Geneva gallery: new Rimac hypercar promises 0-60mph in 1.85secs

The firm’s second electric model promises astounding speed and Level 4 autonomy

Rachel Burgess

by Rachel Burgess

6 March 2018

Follow @theburgeword

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The Rimac C_Two has been revealed at the Geneva motor show.

The electric car can achieve 0-60mph in 1.85secs and 0-100mph in 4.3secs from a rolling start, said the company. That puts it on a par with the forthcoming Tesla Roadster, which is claimed to do those benchmark sprints in 1.9secs and 4.2secs respectively.

The C_Two, which is only a codename, is the Croatian hypercar firm’s second model. Its first, the Concept One, which achieved 0-60 in 2.5secs, became infamous after ex-Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond crashed one of only eight cars built.
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Power

This new model uses a 120kWh lithium battery and develops 1888bhp and 1696lb ft of torque. It has an electric motor at each wheel, allowing for four-wheel-drive. It uses a pair of independent single-speed gearboxes to drive the front wheels and a pair of two-speed carbon-clutched gearboxes for the rear wheels. This allows the C_Two to make use of “its prodigious torque”, said Rimac.
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Carbon

The car employs all-wheel torque vectoring, coupled with huge 390mm carbon ceramic brake discs and six-piston calipers on both front and rear axles. The largely carbon-fibre model features double wishbone suspension with electronically controlled dampers and active ride height.
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258mph

Capable of a top speed of 258mph, Rimac claims that new liquid-cooled thermal management systems means the car is capable of two full laps of the Nurburgring at full power “with negligible drop in performance”. An inability to perform consistently is a criticism often levelled at electric performance cars. It has a claimed range of 404 miles on an NEDC cycle and can be charged to 80% capacity in less than 30 minutes.
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Autonomy

The two-seater C_Two also features Level 4 autonomous driving, one level off full autonomy, as well as artificial intelligence. On-board systems use facial recognition cameras to unlock the car, and let the driver start the car without a car. The car than attunes itself to the driver’s mood by recognising various inputs and adapt accordingly. This could be by playing soothing music or adapting the car’s dynamics for a more pliant ride.
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Structure

As part of its autonomous capability, the C_Two’s systems can load selected race tracks in real-time, offering guidance on racing lines, braking/acceleration points and steering inputs. The hypercar uses a carbon-fibre monocque with bonded carbon roof, integrated battery pack and rear carbon subframe. Crash strucutres are formed from carbon and aluminium and the body itself is carbon fibre.
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Production

The C_Two will go into production later this year limited to 150 units. Prices have not been revealed. While Rimac develops its own cars, it is also a supplier for many carmakers including Aston Martin, for whom it is providing the Valkyrie hypercar’s hybrid system.
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