1,900bhp EV can sense your mood, even recognise your face. Then pulverise it

Rimac is back. This is the C_Two, successor to the Concept_One electric hypercar. It’s more powerful, faster, goes further on a charge, and terrifyingly clever. And rather beautiful, in a futuristic kind of way. Strap in, and prepare yourself for an absurd set of numbers.

Rimac claims the C_Two’s four electric motors develop a combined 1,914hp (1,887bhp) and 1,696lb ft – or 2,300Nm in new money. The front wheels individually use a single-speed gearbox each, while the use of twin two-speed gearboxes at the rear makes for a truly terrifying top speed. Rimac is claiming v-max at 258mph.

On the way, we’re told the C_Two will have cracked 0-60mph in 1.85 seconds (albeit with an American drag strip-friendly one-foot rollout), and 0-62mph, for we Europeans, in 1.97 seconds.

If the driver remains conscious, the Rimac will cover off 0-100mph in 4.3 seconds. Quarter-mile? 9.1 seconds. And don’t presume it runs out of puff once past three figures. Rimac reckons its new flagship will see off 0-186mph in 11.8 seconds. If these numbers prove to be accurate, then Croatia’s super-EV will enter a very exclusive speed club occupied by the likes of the Bugatti Chiron and Koenigsegg Agera RS. The fastest cars in the world.

Despite a completely carbon fibre chassis (with integrated batteries), carbon crash structures and carbon panels, the C_Two is no lightweight – it’s a 1,950kg machine. However, Rimac has worked to disguise this with intelligent torque-vectoring, which is fully adaptive between all four wheels.

A twist of the knob inside the fabulously modern cabin shifts drive between the axles, enabling what Rimac calls “from full grip to extended drifting capability.” In fact, the system is said to be so smart, the C_Two doesn’t have conventional stability and traction control nannies. Instead of jabbing at the monster 390mm carbon ceramic brakes to reign in performance, it’s left to the torque-vectoring tech to juggle the drive and sort out your ham-fistedness.

Of course, the brakes can recover power back into the lithium-manganese-nickel battery, which scores a 403-mile range on the NEDC test and takes 30 minutes to store 80 per cent range using a fast-charger. Rimac says the car can complete two full laps of the Nürburgring “with a neglible drop in performance”. Does anyone else smell a lap record attempt?

If the Rimac is to become a circuit champ, it’ll depend heavily on aerodynamic aids, and its packaging. The rear wing adopts multiple positions for low-drag and high-downforce, working in tandem with a flat underbelly and Venturi tunnels. Stand on the stoppers and it shoots bolt upright to become an airbrake, while flaps in the bonnet deploy to harness even more airflow. Meanwhile, cooling intakes automatically open and close when required, without the driver having to intervene.

Hypercar manufacturer and electric technology specialist, Rimac Automobili, unveiled the production version of the C_Two, now becoming the Nevera, an all-electric, 1914hp, 258mph, €2m hypercar designed and engineered to unleash an unprecedented level of performance.

The Rimac Nevera is the production-ready iteration of the Rimac C_Two concept car, which was revealed at the International Geneva Motor Show in 2018. Since then, Rimac's engineers have refined their new flagship on every level during an extensive development program, in the pursuit of the ultimate electric hypercar driving experience. With the majority of key components of the Nevera developed in-house at Rimac's HQ in Croatia, all systems have been improved and enhanced since the initial prototypes to deliver on the ambitious performance targets set for at the beginning of the project in 2018.

"This is it. This is the car I had in mind when I embarked on the 'impossible' journey ten years ago. All our hard work has resulted in the the Nevera - our record-breaking hypercar. This car was born to outperform, and to raise the bar, redefining the norm for performance cars. And not only in performance - but as an all-arround package. When we first revealed the C_Two, we set our targets extremely high. There was nothing else that could even come close to matching the car's cutting-edge electric powertrain and extreme performance. But for us, that was only the starting point," explains Mate Rimac, Founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili. "Everyone at Rimac is driven by curiosity and a desire to push things to the absolute limit. With its combination of everyday use and 1914hp performance, the Nevera proves what is possible when there are no restraints placed on technology, development, or ambition. We have now unveiled a car that pushes the hypercar market to a higher level, we have utilized the full potential of the electric powertrain today, proving what we've always been saying - that electric hypercar, in the form of the Nevera, is beyond exciting, and that is as thrilling on the track, as it is cosseting crossing continents. We will be making just 150 examples of the Nevera, every single unit crafted in Croatia from passion and admiration for cars."

