The new Rimac Nevera R has officially become the world’s fastest electric car, clocking a top speed of 268.2 mph (431.45 km/h).
That makes this hardcore version of Rimac’s EV hypercar one of the fastest production cars ever, outpacing even the Bugatti Veyron Supersport.
The independently verified top speed was confirmed during final validation tests before customer deliveries begin. Rimac says the 2,078 hp (1,550 kW) Nevera R claimed new world records in 24 categories during these tests.
Surpassing every record previously set by the standard Nevera, the R also became the world’s fastest-accelerating production car, hitting 100 km/h in just 1.72 seconds.
The R also achieved a record 0-400-0 km/h (0-249-0 mph) time of 25.79 seconds, more than two seconds faster than the previous quickest car, and ran the quarter mile in 7.9 seconds, improving by 0.35 seconds.
Company founder and CEO Mate Rimac said that when the Nevera launched, it felt like the pinnacle of hypercar performance had been reached in one generation, a jump that would have taken decades in the past. But through relentless innovation, the Nevera R goes even faster while maintaining much of the comfort and usability that makes the Nevera a practical daily car. Breaking records is part of the company’s DNA, and they aren’t stopping here.
While Rimac is focused on pushing performance boundaries, the company’s next car may not be fully electric. Last May, Rimac had not yet sold all 150 standard Nevera units, and Mate Rimac suggested the narrative around electric cars had shifted, with some buyers becoming put off by the forced application of EV propulsion.
He explained that Nevera development started in 2016 under the belief that electric cars would soon become cool, but demand for ultra-high-end EVs is now waning in favour of more traditional, analogue alternatives. Using the analogy of an Apple Watch, he pointed out that while it can do many things better and more precisely, nobody would pay $200,000 for one. Rimac could branch out from EVs to meet this demand, with Mate Rimac saying the company isn’t exclusively electric, but will pursue whatever is most exciting at the time.
The Nevera R’s performance numbers will certainly help reignite interest in electric performance cars, but outright top speed wasn’t the main goal. Instead, Rimac focused on making the R sharper, better-handling and more agile than its grand tourer sibling.
Described as an electric hyper sports car, the R features next-generation all-wheel torque-vectoring tuned for new Michelin Cup 2 tyres and a revised steering rack for sharper response and cleaner feedback.
A new fixed rear wing and a larger front diffuser increase maximum downforce by 15% and aerodynamic efficiency by 10%, allowing for faster, sharper cornering.
Mate Rimac explained that many customers wanted a car that fully showcased the Nevera’s cornering ability using all the advanced tech on board, leading to the creation of the Nevera R: all the DNA of the record-breaking Nevera, but lighter, faster and more focused.
Launched exclusively in Nebula Green, the R starts at £1.97 million (nearly R50m) before personalisation options are added, while the standard Nevera starts at £1.72 million.