Million

This list just wouldn’t be complete without a car that had a starring role in the Fast and Furious Movie franchise, or would it? Well, here is one such car – the W Motors Lykan Hypersport. After its World Premiere launch at the International Qatar Motor Show on July 28th 2013, W Motors revealed to the world its first model, the Lykan HyperSport limited to only 7 units worldwide. Over 150,000 visitors attended this event with the presence of regional and international media covering this historical event for a global exposure and coverage. Other than having some legit Hollywood cred, the car is also famous for being the first to feature a holographic display system with interactive motion, giving the driver and passenger full interaction with the multimedia interface of the Lykan as well as other vehicle control systems. So the car is hardly new; but according to the W Motors website, they’re still open for business and are keen to take on new orders.

Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut – $3.4 Million

About a year later Koenigsegg unveiled the Jesko, they had something even more impressive on tap – the Jesko Absolut. While the ‘regular’ Jesko is more of a track-focused machine with balanced attributes and extensive aerodynamics, the Absolut was built to smash all top speed records. It has been designed to be as smooth as possible, with the least possible amount of drag – a coefficient value of only 0.278 Cd has been achieved, allowing for a top speed in excess of 330 mph (532 km/h), figures which would certainly fulfill its purpose. The first of these $3,000,000-ish hypercars are ‘Made in Sweden’ and will be delivered to their fortunate customers by the spring of 2022. I’m really curious as to what special color combinations we’ll be seeing for the builds, and just how split the numbers will be between the Jesko and Jesko Absolut; will more customers opt for the brutal, race-inspired-LeMans-style of the Jesko, or will the Absolut woo over more customers with her sleeker lines and higher top speed?

McLaren Sabre -$3.5 Million

McLaren’s Special Operations bespoke division has produced 15 cars exclusively for the US market. The first McLaren Sabre has already been delivered by McLaren Beverly Hills, with the company stating that the Sabre has “ideas and innovations that global homologation would not permit.” – this probably explains why it’s only available to customers west of the Atlantic. The McLaren Sabre is powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 engine which produces 824 hp and 590 ft-lb torque (with a top speed of 218 mph), which happens to make it the most powerful non-hybrid engine to date. Every example of the Sabre has been built specially for each customer, all of whom were intimately involved during the development and assembly process. In terms of looks, the Sabre could best be described as if the McLaren Speedtail and Senna had a child – with such good genes to draw from, that ultimately serves as a compliment. McLaren is not sharing any other specifications at this time, but we’ll probably get to know more as the other 14 cars get delivered in the coming months.

Pagani Huayra Roadster BC – $3.5 Million

If you like your hypercars over-the-top and amazing, then the Huayra Roadster BC is for you. We’ve reported on this car before – now it’s officially here. The car is a $3.5 Million machine with a crazy powerful engine and looks that will catch the eye of anyone. Pagani recently revealed the car, and it’s a stunning example of what makes them so special as an automaker. The Huayra Roadster BC features a 6.0L AMG V12 which is good for a whopping 800 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque, making the Roadster BC is more powerful than the coupe version. It weighs only 2,685 pounds and should be good for a 0-60 mph run in under 2.5 seconds. However, what the Roadster BC was truly designed for, was to conquer the twisty roads and race tracks. Pagani says the car can pull 1.9 Gs of max lateral force in corners. The company will make only 40 of the Roadster BC, and the car made its first official appearance during Monterey Car Week.

Lamborghini Sián – $3.6 Million

The original Sián introduced the concept of a naturally-aspirated V12 engine with a mild hybrid electric motor built into the transmission to boost performance. Unlike other hybrids that came before it, the electric motor provides only 34 HP and instead of a battery pack, uses a regenerative supercapacitor instead. With the newfangled hybrid system and the revamped 6.5L V12 engine, the car is able to do a 0-62 mph sprint in just 2.8 seconds along with a top speed of over 217 mph. The regenerative braking has the ability to fully recharge the supercapacitor in full, adding to the electric motor’s capability to assist the engine at speeds under 80 mph. Compared to an EV battery which takes much, much, longer to fully recharge, and weighs substantially more, you might be wondering why supercapacitors aren’t the dominating technology in electric or hybrid vehicles today. Well, there are a few very important reasons for this. By nature, supercapacitors aren’t able to store energy for long periods of time like a battery, making them unviable to be the primary food source for an electric vehicle – at least for now.

Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport – $3.6 Million

Usually, Europe is the most important market for Bugatti, but for the first time in history, during the first six months of 2021, the leading region has been taken over by the United States of America, with an immense interest in the impressive Bugatti Chiron, and more specifically the very special Pur Sport, a model that focusses on agility and acceleration instead of all-out top speed. Even 24 Hour of Le Mans class winner and longtime Bugatti test driver Butch Leitzinger was impressed with the Chiron Pur Sport during extended testing in Southern California, he stated: “The seamless marriage of agility and brute force give the Pur Sport abilities that are unmatched, not only by any other car, but also by any other Bugatti.”, so despite the price tag in the $4,000,000 region, there are more customers than ever willing to park the Chiron in their garage. There will be only 60 units built for the entire world.

Bugatti Divo – $5.8 Million

For starters, the Bugatti Divo is based on the Bugatti Chiron, and is certainly no less over-the-top. The Divo shares most of the important mechanical features with the Chiron; most notably the same quad-turbocharged 8.0L W16 engine which produces an extravagant 1,500 horsepower. According to Bugatti President, Stephan Winkelmann, the goal of the Divo is to be “the most agile and dynamic car Bugatti has ever created – a perfect homage for the 110th anniversary, which will be held in 2019”. In order to achieve this, many changes to the Chiron were made to its bodywork and chassis to amp up its aerodynamic efficiency and handling. Such drastic changes ensured that the Divo and Chiron are easily distinguishable, visually. Overall the Divo also has sharper angles and more aggressive looking body lines, with the horseshoe shaped grill, centre line running over the top of the car, and scoop-shaped doors being the only truly pronounced Bugatti features. “Happiness Isn’t Just Around The Corner. It Is The Corner.” – The Bugatti Divo.

Bugatti Centodieci – $9.0 Million

The Bugatti Centodieci is the brand’s homage to one of its most iconic supercars of all time – the Bugatti EB110. Images of the Centodieci were leaked ahead of its launch and many rumors had spread before the reveal. Despite this, the car is undeniably impressive and a force to be reckoned with when compared to any car ever produced. With sleek EB110-inspired looks, Bugatti did a good job of making the car look like an homage to the old supercar, while still giving it modern appeal. It might be built upon the Chiron platform, but there’s no question that this vehicle is much more than the car it’s loosely based on. After all, it shares the same engine with the Chiron, but in the Centodieci, it makes quite a bit more power with 1,578 hp on tap. The car is also 44 pounds lighter than the Chiron and will complete the 0-60 mph sprint in just 2.4 seconds, on its way up to 124 mph in as little as 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 236 mph. In short, the Centodieci appears to be a near-perfect blend of the Chiron and EB110, with a few of its own unique design elements to set it apart from both of those cars.

August 10, 2021 / Comments Off

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Rimac Nevera at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2021

Rimac Automobili just posted a video of their amazing Nevera at the 2021 edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, they had the dark grey car on display at the Michelin Supercar Paddock, and that car would also be taken onto the hill climb circuit, both with clients and journalists in the passenger seat, this car first arrived in the UK for some private VIP events together with H.R.Owen in London.

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A second, white Rimac Nevera with blue accents was shown on the ‘Electric Avenue’, a part of the Goodwood show exclusively dedicated to all-electric cars, and the Nevera hypercar drew a lot of attention at both parts, this two-minute video shows some of the highlights from Rimac during the four-day Goodwood event, as the doors have closed now, the Rimac Nevera continues her global voyage, next stop will be Spain.

July 12, 2021 / Comments Off

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The Rimac Nevera conquers London

We’ve only just announced the remarkable joint venture between Rimac Automobili and Bugatti Automobiles a few days ago, and now we have a brand new milestone for the Rimac brand … for the first time in history the Rimac Nevera left her home country, Croatia, and came to the UK, conquering London in complete silence, the 1,914 hp all-electric hypercar has no problem entering the Ultra Low Emissions Zone in the UK’s capital.