Underlining his own commitment to the project, Mate Rimac will personally test and sign off each of the Neveras, before they are delivered to customers from the company's current production site on the outskirts of Zagreb, Croatia.

A Croatian success story

Inspired by the genius of fellow-Croatian, engineer and futurist Nikola Tesla, Mate Rimac undertook his first electric project when he converted his 1984 BMW 3 Series E30 to battery power at the age of 20 in his garage in 2008. He founded Rimac Automobili in 2009, and just 11 years later, the company celebrated hiring its 1000th employee.

Unencumbered by legacy and multiple layers of procedures and protocol, Rimac's agile approach has delivered impressive progress in an incredibly short time. Today, the company develops high-performance electric drivetrain and battery systems for many of the world's largest automotive manufacturers. Its customers include Aston Martin, Porsche, Pininfarina, Hyundai, Kia, Koenigsegg, Renault, Cupra and many more. In keeping with its continued growth, the company recently announced its plans for a new, state-of-the-art home - 200 million euro, 200.000m2 Rimac Campus, which will provide a home for 2.500 employees on the outskirts of Zagreb and the production of its hypercars and research and development of leading-edge electric technology projects.

Named after a force of nature

Fittingly, the Rimac Nevera bears a proud Croatian name and one that truly reflects the prodigious performance the car can unleash in the blink of an eye. The name given by the locals to a quick, unexpected and mighty Mediterranean storm, that races across the open sea off Croatia, a nevera is extremely powerful and charged by lightning.

Appearing with exceptional speed and potency, Rimac's next-generation hypercar shares the Nevera's name and looks set to leave a similarly disruptive effect on the global hypercar market. And, like the force of nature it is named after, it is just as adept at transforming its character in an instant - from assured and comfortable grand tourer to ultra-focused performance machine.

Form follows function

Rimac favors lean and effective engineering at every stage, and that philosophy is exemplified in the form-follows-function nature of the Rimac Nevera's timeless, elegant design. It is applied to every single detail, including Rimac's signature 'cravat' feature, which is incorporated into its flanks.

"Since the 17th Century, the necktie has provided a symbol of Croatian strength and identity, and we first paid tribute to it on our Concept_One hypercar in 2011," reveals Rimac Director of Design, Adriano Mudri 'And, like every element of the car's design, it is there to provide a key function of the Nevera's performance, serving as an air intake for the rear cooling systems."

A comprehensive raft of changes to the Rimac Nevera's bodywork, air diffusers and intakes has delivered a 34 per cent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency over the early prototypes. The profile of the bonnet, the shape of the pillars and the design of the diffusers, splitters and radiators have all been intensively analysed and refined to improve airflow and downforce. Inlets and cooling channels have been painstakingly developed to increase the cooling efficiency of both the brake and powertrain systems, resulting in a 30 per cent improvement at low speeds and a seven per cent enhancement at high speeds.

Rimac has also created numerous new innovative active aerodynamic elements to elevate the Nevera's cooling, performance, stability, and efficiency abilities. The front bonnet profile, underbody flap, rear diffuser and rear wing can each move independently, driven by complex algorithms that provided the optimum aerodynamic configuration for every driving situation. Switching from 'high downforce' to 'low drag' mode reduces aerodynamic drag by 17.5 per cent to create a 0.3 coefficient of drag. Changing back into 'high downforce' mode increases downforce by 326 per cent.

Despite incorporating a wealth of active aerodynamic elements, as well as many cameras and sensors that enable the Driver Coach feature, the Nevera's body design remains a coherent graphic. It combines both the drama and beauty of a hypercar and appears simultaneously shaped by the air and forged with technology. The stunning butterfly doors elegantly carve away from the car's wide sill as they open, creating a generous space for ease of entry and egress.

