The 2022 Rimac Nevera hypercar is alive

We’re not exactly sure what we were expecting, but the 2022 Rimac Nevera is definitely not an antiseptic electric car that lacks soul. We sped by and the faint hum of the climate control gave the reasonable impression that the engine was idling. Was that on purpose? It’s unclear, but it worked for us. As we got under way, the whirring of the four engines and their accompanying gears made it seem like the thing was alive – no need for the synthetic Space Commander theme music found in Porsche Taycan or a BMW i4. The sounds of the engine come from all four directions through the carbon fiber piping that is the integral Rimac chassis, connecting us to the car like no other electric car.

The Nevera delivers an almost ridiculous 1,813 horsepower through a four-motor drivetrain that assigns one synchronous permanent-magnet carbon sleeve AC motor to each wheel. (This number is slightly less than the maximum output we previously reported, as engineers on site during the drive confirmed that 1,877 hp is the maximum output from the battery, but 1,813 hp is the maximum power the motors can deliver .) The car’s total output at full power is naturally skewed towards the rear, because while each front engine has 295 hp. and 207 lb.-ft., the two rear-wheel drives are good for a 644-horse, 664-lb.-ft. monster each. The Nevera is said to be able to hit 60 mph in 1.85 seconds and run the quarter mile in 8.6 seconds. These numbers were earned on a prepped drag strip, but we don’t think they’re too far from what we might measure if we get the chance. Rimac also claims a top speed of 258 mph.

The actual output can be adjusted using five drive modes. In range mode, 100 percent of the front engine’s torque is used, while the rear engine’s torque is limited to 30 percent of maximum. Because of the drastically different torque available at each end, it’s almost 50/50 from a pavement perspective. In practice, however, we rarely saw the rear power meter light up when we were cruising in Range mode, giving the impression that this mode has more front bias than all that math suggests. And the Nevera needs all the help it can get, as the EPA’s methodology gives it a miserly 205 mpg.

Cruise and Sport modes limit front and rear power to 70 percent of their respective limits. The difference between the two modes is the steering support and damping profile of the KW electronically controlled shock absorbers. Track mode takes both of these parameters up another notch, but importantly, it also lets the reins go so the motors at each end can deliver up to 100 percent of their rated maximums. Then there’s Drift mode, which shuts down the front motors while allowing the driver to light up the rears to 100 percent of their potential.

Rimac is rightly proud of the advanced torque vectoring that this four-motor powerplant provides, but we found it lacking in cruise and sport modes, where its ability to read the road and instantly make decisions about available clutch seemed less refined than our own eyes. apples. and local history. Caution and a conservative approach are of course appreciated due to the destructive potential of more than 1,800 horsepower on tap. But it didn’t take much to get the system to abandon attempts to cut power in cornering situations, something the Hyundai Veloster N would enthusiastically agree to. Things only seemed to pick up when we switched to Track mode, which allowed us to hit the accelerator as planned due to its more aggressive torque vectoring map and more permissive traction control.

Fortunately, in addition to the above five default modes, there are two more customizable ones. We’d use them to change the Cruise and Sport settings so Track mode would have torque redirection and enable traction control. However, to be honest, it would be nice if the car wasn’t so stingy, especially in sport mode.

The chassis, on the other hand, is otherworldly. The rigidity of its carbon fiber structure is immense, and the front and rear suspension arms are bolted directly to it. The only additions are the front and rear crash structures that support the body. Additional chassis strength comes from a huge 117.0kWh T-shaped battery pack, a fully tensioned chassis member that runs between and behind the seats and seatbacks, with additional cell wings that extend under, but not under, each passenger’s feet seats. The lack of under-seat pods ensures a low seating position, making a supercar roofline possible.

With a platform this rigid, the Nevera chassis tuners could create a brutal track-oriented machine. But this car is meant for mere mortals (albeit very rich ones) to drive on normal roads, and so the chassis setup is instead set to be tolerable on bad roads. You can also see that philosophy in the 275/35ZR-20 front and 315/35ZR-20 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires that show sidewalls. There’s probably a practical element at work here, too, as a car pushing 5,100 pounds needs tires that cover a little more air than something like 22 rubber, especially when you factor in the downforce of the air at very high speeds. capable.

That’s not to say the Nevera can’t turn a corner, because it stays glued to the pavement when pushed hard. Attentive readers may remember that when we worried about light steering we sampled an earlier prototype, but the engineers have apparently made changes since then, because the build-up of effort and power in corners is intuitive, natural and laser-focused. On-center response becomes a little less surgical when the car is in Range mode, but that feels perfectly adequate. The Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, on the other hand, feel a little touchy when you first get on them, but that’s mostly when you turn off regenerative braking entirely. Leave it on the max setting and it can regenerate 300W of energy, which is a healthy 0.4g deceleration rate. The regeneration system’s programming is unusually progressive in how it reacts when you take off the gas pedal, and there’s no strange surge when you put your foot on the brake pedal and ask for more.

You’ll never hear Nico Rosberg, the former F1 champion who got Rimac #001, complain about interior space. But we found that the 6-foot-2 driver had a hard time in the cockpit. Headroom is reasonable, but it would be nice if the seat moved back further. However, the battery and rear firewall prevent this, so you better not be an NBA star. The seat adjustments are on the central touchscreen with a host of other additional controls, which isn’t ideal, but it’s unlikely this car will change drivers often.

There are no speaker switches, so the steering wheel and wiper controls are on the steering wheel. The starter button and gear selector are to the driver’s left, with a pair of larger, two-level paddles to the right. One toggles drive modes and five levels of stability control, while the right stick allows you to vary the output of the front and rear motors. It’s a lot to take in, but tweaking the stability control really seemed necessary to retune the Cruise and Sport to our liking.

The Nevera is exactly what one would hope for, given the €2 million price tag (in dollars at the time of ordering). And yet, it doesn’t feel like a science project. Outrageous power and impressive customization options make its electric powertrain just as exciting as its most powerful internal combustion counterpart. Nevera makes us optimistic about the future of ultra-high performance.