Mate Rimac is the newest role model in the automotive world – an ingenious engineer who imagines the world of tomorrow and builds it today. He’s the founder and chief engineer of Rimac Automobile. In just 10 years, Rimac has grown from a garage operation to one of the leading developers and suppliers of EV powertrains, batteries, and hybrid components.
The company is behind the high voltage systems for Koenigsegg, Jaguar E‑type Zero and even the new Aston Martin Valkyrie. The Pininfarina Battista is practically a Rimac car with a Pininfarina-designed body.
Rimac also builds its own vehicles from scratch with all technology, tooling and manufacturing coming from its headquarters in Zagreb, Croatia.
Concept Two is the latest EV hypercar by Rimac. It’s displayed at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show and is one of the most important highlights of the show.
The car is powered by four electric motors producing 1,914 horsepower and 1,696 lbs/ft of torque. Concept Two is the fastest and most powerful production vehicle – even at the presence of the new Koenigsegg Jesko and Bugatti La Voiture Noir.
C_Two will go from zero to 60 mph in 1.85 seconds – that’s 3.3 Gs pushing you into your seat. It’s faster than any other vehicle on the road, the closest being Porsche 918 Spyder at 2.2 seconds. It’s faster than F1 cars, which achieve 0-60 mph in 2.5 – 2.6 seconds (2.35 Gs). Nico Rosberg mentioned even professional F1 drivers don’t experience such speed and forces.
Furthermore, Concept Two achieves a top speed of 258 mph, although customers will be limited to 220 mph without supervision. With over 1,900 hp, the car has the potential to go much faster, perhaps breaking the 300 mph barrier.
However, tires are the limiting factor. Even the latest Pirelli technology cannot cope with the immense pressure at this speed, also given the weight of the vehicle – 4,300 lbs. It sounds like too much for a hypercar, but the 120 kWh battery pack weighs some 1,500 lbs alone.
The core of the vehicle is a carbon fiber monocoque which integrates the battery, front, and rear subframe into a single solid piece with everything else bolting to it. The technology allows for high torsional stiffness, ensuring drivers can push it hard with confidence and passing all homologation safety tests.
Rimac takes the old rule “form follows function” to heart. There is no faux design – every element serves a purpose. Every shape, and size has been extensively tested and simulated thousands of times before reaching the most optimal dimensions.
As a result, the exterior is slightly more modest compared to other hypercars. It’s clean and timeless, but undeniably powerful.
Inside, the C_Two is less extreme than the Valkyrie and Project One. The large butterfly doors incorporate parts of the roof and door sills, allowing the driver to enter and leave comfortably. The interior shows remarkable build quality and attention to detail.
The electronic system is equally impressive with a custom interface and facial recognition to unlock the car. Concept Two is capable of Level 4 autonomous driving thanks to a range of sensors – eight cameras, a LIDAR unit, six radars, and twelve ultrasonic sensors.
Rimac has programmed a number of famous race tracks into the car. It can autonomously take you for a fast lap, showing you the correct lines and braking points. Essentially, it’s an interactive virtual driving coach. You can review your performance, record tests, video, connect to the Internet and much more.
Concept Two is a phenomenal vehicle. Rimac has well surpassed all expectations, putting Croatia firmly on the map of high-end automotive engineering.
Below, you can watch a detailed walk around of the C_Two by Jonny Smith from Fully Charged and Mate Rimac.