The Rimac Nevera reached a top speed of 256 mph at a German test track, which the company claims is a record for production electric vehicles.
Rimac chief test and development driver Miro Zrnčević accomplished that feat at the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Papenburg, Germany, the company said in a press release. The oval track was selected by Rimac for the top-speed run because of its pair of 2.4-mile straights.
Rimac Nevera top speed run
The main challenge was nailing the transitions from the track's banked curves to maximize speed onto the straightaways, according to Rimac. Zrnčević exited the banking at 155 mph before fully unleashing the full 1,914 hp and 1,740 lb-ft of torque from the Nevera's quad-motor powertrain.
The top speed was achieved on road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires, with monitoring by a Michelin technician, Rimac noted. To preserve those tires, customer cars are limited to 218 mph, but Rimac said the limiter will be disengaged "in special customer events with the support from the Rimac team and under controlled conditions" where technicians can ensure proper tire setup.
Rimac released a video of the run complete with a readout of the 412 kph (256 mph) the car achieved. Check it out below.
Rimac in 2021 also set a quarter-mile record for production cars with the Nevera. YouTuber Brooks Weisblat achieved an 8.58-second time and 167.51-mph top speed at a California dragstrip. That was achieved after multiple runs in 98-degree temperatures, so conditions were less than ideal.
The Nevera is the production version of the C_Two first shown in 2018, and it has now nearly matched the 258-mph top speed Rimac quoted for the concept version. Production started in July, with the first customer car going to 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg. The Nevera is also cleared for U.S. sales, and is rated at 287 miles of range on the EPA testing cycle.