Rimac has been around for some time, but everything it’s built (so far) has a proof of concept. There were the electric C_One (C1) and C_Two (C2), successive hypercar concepts (the “C” in their names standing in for the word “concept”) previewing future salable efforts. Now, the C2 has finally evolved into a production car called Nevera, trading in its concept-related moniker for a name inspired by a type of Mediterranean storm that rapidly forms on the coast of Croatia, Rimac’s home country.
The Nevera, like the two concepts that came before it, is a super-EV that boasts massive performance and power claims. The headline figures are 1,914 hp, 1,741 lb-ft of torque, a 258 mph top speed, and a price tag of more than $2.4 million. The body is made of carbon fiber, as is the chassis and most of the interior. If a surface inside isn’t visible carbon, it’s clad in luscious leather. Is it an interior and some big numbers worthy of such a massive price tag? We can just let the Nevera’s buyers be the judge.
Ridiculous Speed, Ridiculous Power
Rimac’s ridiculous power figure comes courtesy of a 120-kWh battery pack that feeds juice to four electric motors, one at each corner of the Nevera. Those motors, according to Rimac, will remain completely maintenance-free throughout their operating life. Thanks to all that electric grunt, Rimac says the Nevera will demolish the zero-to-60-mph sprint in 1.85 seconds (on a high friction surface like a drag strip). Should we ever test one, this would make it the quickest production car we’ve ever tested, electric or otherwise, though we don’t use a prepped surface, so expect a slightly rounder edge to the performance figures on more realistic roadways.
As you might expect, the Nevera’s huge battery contains 6,960 cells and was designed in-house. It is mounted low down in the floor of the car, and Rimac says this affords a 48/52 front-to-rear weight distribution, which should benefit the Nevera dynamically. In order to haul you down from wild speeds, the Nevera comes with 15.3-inch Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes that are clamped by six-piston calipers. The system is also bolstered by regenerative braking, and Rimac says its braking system “makes the highest use of regenerative braking of any other car on the market now.” In other words, you’re going to feed a lot of juice back into the battery pack when you’re slowing down, thanks to the motors acting as generators while using their resistance to slow the vehicle.
Another way to help slow you down is by driving around in high downforce mode. It uses aerodynamics to help stick the Nevera to the road when you’re driving hard at the cost of some range (thanks to increased drag), but should you want to just slice through the air, there’s a low drag mode, too. Comfort, sport, range, track, and drift modes affect other aspects of the Nevera like power delivery, how efficient the car is, and which motors get the most torque.
There also is a new driving mode for improving, well, the driver. Rimac calls it an “AI driving coach,” as in, an artificial intelligence assistant that can help drivers improve their on-track skills. The setup can offer “clear and precise audio and visual guidance” for nudging a driver’s braking points, acceleration out of corners, and racing line into line on “selected race circuits.” This real-time feedback loop uses overlays and verbal assists fed by a bevy of sensors, cameras, and radar units to elevate a Nevera driver’s skills on those selected tracks.
Nevera Gonna Happen?
Rimac says the Nevera is really going on sale. Production will be limited to 150 units worldwide. There is an endless amount of color combinations to pick from so that no two Nevera’s are alike, though all are expected to go 340 miles on a single charge using the European WLTP test cycle. The EPA tests cars differently here in America, and so that range figure likely will be lower should the EPA get their hands on one.