The first trip outside of Croatia for this amazing hypercar of the future was toward the only official UK dealership for Rimac Automobili, renowned H.R.Owen, a household name among luxury motorcars, being the leading dealer group combining makes like Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, BAC, Puritalia, and now also Rimac, with the H.R.Owen flagship dealership located in Mayfair since 1927 … they have a total of six showrooms in London alone, with five more in other counties.

It isn’t a coincidence the arrival of the limited edition Rimac Nevera, only 150 units will be built for the entire world, happens days before the Goodwood Festival of Speed opens its doors for the long-awaited 2021 edition, the Nevera will surely make an appearance at that famous show, perhaps even take a stint at the hill climb, possibly even setting some records keeping in mind it takes only 9.3 seconds to reach 300 km/h behind the wheel of this hypercar, a time most family saloons take to reach 100 km/h.

London is also the first stop for the Rimac Nevera, after that she’ll go to Goodwood for the Festival of Speed, but once that’s completed the Nevera will go on an epic global trip to make over 20 stops in the upcoming 8 months, while she travels throughout Europe before heading to Asia and later the United States to visit the worldwide Rimac dealer network and make an appearance at some of the most renowned events so people can see this amazing hypercar in real life.

Ken Choo, H.R. Owen CEO, said: “Since meeting Mate Rimac and the whole Rimac Automobili team two years ago, we have believed wholeheartedly in their vision. To finally now see the culmination of years of development, with the Nevera finally in our showroom and on the streets of London, is a very special moment. Led by the Group Chairman of Berjaya Corp Berhad, Vincent Tan, H.R. Owen has built a reputation for extraordinary attention-to-detail in customer service, just as Rimac has perfected every small detail on the Nevera. It’s the foundation for a great partnership between our brands.”

We already know the name Nevera is taken from a typical storm in Croatia, very powerful and charged by lightning … when the storm hits it will be with exceptional speed and potency, something the Rimac Nevera mimics perfectly … this hypercar can change from a comfortable Gran Tourer cruising with ease into a fierce performance machine on four wheels … in the blink of an eye. I sure wouldn’t mind seeing the Rimac Nevera in real life during one of the stops she’ll make.

July 7, 2021 / Comments Off

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Porsche and Rimac Agree Deal to Take Control of Bugatti from Volkswagen

Volkswagen Group has agreed a deal which cedes control of Bugatti to a joint venture. It will be called Bugatti Rimac, led by Mate Rimac, with Porsche taking a 45 percent stake in the venture and Rimac, the other 55 percent.

Rimac itself is owned by Mate Rimac (39.2 percent) Porsche (24 percent) Camel Group (14 percent) and Hyundai Motor Group (14 percent), which means that Porsche will, in effect, control 58.2 percent of Bugatti Rimac. That said, Porsche does not expect to have a say in the running of the new company.

The joint venture will see Bugatti’s production remain in France, while all of its research will move into Rimac’s new headquarters in Croatia. Projects previously announced under the Rimac brand will now move to Bugatti Rimac, including the recently announced Rimac Nevera.

Rimac has forged a reputation as a pioneer of the blossoming electric car market. Although the company generally produces high end electric hypercars, it has worked with the likes of Jaguar, Aston Martin and Pininfarina.

Rimac has apparently confirmed his intention to produce a fully-electric Bugatti by the end of the decade, with hybrid models to accompany it. It remains to be seen whether this indicates that other parts of the Volkswagen Group are about to receive the same treatment.

July 5, 2021 / Comments Off

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Bugatti Rimac is a new company

After a lot of rumors, it is finally official, Mate Rimac will become the CEO of a brand new company called Bugatti Rimac d.o.o. that will have its headquarter in Croatia and becomes a new entity by the final quarter of 2021, and to really put this amazing feat into perspective … it took Rimac only ten years to become a massive company, back in 2010 Rimac had 8 employees, and when they introduced the Concept 1 at the 2011 IAA in Frankfurt, they had no idea that by 2021 they would join forces with a hypercar brand like Bugatti and have over 1,000 employees.

