Mate Rimac, the guy behind what might be the best electric conversion ever, has announced his new company will be revealing a new electric supercar at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. There have been a few assorted posts scattered about TMC but because this will be a new company with a new car, I thought it should get its own thread. So far all we have is some amazing numbers (1088 hp, 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds) and a couple teaser pics but having watched this guy over the last couple years I have a good feeling this will be pretty amazing. I'm especially heartened by his motor design. Similar to the one in the model S, it includes its own inverter and reduction gear. His new car, the "Concept One" will have four. Here's the AutoblogGreen post.
I dont think its so much. the good think with elektric car is, if you double your electric output, i cost twice, not ten-times. i believe it will be around the current roadster price or al little bit more because of the bigger batterie pack
None and no. Price? If you have to ask, you can't afford it. Road legal? Probably not because of practical impossibility to start a new car company in this part of the world.
I think it's funny that the teaser pic is a CG image of car under a tarp (as opposed to an actual car under a tarp, or just a CG image of a car). I do like the shape, though. =)
Rimac Automobili has released some teaser photos and a little video. The post on AutoblogGreen also has a few more details.
Peculiar side air intakes (in front of the wheels). Long hood. Do those big motors up front compromise leg/foot room? The rendered teaser photos make them seem somewhat professional. At first I though this was just a home / garage effort, but it seems more serious than that.
I suppose BMW and Audi hybrids will present more immediate competition to the model S, but here's a new company that intends to directly compete with Tesla as an EV supercar. Rimac: An E.V. Dark Horse Heads to Frankfurt Larry
Specs sound completely unrealistic with today's technology: 350 mile range, over 1000 horsepower, over 180 mph top speed, all for less than 4,000 pounds in a car designed by a 23 year old? Hmm. I doubt it. Even if it were true, this wouldn't come close to competing for the Model S OR the Roadster. Few of us here are willing to put forth half a million or a million dollars into a car. I bet almost nobody in the Model S market would ever spend that much on a car. Regardless, I don't think Tesla has anything to worry about there.
Agree completely Todd...if TM wanted to match the Roadster with a "one-offs" performance, they could easily do so...the trade off being a vehicle with a miniscule market as the range would take a beating with this sort of performance and the cost would be astronomical...might be done someday with technology advances, but I'm a disbeliever until I see it delivered as a mass produced, cost effective unit.
Nobody said anything about this car being cost effective or mass produced. It is being compared to Bugatti ( presumably the Veyron) and Koeniggsig (or however that is spelled LOL) and other multi-million dollar cars .... I think the only comparision to TM that they were making was that it was an EV that was also a performance car. No where near the same price point or mass marketed.
I found his comment ... "We didn’t know what we were doing, but we had fun,” he said. “The car performed great, even though we couldn’t use our speed advantage. We did enjoy passing all the Teslas, though.” rather immature...shows a cockiness that (to me) spouts of both over-confidence and a lack of market understanding. Don't get me wrong...while Rimac has built a great one-off car, I'm not sure he understands the "economics" of taking on Bugatti et al...he'd better have a backer with a piss-pot full of cash coupled with a tolerance of accepting "not showing a profit anytime soon" approach to business...damn small market for them Bugatti V's ..:wink:
"More power to him!" Sometimes the naive view gives you an advantage in taking on the establishment. (We know that story, right?) I gather they key is to be agile and adapt to what you start to learn as you engage. Rimac: An E.V. Dark Horse Heads to Frankfurt - NYTimes.com Well, if you had to find some customers with deep pockets...
That is a familiar story TEG (and one close to our hearts :smile...the only difference I see is that TM was always committed to working top a down business model to supply EV's to the public at mainline price & performance points...Does Rimac intend to do this as well, or does he intend to only produce high end, upscale fare?
Well, now we have some actual photos. So far, so good, me thinks. And to speak to some of the earlier comments. Yes, he might be naive, though I think that may be an advantage. As this older man who worked with him mentioned in a video, it's rare to find someone with his kind of optimism today. I find it rather refreshing and I am (obviously) rooting for him. Ultimately, I "think" the plan will be to sell components and drivetrain expertise using the Concept One as a halo car. I'll try to ask him about that.
It looks very impressive, particularly for a "first effort" from a group in a place not known for making cars.