I forgot to breathe. Or maybe I just couldn’t.
Having driven many fast cars, I’m accustomed to the joyous rush of intense acceleration, especially the unbridled launch of a supercar on a closed track. Typically, this elicits a giggle, a pure, visceral reaction of excitement. This was different. This was akin to the moments before fainting, a strange detachment. It felt like my very essence was being pulled away, transformed. This uncanny sensation perfectly encapsulates my experience with the $2.2 million, 1914hp, all-electric Rimac Nevera.
The Nevera isn’t just fast; it claims the title of the quickest car in the world. Recently, under rigorous independent testing, it shattered nearly two dozen acceleration and braking records. Let’s put this into perspective: the Rimac Nevera 0-60 mph time is a staggering 1.74 seconds. It demolishes the quarter-mile in an equally unbelievable 8.25 seconds. These figures aren’t just incremental improvements; they represent a monumental leap in automotive performance, outclassing even the most formidable offerings from legendary marques like Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Bugatti. Unless you’re deeply entrenched in the hypercar world, or a follower of automotive influencers, the name Rimac Nevera might be new to you.
Welcome to the extraordinary vision of Mate Rimac, the Croatian engineering prodigy behind this electric hypercar marvel. Founded in Croatia in 2009, a nation not traditionally associated with automotive giants, Rimac Automobili has charted an incredible trajectory. From humble beginnings, the company has attracted significant investments from Porsche and Hyundai, established a state-of-the-art boutique factory, and built a massive production facility to supply high-performance electric components to the global automotive industry. Even Bugatti, renowned for producing some of the fastest and most exclusive vehicles, recognized Rimac’s technological prowess and merged with the company. Together, they are shaping the electrified future of this iconic brand.
To truly understand what makes Rimac and the Nevera so exceptional amidst the burgeoning landscape of electric supercars, I traveled to Zagreb, Croatia, to experience it firsthand.
My guide was Matjia Renic, the Nevera’s chief program engineer. He explained that “nevera” is a Croatian term for a sudden, fierce Mediterranean thunderstorm – a fitting name for a car that has burst onto the scene with such explosive force. Taller than me, Renic folded himself into the passenger seat and demonstrated the car’s essential controls, operated via a trio of meticulously crafted knobs.
The first knob manages the familiar PRND (park, reverse, neutral, drive) settings. However, like many electric vehicles, the Nevera operates with a single-speed transmission. The second knob cycles through the driving modes – Range, Cruise, Sport, Track, and Drift – each dynamically adjusting the suspension stiffness and the distribution of the Nevera’s immense power to its four motors, one at each wheel. I sampled each mode, finding Cruise ideal for comfortable cruising and Sport unleashing a more aggressive surge. The final knob allows for fine-tuning of the power distribution between the front and rear axles. While visually reminiscent of a McIntosh amplifier dial, its practical impact seemed less crucial, and I largely left it untouched, focusing instead on the raw, breathtaking power and the unforgettable Rimac Nevera 0-60 mph experience.