In 2018 a big milestone was reached when Porsche invested in Rimac Automobili, only a year later, in 2019, both Hyundai and Kia became shareholders of the company, today Mate Rimac decided it was time to separate his company Rimac Automobili that was founded twelve years ago, the original company will be renamed into Rimac Group that will contain two separate companies, one being Bugatti Rimac that will continue to build Hypercar, the other called Rimac Technology that will focus on creating technology not only for the Rimac hypercars but also for other companies.

But Rimac Group will only own a controlling interest in Bugatti Rimac of 55%, while the shareholders of the Rimac Group are Porsche with 24%, Hyundai at 12%, other investors hold 27%, while Mate Rimac himself holds 37% of Rimac Group being the largest shareholder, and while there is a new company called Bugatti Rimac, both Bugatti Automobiles and Rimac Automobili will remain separate companies, but they will combine expertise to create the future models for both brands.

Fear not, the 110 years of Bugatti history will be kept alive, production of Bugatti cars will remain at Molsheim, even for future models, once finished, the massive Rimac Campus in Croatia will be building all Rimac cars, but will also be the home of R&D for both Bugatti and Rimac, remember this massive campus will hold 2,500 employees, and when completed in 2023 will also house the production for technology and components for both Bugatti and Rimac cars.

Putting together the right structure for Bugatti Rimac took 18 months of negotiations according to Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT at Porsche AG, with this joint venture the future of Bugatti Automobiles has been secured by uniting two strong brands, one being 110 years old, the second being very young but boasting a rarely seen growth path.

Bugatti became part of the Volkswagen Group in 1998, since then the world’s most impressive hypercars have left the gates at Molsheim, like the Bugatti Veyron and today the Bugatti Chiron, and while Porsche now owns 45% of Bugatti Automobiles and the Rimac Group the other 55%, production of these amazing, luxurious and extremely fast W16 quad-turbo hypercars will remain in France, even for the next generation of Bugatti cars.

July 5, 2021 / Comments Off

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Rimac still looking to buy Bugatti?

We first heard about a Bugatti takeover back in September 2020, the German Manager Magazin published an article about Rimac making an announcement within weeks of them taking over Bugatti … but that didn’t materialize apparently, neither did the bid of $11.5 billion on Automobili Lamborghini SpA a while ago by a Swiss investment group.

In March 2021 Mate Rimac, CEO of his own, Croatian carmaker, confirmed he was working closely together with Porsche to obtain a strategic investment from Porsche into Rimac, up to $181,000,000, which might mean Porsche obtains a large part of Rimac, but Mate Rimac emphasizes that his company will remain independent, and Porsche will never own 50% of the company … the rumor now is that Mate Rimac holds onto 55% of the shares, while Porsche might obtain the remaining 45%.

But today the same German Manager Magazin once again publishes a report that states Rimac is ready to take over Bugatti from the VW group, with the help of Porsche, and that’s not even the entire story this time … renowned Reuters actually cites Manager Magazin in saying Rimac has plans to go public next year, putting shares on the stock market in an attempt to reach a massive $6 billion valuation.

Now, once again it seems things are being stirred up in the hypercar market, not only does Mate Rimac have the ultimate all-electric hypercar in the new Nevera, but that car seems to be setting the benchmark for all the other hypercar builders out there …

Source : Motor1.com

June 17, 2021 / Comments Off

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Rimac reportedly planning stock IPO as it draws closer to Bugatti

FRANKFURT — Croatian electric hypercar maker Rimac is exploring several options for its future, a spokesperson for the group said in response to a report outlining plans for an initial public offering next year.

Germany’s Manager Magazin reported that Rimac, in which Volkswagen’s Porsche unit owns a 24% stake, was planning an IPO in 2022 at a valuation of 5 billion euros ($6.1 billion), without disclosing where it obtained the information.

“As for going public, we’re considering different options, but it hasn’t been decided which direction we’ll go in,” the Rimac spokesperson said.

Rimac has developed an electric supercar platform which it supplies to other carmakers, including Automobili Pininfarina.