Lightweight, forged alloy wheels feature a unique aerodynamic design that channels cooling air to the Brembo carbon-ceramic braking system and ensures smooth airflow down the car's flanks.

World's most advanced monocoque construction

Rimac Nevera's groundbreaking monocoque, developed by the former C_Two Chief Engineer Daniele Giachi, includes a bonded carbon roof, integrated structural battery pack and rear carbon subframe, is forming the largest single carbon fibre piece in the entire automotive industry. Weighing less than 200kg and utilising 2200 carbon fibre plys and 222 aluminium inserts, the monocoque encases the car's battery to form a compact yet incredibly strong structure with a torsional stiffness of 70.000 Nm/degree. The level of unmatched strength and safety this provides has contributed to the Nevera meeting strict global homologation standards, and delivering the most rigid structure of any car ever made.

Driving the future

The key to the Nevera's exceptional performance is Rimac's pioneering electric powertrain. Every component of the Nevera's electric powertrain has been exhaustively reworked since its inception to deliver more torque, greater performance and enhanced efficiency.

The unique H-shaped, liquid-cooled, 120kWh, 6960-cell battery was designed from scratch by Rimac and sits at the very heart of the Rimac Nevera. Capable of producing 1.4MW of power, the Lithium/Manganese/Nickel battery also forms an integral part of the car's core, adding 37 per cent structural stiffness to the carbon fibre monocoque. The battery's optimum positioning low and central within the car's floor contributes to an ultra-low centre of gravity. This helps create an excellent 48/52 front/rear weight distribution and the best possible handling balance.

Developments of the advanced battery cooling system have made it even more efficient since the introduction of the C_Two, enabling more power to be delivered for greater periods. Four bespoke surface-mounted permanent magnet motors drive the Nevera's four wheels individually. Together, they enable 1914hp and 2360Nm of torque, which is triple the output of a 'conventional-engined' supercar. The front and rear wheels are each connected to a pair of single-speed gearboxes.

Capable of instantly summoning maximum torque from the first moment, the Nevera's electric motors are 97 per cent efficient - compared with 40 per cent for the most effective internal combustion engines - and completely maintenance-free throughout their operating life.

Out of this world acceleration - beating the ambitious targets

With the ability to sprint to 60mph in 1.85 seconds and continue the acceleration all the way to a 412 km/h (258mph) top speed, the Nevera opens up a new dimension in hypercar performance. Accelerating from rest to 161 km/h (100 mph) requires just 4.3 seconds and it maintains its eye-widening acceleration throughout a full-throttle cycle, achieving 186mph (300 km/h) from rest in 9,3 seconds, shredding a whole 2,5 seconds from the initial targets. Finally, it achieves a record-breaking 8,6 seconds quarter-mile time.

Perfect power delivery, impeccable stopping power

Rimac's All-Wheel Torque Vectoring 2 (R-AWTV 2) system replaces traditional Electronic Stability Program and Traction Control systems to further bolster grip and traction. Meanwhile, the Rimac Nevera's R-AWTV 2 system enables infinitely variable dynamic responses to road and track conditions by calibrating the amount of torque supplied to each wheel. R-AWTV 2 calculates the precise level of torque to channel through each wheel for ultimate stability and exceptional agility. Both predictive and responsive, R-AWTV reads the road and makes over 100 calculations per second to tailor the level of torque to achieve the desired driving style.

