Electric power delivery makes this Croatian hypercar both stunningly fast and remarkably controllable.
The automotive future is unquestionably electric, so by default, the future of performance cars is also electric. This was Mate Rimac’s early vision, and as a car enthusiast, he launched an eponymously named car company 15 years ago with the aim of developing high-tech electric supercars that deliver unprecedented performance.
The then-20-year-old Rimac [pronounced REE-mahtz, with a rolled ‘r’] was optimistic, but even he probably couldn’t have foreseen the Nevera, his company’s 2000-horsepower(ish) electric hypercar. But he insists this was exactly his goal, even then.
“This is it,” he said when the Nevera was announced. “This is the car I had in mind when I embarked on the ‘impossible’ journey.” Perhaps. But even now it is difficult to comprehend the Nevera’s performance. The car’s four electric motors produce a combined 1914 horsepower and 1,740 lb.-ft. of torque, which is enough to launch the Nevera to 60 mph in 1.85 seconds and to a top speed of 258 mph.
A quarter-mile acceleration run takes just 8.6 seconds. In the U.S., National Hot Rod Association drag strip rules require that any vehicle capable of a time of less than 10.0 seconds must be equipped with a full roll cage for crash protection.
But I’m not in the U.S. I’m in Zagreb, Croatia, home of the world’s unlikeliest hypercar manufacturer and EV pioneer, led by a boyish-looking 35 year old. I’ve flown here to experience this performance in person to confirm that the Nevera isn’t some kind of mass hallucination or internet fabrication. Indeed, it is real.
Rimac, the man and the company, have built a following on YouTube for videos showing the behind-the-scenes work at the company and serving as a de facto Croatian tourism promotion. The company gained global notice from an unfortunate 2017…
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