Rimac Nevera – The Countach of the 2020s, If There Is Such a Thing
By Edward A. Sanchez – June 1, 2021
After more than a year of carrying the uninspiring moniker C_Two, Rimac’s second-generation hypercar finally has a proper name: Nevera. The Nevera’s performance specs and capabilities are formidable. With a combined output of 1,914 hp, a quarter-mile time of 9.1 (or 8.6 seconds, depending on your source), and a claimed 258 mph top speed, the Nevera is up there with the likes of the Bugatti Chiron in terms of performance. So is its price. If you’re lucky enough to get one of the 150 Neveras slated for production, the price tag will be a cool €2 million, or about $2.4 million at current exchange rates. There is little doubt of the Nevera’s performance capabilities and credentials. But the question must be asked, is it coming into a world and market that really cares that much anymore?
Growing up in the 1980s and ’90s and living in the upscale Northern California area of Silicon Valley, I was constantly surrounded by conspicuous consumption. Even in those relatively early days of the tech revolution, the Bay Area was thick with multi-millionaires, fast-talking, fast-moving entrepreneurs, and those who simply wanted to showcase their success (or façade of it) to those around them. Although certainly not limited to the NorCal area, a poster of the Lamborghini Countach was a fixture on many a teen boy’s bedroom wall. Few other cars of the time looked as wild and exotic as the Countach, despite there being arguably many other examples of better sports cars from a driving dynamics or engineering standpoint.
However, the conspicuous consumption that so typified 1980s and ’90s New York and Los Angeles was tempered somewhat by the Bay Area’s deeply entrenched culture of conservation, environmental awareness, and social activism, and a desire by many to be publicly seen as having at least a token concern for the environment and their fellow citizens. The popularity of Doc Martens, Birkenstocks, and JNCO jeans of the era typified the “Boho chic” vibe many tried to convey. The dirty little secret is all of these humble-looking products were actually quite expensive compared to their mainstream equivalents.
A similar critique could be leveled against Tesla owners in terms of the contradiction of wealth and social conscience in the fact that the cars themselves are more expensive than the average vehicle, and out of reach of a significant segment of the population. Obviously, the Nevera is at a whole other rarified level of wealth and exclusivity, rarer even than the Countach was in its day.
Not having children or teenagers myself, I don’t have a close pulse on what the current zeitgeist is in the Gen-Z car enthusiast community. I do know speaking from personal experience, the car enthusiast hobby in general is much smaller than it used to be, as evidenced by the shuttering of dozens of car magazines, many others going to an exclusively online existence, and massive consolidation in the automotive aftermarket. There is a robust nostalgic enthusiast market for Reagan-to-Clinton era metal as evidenced by the popularity of Radwood, but enthusiasm for current vehicles seems to cluster around domestic muscle (Mustang, Camaro, Challenger) off-roaders (Wrangler, 4Runner, Tacoma, Raptor), European (Audi, BMW), and Japanese (Infiniti, Subaru, Honda/Acura) models.
There are definitely EV “enthusiasts.” However, that enthusiasm is somewhat tempered by the newness of EVs, and the unexplored territory of EV performance modification, other than suspension, wheels and tires, and body bolt-ons. Will there be Nevera posters on Gen-Z teenagers walls (or the modern-day equivalent, being set as a mobile phone wallpaper background).
The fact that the automotive hobby has largely shifted away from modification of contemporary cars more toward restoration, preservation, and nostalgia should in no way be interpreted as disrespect or dismissal for Rimac’s efforts. I have little doubt the entire production run of the Nevera will be spoken for and sold out shortly, if it hasn’t already. Mate Rimac is a prodigy of EV engineering talent and vision, a fact that has been recognized by Porsche as well as the Hyundai Group, both of which have stakes in the company. There’s even a persistent rumor that Rimac will be put in charge of managing the Bugatti brand itself as that storied marque moves into the era of electrification.
Enthusiasm for high-performance cars may have been displaced by enthusiasm for high-performance technology, in terms of excitement and anticipation of the latest Nvidia graphics card, the latest Alienware gaming computer, or the latest generation of AR goggles. While this saddens me somewhat as an aging Gen-Xer that still has a fondness for the analog and tangible, there’s no stopping the inexorable advance of technology. And ever has it been and will be. The rise of automobiles and the internal combustion engine at the turn of 20th century was decried by merchants and businesses that made their living catering to the needs of equestrian livestock care and maintenance. But in terms of power, practicality, and convenience, horse-drawn carriages could not compete with cars, despite the obvious (even then) drawbacks of noise, odor, and pollution.
Transportation of all types, whether privately owned cars, autonomous ride-hailing shuttles, or anything else, has seen a sharp turn toward being much more concerned about practicality and sustainability, to the point where even private vehicle ownership is being portrayed and attacked by some as wasteful, indulgent, and somehow unjust toward those who don’t have the means, or space, to afford a private vehicle. In that context, the Nevera, even as an EV, could be seen as nothing more than a crass display of wealth, like a Tesla Model S, Lucid Air, or other premium EV, but 20 times more excessive.
Not that Mate Rimac needs my affirmation or accolades, but for what it’s worth, I’m glad he started Rimac Automobili, and has the passion, talent, and focus he does on EV development. I count him as one of the modern-day heros of the automotive world, and someone I hope to meet at some point in my life.
(Images courtesy Rimac)
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