"Our torque-vectoring enables new level of drivetrain calibration," explains Miroslav Zrnevi, Rimac Test and Development Driver, and depending on the driving mode selected, the R-AWTV 2 technology can enable the Nevera to be drifted sideways or provide optimum levels of all-wheel-drive grip, traction and safety - no matter how challenging the road and weather conditions.Thanks to a four-individual-motor drivetrain, the driver can also change the torque distribution, and personalize the performance delivery even further, for a completely bespoke drive - ranging from front to rear wheel drive biased car. "

The Nevera is also equipped with cutting-edge braking technology. A complex electro-hyrdaulic brake booster with brake pedal feel simulator distributes the braking force between the friction brakes and electric powertrain, depending on the battery, powertrain and brake state. For instance - it dissipates kinetic energy through the friction brakes if the battery is close to its thermal limits, or activates more regenerative braking in case the friction brakes are hot. All those transitions should remain in the background, not noticeable to the driver. This enables the Nevera to make the highest use of regenerative braking of any other car on the market now. In addition to a maximum range-enhancing regenerative braking of 300 kW provided by the electric motors, substantial stopping power comes from 390 mm Brembo CCMR carbon-ceramic brake discs and six-piston callipers. Combined they provide consistent, fade-free and exceptionally powerful braking, even when the car is subjected to extreme forces on the track.

Relaxed grand tourer with track attack precision

Double wishbone suspension with electronically controlled dampers and active ride height adjustment provides a combination of a smooth and comfortable ride, exemplary body control and ultra-agile handling.

Further emphasising Rimac's technology-first approach, the Nevera utilises the very latest electric power steering with steer-by-wire function, enabling adaptive driver-feedback, depending on the drive mode. Additionally, it works as a drive-by-wire system when in Driver Coach mode to demonstrate optimum racing lines and vehicle control to the driver.

Rimac's versatile and responsive R-AWTV 2 system enables drivetrain calibration for the Nevera to facilitate any driving style through seven different driving modes.

For a truly engaging drive on the road, SPORT mode sharpens the response of the throttle, brakes, suspension and steering, while DRIFT mode supplies more torque to the rear wheels to accentuate oversteer and help hold the car in a controlled power slide on the track. COMFORT mode strikes a perfect balance between a relaxing ride, efficiency and driving pleasure, while RANGE mode enables the Nevera to achieve maximum mileage from each battery charge. In expert hands, TRACK mode sets the Nevera to full, unrestrained configuration to help drivers exploit the car's full potential. Finally, two CUSTOM modes enable drivers to access their personal, pre-selected performance characteristics.

World's first AI Driving Coach

To enable drivers of all abilities to extract maximum performance from the Rimac Nevera and help them further develop their track driving skills, Rimac has developed the world's first AI (Artificial Intelligence) Driver Coach. Adding a new, immersive dimension to the driving experience, Nevera's Driver Coach evaluates performance and provides guidance to optimise and enhance the driver's on-track performance.

By accessing 12 ultrasonic sensors, 13 cameras, 6 radars, and the very latest NVIDIA Pegasus operating system, the Rimac Driving Coach adds an additional, immersive experience behind the wheel. The system overlays selected race circuits in real-time, offering clear and precise audio and visual guidance, to enable drivers to perfect their racing lines, braking and acceleration points and steering inputs.

The Driver Coach feature will become available in 2022 and launched via over-the-air upgrades to already delivered Nevera cars whose hardware is ready for this unique feature.

Minimalist design cabin, maximum comfort and control

With space for two occupants in full race regalia and their luggage, Nevera is as much a capable grand tourer as it is a performance hypercar. Digital screens soak up needless toggles and switches, leaving only essential tactile controls, giving more space to enjoy Rimac Nevera's carefully designed interior.

The cockpit features a trio of high-definition TFT screens, which present as much, or as little, information as the user requires. Configured for both track driving and comfort, the layout of the cockpit is divided into two zones. The focus of the top segment is entirely placed on driving pleasure and performance, while the lower part houses the infotainment system, comfort controls and driving data.

Tactile billet aluminium rotary controls and switches - including three displays with rotating control - provide a resolutely analogue feel, tailored to enable the driver to utilise the cutting-edge digital technology in an even more engaging manner. From the cockpit, the driver can monitor every aspect of the car's performance with real-time telemetry - downloadable to a laptop or smartphone for later review.

Connectivity and Mobile App

Rimac M2M system delivers a wealth of real-time data to the manufacturer as well as the owner. While the user is connected to the vehicle through our intuitive mobile app, the manufacturer receives anonymised performance data.

