Automotive enthusiasts have a lot to be worried about when it comes to the future of the automotive industry. Automakers already have semi-autonomous vehicles on the road and autonomous cars are expected to be released within the next year at the earliest. Then, there’s the question of electric vehicles that are poised to put cars with internal combustion engines out of business.
Rimac Brings The Heat With The Concept Two
Still, enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to and the Rimac Concept Two that was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show proves that. The brand’s first vehicle, the Concept One, was a radical machine. Thanks to four electric motors and four gearboxes, the Concept One boasted 1,224 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. Getting to 60 mph for the Concept One takes just 2.6 seconds. Rimac’s first car is essentially a Tesla on steroids. But the Concept Two is Hulk itself.
Before going really in-depth, the Concept Two has a 120-kilowatt-hour battery pack that gives the vehicle a range of 403 miles — while not exactly a hulking figure over Tesla’s models, it is better. Even more impressively, when plugged into a fast charger, the EV can regain 80 percent of its range within 30 minutes.
Electric vehicles are usually heavier than their gasoline-powered vehicles and it’s the same case with the Concept Two, But thanks to a full carbon fiber monocoque with a bonded carbon roof and a rear carbon subframe, the car weighs in at 4,300 lbs. Weight distribution is at a nearly-perfect 48 percent front to 52 percent rear.
While the Concept One had some impressive figures, the Concept Two is even crazier with 1,914 hp and 1,696 lb-ft of torque. With that kind of power, the vehicle is capable of hitting 60 mph in just 1.85 seconds and has a top speed of 258 mph. That makes the car quick, fast, and efficient.
Technology To Match The Performance
Those figures may impress enthusiasts and speed freaks, but the Concept Two also has some features that should make techies blush. The most impressive tech feature includes facial recognition, which is used to unlock the doors and start the engine. In addition to that, the car features Level 4 autonomous driving, which, according to the SAE, means that the vehicle can operates on its own the majority of time. The latter is made possible thanks to 12 ultrasonic sensors, eight cameras, LiDar, six radars, and GPS.
With all of those components, the Concept Two, according to the automaker, produces six gigabytes of data per hour. To process that kind of data, the vehicle is equipped with 72 electronic control units and processors that are the equivalent of 22 MacBook Pros.
It’s all really exciting stuff. And that’s even before you consider that racetracks can be uploaded into the onboard computer and have the vehicle coach you on the proper line, when to brake, as well as when to turn-in and accelerate. The car also has adaptive suspension, high-performance tires, and carbon ceramic discs with Brembo calipers. Apparently, the car will be able to go all out on the Nurburgring for two full laps before losing performance.
The car even has a high-tech torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system that can send more torque to the back for a sportier feel or turn the machine into a smoke vessel via drift mode. The Concept Two can even adapt to changing weather conditions to ensure that drivers have the most grip.
Only 150 units of the Concept Two will be built, and while Rimac hasn’t unveiled pricing yet, you can bet the supercar will feature a seven-figure price tag. Hey, no one said the future would be cheap, but it sure is pretty and fast.
[“Source-futurecar”]