It is currently working on a strategic partnership with Volkswagen unit Bugatti, which will likely result in a joint venture between Porsche and Rimac, with Porsche as a minority partner, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said in March.

“The future of Bugatti is an issue that will be decided on a group level,” Porsche said in a statement, declining to comment further.

Porsche boss Oliver Blume earlier this year said intense discussions on Bugatti’s future were ongoing and that Rimac could play a role as the brands were a good technological fit, adding that a decision was expected in the first half of 2021.

Earlier this month, Rimac revealed the 1,914-horsepower Rimac Nevera.

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June 17, 2021 / Comments Off

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2022 Rimac Nevera: An In-depth Look

Introduction

At this very moment in time, if any of us were asked to write down a list of countries renown for producing supercars (or hypercars), it would likely turn out to be a redundant exercise. After all, almost everyone would come up with essentially the same answers; surely you’d have Italian stalwarts – Ferrari and Lamborghini – in the mix along with Porsche, McLaren and Bugatti. Fewer would make an argument for the more mainstream brands to be included, with the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and heck, even Nissan, all proving in recent times that they too possess the wizardry to create some of the best performing automobiles on the planet. An even smaller (and more gear-headed) group than that, would not let us forget about “boutique” automakers such as Koenigsegg, Pagani and Hennessey.

Rimac Automobili

Ladies and gentlemen, all of that is about to change; here enters a new challenger whom hails from Croatia. The company known as Rimac Automobili – founded by its namesake, Mate Rimac – is a relatively small hypercar producer based in the Western Balkans. With a population of just 4 million people and no history of whatsoever when it comes to automobile production, Rimac is a bit of an enigma. However, the country is no stranger to seemingly improbable events. Not many people are aware, but Nikola Tesla – one of main the pioneers of electricity as we know it – also came from this part of the world.

To what degree this fact has influenced Mate Rimac and his company to focus on exclusively producing electric vehicles is up for debate, but this whole story is at the very least, a serendipitous one. Ironically, this could also give Rimac a more legitimate claim to commercializing the name of “Tesla”, though it doesn’t appear that Mr. Rimac is too concerned about getting into a bureaucratic joust with Elon Musk. Declaring war on who can produce a better electric car, though? Game. On.

Rimac has actually been around since 2009, and only recently showcased its first finished product to the world (much more on that below). Prior to this, the company has been hard at work perfecting their new electric hypercar and had unveiled two concept cars along the way – first the C_One, followed by the more production-ready C_Two. These were by no means audacious or far-fetched prototypes produced to generate little more than some fanfare and a few deposits from the wallets of billionaire prospective owners.

They were a solid, working proof of concept that showed Rimac was on to something – something game-changing. Even the old boys club took notice, with the likes of Porsche – who recently increased their stake in the company – and Hyundai pouring significant investment into Rimac. This alone tells us how important Rimac’s work is (and will be) to the broader automotive landscape, and is not just a one-off glamour project like so many other cars produced by smaller automakers. There’s no doubt that the R&D – particularly as it pertains to battery technology – from this project is being shared with the big guns, in exchange for their funding.

Nevera

Yeah, so naming your car the ‘Nevera’ is a bit of a weird one to English speakers. In fact, it’s an ominous (if not humorous) name which beckons any variation of “dad joke” in the essence of “2.4 million dollars!? I Nevera liked electric cars anyway!” It also has the potential to be cannon fodder for Tesla’s occasionally combative (i.e. Elon Musk tweets) marketing strategy. Pun vulnerabilities aside, understanding the origins of the name will help things make a lot more sense; the Nevera is named after an electrically-charged storm which often occurs on Croatia’s Mediterranean coastal line.

Rightfully so, as the Rimac Nevera is powered by four electric motors and has already proven itself to be a world-beater – and not to a detriment to the world itself (quite the opposite actually). Living up to its name, the zero emissions hypercar has certainly created a storm by repeatedly humiliating the Ferrari SF90 in a drag race and setting new production car records in the process. ‘Nevera’ is for the most part, just the new official name for the C_Two rather than a vastly more superior variant of it, although production versions will be delivered with some final tweaks and refinements.