Using intuitive mobile applications developed in-house at Rimac, Nevera owners can track live data, such as GPS location, charging speed and battery status while also using it to analyse driving performance, metrics and map previews on Android & iOS.

Near-unlimited personalisation programme

No two Neveras will leave the Rimac factory looking the same or bearing the same specification, thanks to customers' ability to choose from a comprehensive range of bespoke trims and material options. In addition to the company's premium individual personalisation program, Rimac will offer its flagship in various editions: GT, Signature, Timeless or the customers can choose to go Bespoke.

Ultimate customer experience

As part of the customer journey, each Rimac Nevera owner will be invited to Croatia to design his or her car to their exacting requirements. The Nevera itself will be exclusively available through Rimac's global dealer partners network, taking in 19 sites and many of the world's major cities across Europe, North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

The new 2022 Rimac Nevera electric hypercar is designed to be quick. The tiny Croatian automaker promises the Nevera will be both the quickest-accelerating car and the fastest electric car in the world, with a top speed of 258 mph. So why shouldn't our first drive of the Rimac be equally quick? The automaker was in Los Angeles to show prospective buyers a preproduction Nevera, and in between clients, it tossed us the keys to its $2.4 million baby. The only instructions? Be quick—the car is due back in an hour.

We first set sights on the Rimac Nevera sitting in the lot of a Beverly Hills exotic car dealership. It's 6 a.m. on a Tuesday. L.A. is up, but it isn't at 'em yet. Peak rush hour is about an hour away, but Rimac isn't ready to hand over the Nevera yet, so I spend some time poking around and getting familiar with the car.

Built by hand in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia, the Nevera is an engineering marvel—especially when you consider Rimac is a 12-year-old automaker headed by a 30-something CEO and that it hails from a country that technically never built a car before. ("Technically" because Croatia was part of Yugoslavia, a country with a well-known though not storied automaking tradition.) Underneath the Nevera's carbon-fiber tub sit four house-built permanent-magnet electric motors. Combined, they produce a staggering 1,914 horsepower and 1,741 lb-ft of torque. Those motors are capable of instant torque vectoring, and if the driver so chooses, the Nevera can switch between front-wheel and rear-wheel drive with the twist of a knob.

The motors are backed by a massive homebrewed 120-kWh battery, which will be the second-largest battery pack available on a production car once the Nevera goes on sale in December. Only American startup Rivian's battery pack is bigger, at 133 kWh for its "Large pack." Rimac says it expects about 340 miles of range on the generous European WLTP cycle. But driving it the way we did will likely result in something more like 150-200 miles.

Rounding out the package are giant 15.3-inch six-piston carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes, an electronically adjustable suspension (with a very handy nose-lift function), and active aero. The Nevera's bodywork takes the traditional "mid-engine" hypercar form, except it features a 3.5-cubic foot trunk where the engine would be on most other cars accessed through the rear glass. Its styling is fairly conservative, but Rimac is also building the mechanically identical Pininfarina Battista alongside the Nevera for those looking to make more of a visual statement.

There's definitely something to Rimac as an entity. Both Hyundai and Porsche own parts of the company, Rimac's engineering arm licenses its technology to Koenigsegg and Aston Martin, and it just bought Bugatti off of Volkswagen.

As 7 a.m. rolls around, we finally get the chance to hop in and slot the Nevera out into rush-hour traffic. Most hypercars have a bit of a learning curve as you figure out their idiosyncrasies, but not the Nevera. The Rimac isn't intimidating as we jockey for position merging onto the I-10 freeway and point the car's nose toward the Pacific's morning marine layer. Maybe it's the lack of an engine roaring behind or the missing transmission shifts, but in the Nevera it's a pleasing hum and whine from the power packs that make up the majority of the soundtrack. There's tire and suspension noise, too, but the Rimac's chaperone assigned to ride along with us notes that noise, vibration, and harshness tuning isn't finalized.

In a welcome change of pace for a hypercar, visibility is surprisingly good. The Nevera shrinks around you, making it easy to place as if it were an extension of your body. The immediate and smooth power delivery helps, as well. The Nevera pulls hard but not violently. It can be docile, but when a gap opens as I-10 flows into the Pacific Coast Highway heading north toward Malibu, we plug it instantly. Like a Tesla Model S Plaid, it's truly hard to wrap your mind around how quickly and effortlessly the Nevera builds speed as it pins you back into your seat.

