The Nevera R arrives: the most exclusive version of the Rimac hypercar

The Croatian high-performance electric vehicle maker has just raised the bar with an evolved version of the Nevera. The Nevera R, the name chosen by the manufacturer, is not limited to offering greater power and performance on the road or on the track, but also features a new, more dynamic chassis. Getting hold of a Nevera R will not be easy, however, since production is limited to just 40 units.

With 1,400 kW of power and a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in just 1.81 seconds, the original Nevera has no rival. According to Rimac itself, this hypercar was conceived as a “hyper-GT“. That is, a vehicle capable of setting a record on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit while also being perfectly suited to a comfortable long-distance road trip of more than a thousand kilometres.

The goal that led Rimac to develop the Nevera R is, however, something different. According to Mate Rimac, the company’s chief and founder, many of its customers wanted a vehicle that would further emphasise stability through corners and make the most of all the advanced technologies on board. The Nevera R is precisely Rimac’s answer to this demand from its customers.

A different level

The R model retains the DNA of the Nevera, but is lighter and faster. The power of its motor has been increased to 1,571 kW, and the battery pack has been upgraded to deliver greater performance. In addition, the torque vectoring system has been optimised and new brakes have been fitted to improve cornering performance.

The exterior design of the Nevera R, on the other hand, has only been subtly refined, highlighted by the large fixed rear wing and the large rear diffuser. With even more aggressive aerodynamics, Rimac has managed to increase downforce by 15% and aerodynamic efficiency by 10%. Additionally, new Michelin Cup 2 tyres have been fitted, which improve lateral grip and reduce the tendency to understeer on corner entry.

The final result of all these improvements is remarkable. At the Nardò circuit in Italy, the Nevera R has managed to cut the time set by the standard Nevera by 3.8 seconds. Rimac has not yet tested the Nevera R on the German Nürburgring Nordschleife, where the standard Nevera completed a lap in 7:05.298 minutes, but we can be sure that when it does, it will be able to shave several seconds off that mark.

Finally, it should be noted that although Rimac’s engineers have focused on improving the Nevera R’s performance on winding roads, the Nevera R is also somewhat faster than the standard Nevera on straights. From a standstill, it is capable of reaching 300 km/h in 8.66 seconds, compared with the 9.22 seconds needed by the standard Nevera. The top speed, electronically limited to 350 km/h, is however the same in both versions, although the Nevera R is capable of reaching 412 km/h under the manufacturer’s strict supervision in very specific cases.