Electric shock

ELECTRIC SHOCK

Almost 2,000 horses power a hyper car straight out of sci that delivers performance that not even an F1 single-seater can match. The secret? The Rimac Nevera is 100 per cent electric. And it’s the future high performance mobility

by Diego Tamone - ph. courtesy by Rimac

The Nevera, the first all-electric hyper car from Rimac Automobili of Croatia, takes its name from a type of sudden, violent storm that comes ashore from the Adriatic

The name of this Croatian car manufacturer may mean little or indeed nothing to some. All very understandable. But if Rimac’s brand awareness amongst the public is a bit below average, it has a lot to do with the fact that it was only founded in 2009 and specialises in a type of car that until very recently was looked down upon by purists. Rimac, you see, designs and builds all-electric hyper cars. As such, it is very well known to the big players in the industry who were instantly impressed with the expertise it built up in the space of a few short years in electrification. All thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and vision of one young man who managed to combine his love of cars with technology.

Porsche recently acquired a 24% stake in the company while the Hyundai Motor Group snapped up 12% and Tesla dispatched leading executives to the Balkans. The proverbial cherry on the cake, however, came in the form of a joint venture with Porsche involving the legendary Bugatti, instantly giving the Croatian marque planet-wide kudos. So when, after five years of development, Rimac officially announced the commercial launch of its first “production” model, the Nevera, there was a huge scramble by buyers that quickly filled up its production slots for the first year. Despite a price tag well over the 2 million euro mark. But it is easy to see why it is such a success story. The Nevera is a zero emissions hyper car with monstrous performance that unleashes both torque and horse power instantaneously. More specifically 1,914 bhp and 2,360 Nm of torque from four electric motors that also deliver benchmark performance. The car’s 0-100 speed of 1.85 seconds alone speaks volumes as it outdoes an F1 single-seater. Oh and that’s not forgetting a hair-raising 412 km/h top speed. The

Top, one of the Nevera’s many stylistic signatures is its dramatic butterfly doors. Facing page, a 360 degree panorama reveals the meticulously crafted aerodynamic lines of the newly-minted zero emissions super car. Styled by Rimac’s Director of Design Adriano Mudri

An unusual bird’s eye view of the Nevera’s cockpit made possible by its butterfly doors.

Bottom photo, a preliminary design sketch for the cabin, now a triumph of authentic grand tourer sophistication. The dashboard is dominated by three HD TFT screens

Nevera’s lines, however, are functional to guarantee optimal downforce as well as the kind of ultra-efficient cooling a car like this needs to fulfil its potential without damaging its running gear, electronics and battery pack. The latter, at 700 kg, accounts for a third of the Nevera’s total weight. The styling is a variation on the theme perfected for the C_Two concept car unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in fardistant 2018, but it bears the stamp of Rimac’s Director of Design, Adriano Mudri. The latter has effortlessly adhered to the form follows function rule whilst adding a creative flourish in dramatic butterfly doors and unique styling cues such as the signature cravat motif ahead of the rear wheelarches. A surprise homage to the necktie which Mudri’s himself has declared, “has been a symbol of Croatian power and identity since the 17th Century”.

rimac-automobili.com