With traffic building up, we duck the Nevera onto one of Malibu's canyon roads for a taste of how the Rimac corners. These particular roads are perhaps better suited to lesser performance cars—they're too narrow, and the straights so short you don't dare unleash the Nevera's nearly 1,914 hp—yet the car is promising. Most supercars and hypercars aren't particularly fun at these speeds, but the Rimac Nevera is fairly engaging, with quick (though somewhat digital-feeling) steering, a composed ride not easily upset by frequent midcorner bumps, and heavy enough battery regen that you hardly ever have to touch the brake pedal. The instant torque vectoring is the Nevera's greatest asset on this less-than-ideal canyon road; combined with its quick steering and tenacious grip, it doesn't so much as claw its way out of a corner like a gas-powered hypercar would, but instead almost twists the Earth beneath it.

With time quickly winding down, we take a twisty road that dumps the Nevera back to PCH so we can retrace our steps back to the dealership in time for the car's date with what could be a future owner.

It's quite hard to form a solid conclusion on the Rimac Nevera based on our drive—it's more of a taster from your Croatian craft brewery than an actual pint—but we've sampled enough to get us excited for more seat time in the future.

Ignoring the manufacturer's big, bold claims, the Nevera still seemingly offers hugely promising technology wrapped in an engaging hypercar form. Even if the Rimac Nevera somehow isn't the quickest car we've ever tested (once we can actually strap our testing equipment to one), it seems poised to live up to the company's mission: to prove an electric hypercar can be not just as exciting and fun as its conventional compatriots, but actually more so.

As the first round of production-grade Rimac Neveras rolls off the production line in Zagreb, Croatia, CEO Mate Rimac wants you to know it wasn't without difficulty. Having been through a five-year development process, the company endured 45 physical crash tests, 18 prototypes, and three different powertrains. In spite of this, and with the newfound ability to crank out 50 hand-built units a year, the Rimac Nevera will be in production for three years.

This is good news for enthusiasts worldwide, seeing as the Nevera represents a turning point in the world of performance vehicles. The four-motored, 120-kWh all-electric hypercar produces an astounding 1914 hp and 1740 lb-ft of torque, but the technological advancements go beyond the numbers.
Nearly every major component of the car was custom built: an entirely new-generation battery system, inverter, gearbox, electric motor, and control systems were created for the Nevera. This translates into the unique driving dynamics of the carbon-fiber monocoque, with an electric motor at each wheel working with the programmed control systems to create constantly adapting torque vectoring. Even with a hefty curb weight of 4740 pounds, the Rimac has proven itself to be razor-sharp at events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed.


RIMAC“At the beginning of the Nevera journey, we ran thousands of virtual simulations and experimented with countless designs before eventually, the time came to create the very first working prototypes," Rimac said in the official production announcement. "The Nevera was developed with the intention to become the cutting-edge electric hypercar it is today, ready to thrill drivers and passengers in a way they have never experienced before."

The testing of these working prototypes included the destruction of nine pre-production units through multi-national crash testing, cold testing at the arctic circle, and hot testing at 118.4°F. As the crash tests yielded passing results, customers put down deposits for the car with the claim to the world's fastest acceleration. For the price of $2.4 million, it is unlikely customers would settle for anything less than comprehensive testing across the board.

RIMACThe first year of production units are officially sold out, and the company is said to be on track for delivery this year. With 36 different pre-defined paint colors or the chance to go bespoke, Rimac offers customers a selection of in-house-designed liveries, three levels of exposed carbon fiber, and an enormous selection of leather and Alcantara microsuede interior touch points with brushed aluminum finishes. The company is dedicated to producing 150 unique vehicles and the breadth of options available makes this goal possible if a bit laborious for future customers.

