Ferrari RACE, Lamborghini and Porsche POAHF all make expensive and fast supercars, but one small manufacturer in Eastern Europe has the claim to one record about which it can boast.
The electric high performance vehicles by Croatian EV manufacturer Rimac are some of the fastest supercars, whether they're powered by gas or electric.
The $2.5 million Rimac Nevera has a lot going for its extra-steep price tag; it is powered by four independent electric motors with a total of 1,914 horsepower, and can go from 0-60 mph in an eye-watering 1.74 seconds, 0-100 in just 3.21 seconds, as well as a top speed of 256 miles per hour. Though these numbers seem impressive, there is one peculiar record-breaking feature that might be useful.
Rimac announced on Nov. 7 that it had broken the record for the "fastest speed driving in reverse," going 275.74 km/h, or 171.34 mph with its Nevera. The record was done under the supervision of, and was certified by, Guinness World Records.
Unlike many gas-powered cars, electric cars do not have a dedicated reverse gear, which means that they are mechanically capable of going just as fast backward as they are forward, given that there are no speed limiters installed.
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In a statement, Rimac Nevera chief program engineer Matija Renić knew that this record was possible when it was developing the car.
“It occurred to us during development that Nevera would probably be the world’s fastest car in reverse, but we kind of laughed it off. The aerodynamics, cooling and stability hadn’t been engineered for travelling backwards at speed, after all," said Renić. "But then, we started to talk about how fun it would be to give it a shot."
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Rimac Test Driver Goran Drndak noted that driving at such high speed backwards was harder than it seemed.
"On the run itself, it definitely took some getting used to. You’re facing straight out backwards watching the scenery flash away from you faster and faster, feeling your neck pulled forwards in almost the same sensation you would normally get under heavy braking," said Drndak. "You’re moving the steering wheel so gently, careful not to upset the balance, watching for your course and your braking point out the rear-view mirror, all the while keeping an eye on the speed.”
According to Guinness, the previous record holder drove to 102.58 mph in a modified Caterham 7.
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