As an automotive outfit Rimac might be small on scale, but it is the complete opposite when it comes to its impact. This car is going to redefine the hypercar, which to this point, has already been redefining what an automobile could and should ought to be. Limited to a production run of only 150 units, the Rimac Nevera is the next and most obvious step forward in this evolution. If you’re clinging to any reservations you might have about a future with EVs, the Nevera is here to put an end to that.

Performance & EV Drivetrain

Amongst a variety of systems marshalled by its supercomputer of an ECU, is an incredibly advanced torque vectoring system which is responsible for distributing power to the wheels in both a safe and performance-optimized manner. The Nevera is equipped with a pair of single-speed gearboxes; one located at the front, the other in the rear.

Battery & Range

No matter how insanely quick this car is, it would actually account for very little if its battery range made the driving/owning experience more of a novelty, rather than one with some semblance of practicality. I mean, what use would 1,914 hp be if you had to break a sweat about whether you’d manage a round-trip to the Whole Foods 5 mins away on a full charge? Thankfully, these fears should be put to bed almost as quickly as the Nevera can do 0-60 mph, with Rimac claiming an impressive range of 340 miles (550 km) WLTP.

Now, don’t expect this type of range if you’re regularly hooning the car around town or on the race track. Regardless, for a car of this nature, it’s still more than most people would’ve expected. How does it manage this feat? Well for one, the Nevera is equipped with a massive 6,960-cell 120 kWh battery which sits low (in an ‘H’ shape) under the car’s flooring. This battery architecture was all designed and built in-house by Rimac – and if it sounds familiar, that’s because the Porsche Taycan uses the same design, which it also derived from Rimac.

Chassis

The Rimac Nevera tips the scales at around 2,150 kg, so while it’s not necessarily heavy for an EV, it’s certainly a bit stout compared to the typical supercar or hypercar. In otherwise normal circumstances, that would make the Nevera’s large frame more burdensome to accelerate, difficult to slow down and a chore handle. But it’s pretty clear that the Nevera is no ordinary automobile and it demonstrates exactly none of the aforementioned shortcomings. Despite the extra weight to lug around, the Nevera’s drivetrain and battery design contribute to a 48:52 front-to-rear weight distribution, which is at least on par with contemporary hypercars. Like other EVs on the market, it too benefits from having much of its weight sit near the ground and inherently possessing a low center of gravity.

In terms of good ol’ nuts, bolts and sheet metal (oh, and carbon fiber), the Rimac Nevera is also as advanced as things can get in that area. The chassis is made entirely of carbon fiber, which Rimac claims, makes it the most rigid production car ever made. They’ve gone on to specifically state that it is about twice as solid as a Lamborghini Aventador; at this point, it would be a big ask to doubt them on this, especially when considering that it features a bonded roof, integrated battery housing and rear subframe as part of the design.

As for braking, the Nevera is equipped with massive 390 mm Brembo carbon-ceramic brake discs and 6-pot calipers. Per standard EV functionality, the hypercar also benefits from regenerative braking (which, surprise, surprise, Rimac also claims is the most effective of its kind). This not only equates to greater stopping power, but also a higher level of battery charge being restored from braking. An electro-hydraulic brake booster simulates the undulations of a more traditional braking system to give drivers all the feedback they need with regards to when to brake, and how much pedal force is required. Rimac has also stated that the forces from regenerative braking alone, are sufficient enough for “one-pedal driving” in most normal driving circumstances, though I’d suggest refraining from using this technique for anything other than demonstrative purposes.

Control Systems

We understand that the Nevera’s main ECU is actually comprised of 77 smaller computers which are programed to obey millions of lines of code. It’s responsible for controlling anything ranging from torque vectoring to active aerodynamics, and even self-driving capabilities. The Nevera also comes with a number of driving modes. Range and Comfort mode are probably what you’d be using for civil excursions around town, while Track and Drift mode are pretty self-explanatory – particularly when it comes to how soon you’ll need to throw on a new set of tires. There are also 2 Custom modes which will allow drivers to punch-in more individualized settings, while Sport mode would probably be the most centrist on the presets spectrum.

