Rimac Nevera sets speed record in REVERSE GEAR

Test driver Drndak drove 275.74 km/h looking in the rearview mirror – Absolute Lunacy

We knew that the Rimac Nevera, with its 1,408 kW, is one of the fastest series electric cars in the world. But he also drives backwards extremely quickly. This is now confirmed by a new speed record in reverse gear.

The Rimac Nevera, driving backwards, was just as fast as the legendary Lamborghini Miura with its V12 engine, which was the first car to break the 170 mph barrier in 1967 – forwards, of course. To be precise: the electric car from Croatia drove 275.74 km/h in reverse gear.

The speed was measured by Dewesoft and certified by the Guinness Book of Records. The crazy backwards speed was driven on a test site in Papenburg (between Emden and Bremen). There, the Nevera achieved more than 20 acceleration and braking records in a single day at the beginning of 2023. The top speed of 412 km/h was also reached there. The Nevera had the same “Time Attack Edition” livery as previous record runs. This is only available to twelve customers worldwide.

The Nevera is powered by four electric motors. The motors rotate the axles forwards just as quickly as backwards. This means that the Nevera can also achieve the forward sprint time of 1.82 seconds backwards.

“During development, the thought occurred to us that the Nevera would probably be the fastest car in the world in reverse,” said Mevera chief engineer Matija Renic. But aerodynamics, cooling and stability were not designed for fast reversing. But simulations showed that well over 240 km/h would be possible.

So Rimac test driver Goran Drndak got to work. But the ride definitely took some getting used to. You look directly behind you and watch the landscape fly away from you faster and faster, and you feel your neck being pulled forward with almost the same feeling you normally get when braking hard felt.”

It is important to only move the steering wheel very gently. Since the Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) test track is an oval, you have to brake again and again. The braking point has to be found in the rearview mirror and at the same time you have to keep an eye on the speed, explained Drndak.

Rimac Technology is led by company founder Mate Rimac. A few months ago, the VW Group founded the Rimac Group joint venture  and handed over the Bugatti brand to this joint venture. Since then, Mate Rimac has also been the boss of Bugatti. The Rimac Group is based on the outskirts of Zagreb and currently employs more than 2,000 people across Europe.