For those awaiting deliveries, Rimac's dealership network and mobile service department are largely developed. Proprietary digital diagnostic tools will allow Rimac to monitor and update the cars remotely. Each of the 25 dealer partners across the US, Europe, Middle East, and Asia will be specifically trained on detailed service and repair information in addition to the dedicated Rimac Service Team, who will travel worldwide to diagnose potential problems. "The target is that the experience of owning a Nevera will be just as extraordinary as driving it," the company's press release states.

https://youtu.be/rX060yNCQPg

If you want to see an in-depth breakdown of the manufacturing process, the YouTube video above gives viewers a peek into the pre-production processes and Rimac's eventual choice to go with a production line-style facility. Twelve years since its inception, Rimac Automobili has grown from a fledgling startup to a company with over 1500 employees and a 320,000-square-foot design and production campus in the works.

A successful production run of Rimac Neveras signals a victory for founder Mate Rimac. A series of lost investments, a high-profile crash, and speculated acquisitions were bumps in the road for Rimac, as he followed his dream of creating an electric hypercar in his childhood homeland of Croatia.

The Nevera will not be alone in this rarefied market: The 1900-hp Pininfarina Battista, an Italian electric hypercar using the same platform and 120-kWh battery as the Rimac, is also on track to begin production of its 150-unit limited run shortly.

Faster than the electrically charged storm it is named after. Faster in fact, than any electric car before it – the Rimac Nevera has just posted a top speed of 256mph, making it the world’s fastest EV.

It’s therefore verified the ambition it set for itself when launched. We’re told the Nevera’s top speed run took place at the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany; a track that features a pair of 4km (2.5m) long straights. There was a Racelogic V-Box on board to verify the top speed.

The 1,888bhp electric hypercar features a 6,960-cell, 120kWh battery powering four surface-mounted permanent magnet motors driving each individual wheel, and was set to its ‘top speed’ mode for the, well, top speed run. Obviously.

That creates “an aerodynamic profile that balances drag and downforce to ensure stability at high speed”, a handy feature when attempting to transform 1,740lb ft of torque into significant forward motion. The run was set on Michelin Cup 2Rs – “with the oversight of a Michelin technician to check their condition” – and with that, Rimac’s chief test driver Miro Zrnčević was on his merry way.

He rolled out of the German circuit’s banking at a cool 155mph, at which point he pinned it. “It wasn’t until Miro had lifted off the throttle, bringing the Nevera back down to more normal speeds safely, that the news came over the radio,” Rimac said.

“To travel at 412kph, or 256mph, means travelling at a third of the speed of sound,” Zrnčević said. “Simply achieving that alone in a road car is incredibly complex, but in Nevera we have created a car that can travel long distances on a single charge, can tackle tight and twisting race tracks and can drift as well as break straight-line speed records, both for acceleration and V-MAX.

“I’ve driven Nevera since it first turned a wheel and to see the perfectly honed car that it is today is a really emotional moment. The most important thing I have learned during the top-speed attempt is how composed and stable the car was – confirming that our aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics teams have done an amazing job.”

A note: customer cars will be limited to only 219mph, with the full 256mph capability unlocked for “special customer events with support from the Rimac team and under controlled conditions”. Sounds very sensible.

Still faster than the “unexpected Mediterranean summer storm off the coast of Croatia” it’s named after.

ZAGREB, Croatia – I was the first American to visit Rimac’s latest headquarters on the outskirts of Croatia’s capital Zagreb. When completed early next year, the 800,000 square-foot facility will host continued production of the brand’s flagship Nevera, a 1,914-horsepower, $2.2 million, all-wheel-drive, pure-electric hypercar. It has already set nearly two-dozen world records for acceleration and braking, including hustling from 0-60 mph in 1.7 seconds. But while Rimac, pronounced “ree-mahtz,” plans to attempt another world record in this pillarless concrete space, for fastest speed achieved inside a building, this was not where I drove the quickest vehicle in the world.

I did most of my driving on the highways, villages and hills of Croatia. Rimac completes two weeks of quality control assessments on every Nevera it builds, including up to 500 miles of shakedown driving, and it shows. Seams are even inside and out; everything works as it should, and the car doesn’t rattle like a 1970s Italian exotic or a 2020s Tesla. Perhaps this is a result of company founder and CEO Mate Rimac’s experience with his own Model S, of which he described to me the material quality being passable only “if you don't care too much, if you are not really a car person, and you don't care about all the details of the interior and stuff like that.”



