An all-electric, 1,088 hp, Croatian supercar - if you didn't know differently, you might think we were just stringing a bunch of random adjectives together on a dare. But those adjectives actually describe a real, live concept car - the Rimac Concept One - which is now available for reservation ahead of deliveries in 2013.
After our first encounter with the Rimac Concept One last year, you could be forgiven maintaining some healthy skepticism on the performance specs quoted. Every claim about the car was difficult to digest: 2,800 lb-ft (3,500 Nm) of torque, 1,088-hp, 0-to-62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds, 372 miles (600 km) of range, all from a fully electric car. That just doesn't happen in today's world.
But it looks like Rimac is determined to prove all naysayers wrong. The company brought the Concept One to the Top Marques Monaco event earlier this week, where it officially opened its books for reservations and deposits. It didn't specify how much of their life savings buyers of the world's most outrageous electric supercar will have to part with, but media reports have had the price hovering around the US$1 million mark. Deliveries are planned for a 2013 start, and Rimac will only make 88 models.
While it looks like the car may be more than vaporware, its outrageous numbers are already dropping down to Earth. Perhaps the number that stood out the most when the Concept One debuted was that massive 2,800 lb-ft (3,500 Nm) of torque. We know electric motors are all about torque, but that just seemed a little ridiculous. Well, in its latest press release, Rimac cuts its torque claims by more than half to 1,180 lb-ft (1,600 Nm). We won't be surprised if numbers like range and acceleration also humble down a little as Rimac works toward production.
The company has also selected a new tire for the Concept One. It chose Vredestein Ultrac Vorti high-performance tires because it believes they'll deliver the best grip and performance when operated with Rimac's four in-wheel motors.
Source: Rimac