Hypercar manufacturer, Rimac Automobili, today unveiled the production version of the C_Two, now becoming the Nevera. This is an all-electric, 1914hp, 258mph, €2 million ($2.4 million) hypercar designed and engineered to unleash a level of performance only dreamed about by gasoline powered vehicles.
The 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 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-around package.
We will be making just 150 examples of the Nevera, every single unit crafted in Croatia from passion and admiration for cars.” – Mate Rimac, Founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili.
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 – a 200 million euro, 200,000 square meter 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
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.
World’s Most Advanced Monocoque Construction
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 utilizing 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 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 zero RPM, 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
With the ability to sprint from zero 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 just 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. The 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.
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 calipers. 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 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.
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 anonymized 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 and iOS.
Near-Unlimited Personalization Program
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 personalization program, Rimac will offer its flagship in various editions: GT, Signature, Timeless or the customers can choose to go Bespoke. Want to add dedicated champagne storage in the rear so you can celebrate after smoking that slow ass Ferrari SP90? You can do that!
As part of the customer journey, each 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.