Elite Traveler Summer 2020

DISCOVER

This electric hypercar boasts a range of 400 miles, and it has striking good looks and unexpected features

by Alexandra Cheney Motoring

While the garden-variety supercar thrills, with its smattering of performance enhancements and bellicose design cues, hypercars compel thanks to unrivaled horsepower, moveable aerodynamics and unerring low-volume production. Far from a conventional sports car or even an extraordinary supercar, hypercars tinker with the extreme

Warp speed Rimac C_Two

As the race for electrification accelerates, an unlikely prodigy mans the helm: 32-year-old Mate Rimac. His knowledge of electric-vehicle hyperpower and battery technology has already been tapped by Aston Martin, Pininfarina, Koenigsegg, Renault, Hyundai and Porsche (the latter two maintain an ownership stake in his Croatia-based company). Rimac not only produced the electric Jaguar E-Type that Prince Harry and Meghan drove during the royal wedding celebrations, but he shares his hypercar platform, drivetrain and factory with Pininfarina’s Battista, which some may call a direct competitor. Impressive, considering that, prior to Rimac, Croatia did not manufacture any automobiles or their components. Built from the ground up, the Rimac C_Two (its pre-production name) features 1,914 hp derived from four electric motors, one per wheel. Because each motor functions both independently and as a single hive mind, driver preferences reach new heights. It’s possible to distribute the 2,300 Nm of torque to the front and rear powertrain as much as one likes — the car functions as all-wheel drive but it can be easily switched to front- or rear-wheel drive, a previously incomprehensible feat.

Each of the 150 vehicles produced includes a driving coach, a system that overlays certain racetracks to provide instantaneous updates on racing lines and braking points, should an owner want to maximize track time. Consider it a near-gaming experience planted firmly in the real world. A racecar heart with a grand-touring soul, Rimac claims it has a 400-mile range, enough to motor from Paris to Geneva. Eschewing an aggressive stance for a softer posture, the C_Two may bark, but it doesn’t bite. Agile undulations rather than hasty silhouettes guide the eye from nose to tail. The salient rear wing serves as the hypercar’s sole uninterrupted line, a heady design flourish that doubles as a full air-brake, stabilizing the car under heavy stopping. Inside the cockpit, switches and screens are employed in equal measure, but data is prized above all: Downloadable telemetry from every aspect of the car’s performance is always available. Despite Rimac’s impressive suite of designs, surprisingly none of his technology is patented. It is available for pre-order now, with deliveries expected by the end of the year. From $2.5m, rimac-automobili.com

Clockwise The sleek new Rimac model has 1,914 hp; Koenigsegg Regera; customize every inch of the Koenigsegg Regera interior; Huayra Roadster BC from Italian hypercar house Pagani