Moreover, the onboard tech feels in the Nevera’s service, supplementing its sense of joy, as opposed to working against it like the Pininfarina Battista’s difficult to see/use video side-view mirrors, and infotainment and instrument panels (that car’s drivetrain and carbon fiber tub are produced by Rimac, by the way). This was particularly evident in the easily applicable handful of drive modes controlled by a simple, knurled knob.

Range mode maximizes efficiency by favoring the front motors, though even in that setting, the range from the 120-kilowatt-hour worth of battery packs stashed beneath the floor, through the central tunnel and behind the seats will manage to achieve an estimated 300 miles, according to Rimac. Don't count on that if you plan on doing a few of those 1.7-second 0-60 blasts, though. A 0-80% charge takes just 25 minutes via a 350-kilowatt DC fast charger, though Rimac claims the car can accept 500-kW speeds once charging infrastructure gets there.

Cruise mode provides softer suspension settings and less aggressive acceleration and steering inputs. Sport mode ups the ante on all of those. I mostly vacillated between these two, the former on broader roads, the latter on winding roads. Both send power to the motors in the front and rear wheels – the rears produce significantly more – but limit output to 70% of the maximum horsepower. This isn’t unusual for cars with prodigious amounts of power, but seems like an especially good idea here.

Track mode stiffens and sharpens things further, and allows for all 1,914 horsepower and 1,725 pound-feet of torque to reach both ends. Drift mode sends all of the available power to the rear tires and shuts off the stability and traction controls, allowing you to play out whatever sadistic fantasies you may have toward pricey 315-millimeter section-width Michelin rubber.



For our flat out 0-60 runs on the track, we used Track mode, appropriately enough. As much as I attempted to prepare myself for the experience of having my brain and internal organs shunted backward at 1.5 g, the actuality of hurtling forward in the Nevera proved something of a hurdle. I had just eaten a traditional Croatian lunch, but I didn’t feel nausea. It was more like slight disorientation, like I couldn’t process the speed. It wasn’t like that dream when you discover you can fly. More like the one when you find yourself falling. Into a black hole.

According to Mate Rimac, this experience might be relative.

“The consensus of the scientific community when the first trains came out was that humans were not built to travel at speed,” he said. “I think they said that, at 35 miles per hour, your brain will explode.”

I can attest that blasting from 0-60 in under 2 seconds did not cause such a cerebral rupture. Thought it was disconcerting to realize that I’d probably just experienced about the quickest I will ever accelerate in a car. At least one “with just tires, and without trickery,” as Rimac said, hinting, impishly, that he has such tricks up his sleeve.



Surprisingly, the Nevera was quite supple on-road, and on the track. Its computer-controlled suspension scarfed imperfections, and while it has a lift – which works at all four corners, not just the nose – it wasn’t necessary to implement even when mounting the speed bumps that mark the entrance to many Croatian towns. Another instance of the car transcending physical limitations.

Braking is a slightly different issue. While the world-record-setting rotors are clearly extremely capable, the speed and litheness the Nevera boasts may have prevented me from considering the car’s mass as much as I should have. The torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system may diligently distribute power from the individual motor in each wheel to maximize grip and provides additional salvation when things go awry on the road or on the track, but note that inertia in a 5,100-pound car is anything but inert.

Rimac has seen huge investment from Aston Martin, Bugatti, Koenigsegg and others, which have contracted it to aid development of performance-oriented battery-powered products. Those are big names. But Mate Rimac feels like his namesake company maintains a three- to five-year jump on the competition. And he is confident that it will continue to distinguish itself.

“Rimac must be more the crazy one, the rebel, doing things that might be unimaginable,” he said. “Because maybe six, seven years ago it was unimaginable that an electric car accelerates in less than 2 seconds from zero to 60. And what I want to do next is do more stuff that's maybe today unimaginable.”