The aforementioned torque vectoring system has a special name: Rimac All-Wheel Torque Vectoring. R-AWTV is able to process 100 calculations per second, which ultimately allows the system to be both extremely predictive and responsive in its adjustments. This translates to an optimal cohesion of safety, comfort and handling precision, regardless of whether the car is being driven at the limits on the race track, or well within its potential on the city streets. Steering is also fully assisted, by an electric motor, fittingly. While not necessarily the most natural nor analog feeling steering system you’ll put your hands on, it is perfectly harmonized with the Nevera’s overall drivetrain and chassis setup. Each driving mode provides a different level of “involvement” in this regard.

Rimac is working on an “AI Driving Coach” program, which should be ready before the first examples roll off the production line. This system uses, as its name implies, an artificial intelligence which guides drivers while they’re on a race track. Using visual and audio aids, the AI will give drivers real-time tips on how to improve their lap times. An “augmented-reality” racing line will even be available for a select group of renown international race circuits. Awesome.

Design

The Rimac Nevera’s overall design philosophy is deeply rooted to aerodynamic and performance principles; it is anything but a gaudy and non-functional showpiece. It does present a contemporary silhouette as far as the mid-engine hypercar template is concerned, but as is the case with the rest of the car, the devil is in the details. Naturally, pictures will do the most justice when it comes to describing the car’s appearance, but I am obliged to at least attempt doing as much using less-than-a-thousand words.

After all, fitting a massive “H-shaped” battery within the confines of such a sublimely proportioned car must have been no easy feat. Especially when considering that its aerodynamic efficiency is over 34% better than that of the early C_One prototype. Carved in the right mold then meticulously positioned, are a combination of diffusers, splitters, fenders, wheel-arches and bumpers, which form the Nevera’s body shape.

At the front of the car is an intricate bumper with a carbon fiber splitter; one of the essential components of the Nevera’s active aerodynamics. Air intakes are strategically located to increase air-flow and provide cooling for the front brakes and electric motors. The bonnet features a large vent to allow trapped air to escape, while also improving downforce over the front wheels. Like most other exotic cars, the Nevera also features rear-fender intakes which draw-in air channeled by the car’s deliberate side profile. Instead of feeding air into a throttle body or a pair of turbochargers, they are used to cool the battery and electric motors in this particular application.

A retractable rear spoiler and motorized rear diffuser – both of which can move independently of one another – complete the active aerodynamics system. Speaking of that, this system – when toggled into the high-downforce mode – can increase downforce by up to 326% compared to its low drag setting. One of the most notable styling cues of the Nevera is its use of “butterfly” or “gullwing” doors, which were engineered in such a way that getting in and out of the car is not as difficult compared to previous applications of this design.

Interior

It would be easy to forgive Rimac, if not applaud them (hardcore enthusiasts usually endorse spartan-ism), should they have sold us short on the interior, but that was never going to be part of the Nevera’s blueprint. In no uncertain terms, the cabin is an exciting mixture of high tech amenities and quality refinements; the car’s interior serving as a largely blank canvas for bespoke customization based on the customer’s tastes. This means that any choice of seat materials, carbon fiber pieces, colors, etc. are at the behest of the buyer.

What is uniform across every build is the use of rotary knobs throughout the driver’s control panel. One of those knobs allows the driver to toggle between the 7 driving modes, while other knobs control functions such as traction/stability assists, front/rear power distribution, and the sound system volume. Rimac also supplies a proprietary infotainment system on the Nevera, which displays pertinent information on its graphical user interface. This is projected through LCD screens; the one closest to the passenger provides real-time data including torque distribution, g-forces and other performance-related tidbits, while the more central unit is your typical infotainment hub which controls features such as navigation, climate control and audio. Telemetry from each driving session can even be downloaded and analyzed on a computer.

The Nevera needs to be an absolute Einstein of a car to compute all of this simultaneously, and central to all this genius is the car’s use of the latest version of NVIDIA’s Pegasus operating system. This helps to process information from the multitude of inputs the Rimac uses to collect and make sense of data – this includes no fewer than 12 ultrasonic sensors, 13 cameras and 6 radars. Not to mention, the car will indeed be equipped to handle autonomous driving and will also be coming with the aforementioned driving coach feature, meaning that AI is at the core of the Nevera’s overall functionality. This thing puts Teslas to shame, not just in terms of performance, but also as it pertains to being a so-called “tech car”. Incredible.

