Ever feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day? Well, today I do. Two years ago, I wrote a news piece titled ‘Rimac Nevera smashes 0-400-0kph record.’ Well, guess what? Blimey, you lot are on the ball today. Yes, today’s news is that the Rimac Nevera R smashes 0-400-0kph record, which is 0-249-0mph if you work in old money. The only difference here, other than the time, is the inclusion of that letter ‘R’ because this was the updated Nevera R. Would you like to know the time? Yeah, of course you do: 25.79 seconds. Would you like to know how much quicker that was than the last record-breaking time? Crikey, you lot are insatiable. It was 2.04 seconds quicker.
So, why do it? Well, for one very simple reason: the last record wasn’t set by Rimac. It had been reclaimed by arch nemesis Koenigsegg in 2024, and that just wouldn’t do. That 2.04-second improvement the Nevera R achieved was over the crazy 1,578bhp Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, driven by Koenigsegg’s equally crazy test driver, Markus Lundh. He did 0-400-0kph in 27.83 seconds, so the latest Nevera R time is actually 4.14 seconds quicker than the standard Nevera managed back in 2023, which is a lot. If you’re wondering how quick it did the old-fashioned 0-60mph dash, I’ll tell you: 1.66 seconds. It also set the record for the fastest top speed for an EV at 431.45kph, which is 268.2mph. Ooof.
Okay, we know what it’s achieved and why, but the next thing to ask is how? Firstly, because the Nevera R has 2,107hp – the standard Nevera had a measly 1,914hp. The R also has an improved aerodynamic package, with a fixed rear wing and bigger diffuser generating 15 per cent more downforce for less drag – aerodynamic efficiency is better by 10 per cent. The R ran on new Michelin Cup 2 tyres offering more grip, which allowed Rimac’s ‘next-generation All-Wheel Torque Vectoring system’ to do its thing. Indeed, that controls the torque going to the four independent electric drive motors by calculating and adjusting the twist to each one at 100 times per second.
The best news, though, is you can start your own cycle of groundhog days. For only 2.3 million euros you can buy a Nevera R – although get ya skates on because the company is producing just 40 worldwide. Then you can wake yourself up every day with a 0-400-0kph blast in 27.83 seconds. More expensive than even the best espresso machines, true, but far more likely to clear the morning fog I should imagine.
Finally, would you like to know what Rimac said about its latest achievement? Well, I’m telling you anyway:‘Once again, the Rimac team has proven that its engineering and design talent is among the best in the world, able to push the limits of performance to create the fastest accelerating production car the world has ever seen — electric or otherwise.’
Sounds like a challenge to me. What say you, Mr Christian von Koenigsegg?