Pricing & Availability

Rimac will be limiting production of its Nevera EV hypercar to just 150 units worldwide. Each example will start at around US$2,400,000 and will go up from there based on how bespoke-y the customer decides he or she would like to be. As is the nature of such automobiles, there is a general and unspoken consensus that all units have already been matched with a buyer, and that the Nevera won’t really be “for sale” in the way that most people are familiar with.

Verdict

Top Gear

“The first true pure-electric hypercar is a sensation, as is the company that makes it.”

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carwow

“Put quite simply, the Rimac Nevera is the most exciting electric vehicle on the planet. It’s phenomenally expensive, but its performance is out of this world.”

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Car and Driver

“Hypercars like the Nevera aren’t for everyone, but there’s no denying its significance as the moment a battery-powered car toppled the Bugatti Chiron.”

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June 9, 2021 / Comments Off

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Rimac Nevera Revealed with 1914hp and a $2.4 Million Price Tag

Rimac Automobili officially unveiled the new all-electric Nevera hypercar based on the Rimac C_two concept car which was released in 2018 at the Geneva Motor Show.

Nevera is a Croatian name of a mighty Mediterrenean storm that races across the open sea off Croatia, the name reflects the performance of the vehicle. In addition, the next generation Rimac hypercar shares the name and design of Nevera and it’s just as proficient at transforming its character from a grand tourer to a performance vehicle in an instant.

The bodywork of the all-electric vehicle features air diffusers and intakes that improve the aerodynamic efficiency by 34%. In addition, the bonnet, splitters and radiators, design of the diffuser and shape of the pillars have been examined and clarified to improve the airflow and downforce. The inlets and air intakes have improved and increased the cooling efficiency of the engine and the brakes by 30% at low speeds and 7% at high speeds.

Additionally, the front bonnet, underbody flap, rear diffuser and the rear spoiler enhance the performance, stability and efficiency of the vehicle and each can move independently thanks to the complex algorithms that provide optimum aerodynamic settings for every driving condition. Switching from ‘high downforce’ to ‘low drag’ mode reduces the drag by 17.5% to create a coefficient drag of 0.3 whereas switching back to ‘high downforce’ mode increases the downforce by 326%.

The interior of the vehicle features a cockpit divided into two zones, high-definition TFT screens and tactile billet aluminium rotary controls and switches.

The vehicle’s monocoque features a bonded carbon roof, integrated structural battery pack and a rear carbon subframe that forms a large single carbon fibre piece. The monocoque encases the battery pack and it weighs less than 200kg and utilises 2200 carbon fibre plys and 222 aluminium inserts.

The 6960 cell battery of the Nevera is H-shaped, liquid cooled and 120kWh was developed by Rimac, it is capable of producing 1.4MW of power. The battery forms an essential part of the car’s core and increases structural stiffness to the carbon fibre monocoque by 37%. The battery has been fitted at the central low part of the vehicle To contribute to the low centre of gravity as well as balance the weight distribution and stability of the vehicle.

The four bespoke surface-mounted permanent magnet motors enables the vehicle to produce a maximum output of 1914hp and 2360Nm of torque. The vehicle can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds, 0-300km/h in 9.3 seconds and complete a quarter-mile distance in 8.6 seconds. The top speed is limited to 412km/h.

Furthermore, the front and rear wheels are each connected to a pair of single-speed gearboxes.

The Nevera also features 390mm Brembo CCMR carbon ceramic brake disks and six-piston calipers, double wishbone suspensions with electronically controlled dampers and ride height adjustments and R-AWTV 2 system that enables drivetrain calibrations through seven drive modes i.e Sport, Comfort, Drift, Track, Range and Custom. The vehicle also features Artificial Intelligence (AI) Driver Coach and the latest operating system.

Rimac Nevera

June 1, 2021 / Comments Off

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