Koenigsegg takes its carbon fiber seriously. One look at any of the Swedish supercar company’s creations up close, and you’ll understand just how much effort is put into each and every weave. Whether we’re talking about monocoques, body panels, or even wheels, Koenigsegg’s carbon is perfectly aligned and masterfully crafted. It’s a major reason why all of the company’s cars sell out so quickly.
Previously, if you wanted a car with carbon fiber made by Koenigsegg, you’d have to shell out several hundred thousand dollars to buy a Koenigsegg. Now, though, all you’ll need is a Tesla to make use of Koenigsegg’s ultra-high-quality carbon. That’s thanks to a new collaboration between Koenigsegg Advanced Manufacturing and Tesla tuner Unplugged Performance.
If you’re an avid reader of this website, you’ll be familiar with Unplugged Performance’s work. It’s one of the most popular suppliers of aftermarket Tesla parts, offering things like high-performance braking systems, suspension upgrades, and exterior modifications. Unplugged Performance is the company behind that highly modified Model S Plaid that attacked Pikes Peak in 2021. Furthermore, Unplugged Performance is an officially authorized service provider for Tesla vehicles, according to Electrek. So it’s only natural Koenigsegg would team up with it to provide parts to customers.
As a part of the launch, Unplugged Performance is offering a handful of carbon fiber spoilers for the Model S, 3, and X. Additionally, carbon fiber front fenders are available for the Model 3. Pricing for the spoilers range from $1745 to $2495, while the fenders come in at $8895 per set before taxes and shipping. That sounds like a whole lot of money for body panels, we know. But once you consider the parts are made from Koenigsegg’s proprietary carbon fiber weave and built on the same assembly line as the aerodynamic parts destined for Koenigsegg’s newest hypercars, it starts to make sense.
Unplugged Performance says it plans to debut more parts in collaboration with Koenigsegg later in 2022, so if you don’t see anything you like just yet, stay tuned.
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A decade or so ago, automotive experts created the word ‘hypercar’ to describe the highest-performing and most expensive road-legal supercars money can buy. Since then, various manufacturers have built several cars classified as hypercars – the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren Speedtail, Bugatti Chiron, Koenigsegg Jesko, and Porsche 918 Spyder are just a few of them.
RELATED: 10 Modern Supercars You Probably Didn’t Know Existed
Most hypercars are built by renowned manufacturers like Bugatti and McLaren, which is not surprising since they have decades of experience building similar cars. However, some hypercars are built by automakers that most gearheads have never heard of. The Lykan Hypersport is a perfect example of this. The Lykan Hypersport was developed by W Motors, a Lebanese automaker established in 2012. Let’s explore ten awesome facts about the Lykan Hypersport most gearheads don’t know.
10 First Supercar Made In The Middle East
Via: WMotors
The Middle East is known for many things – their oil-rich lands, rich culture, strong religious beliefs, delicious food, and their love for the most expensive European supercars. While Middle Eastern people love to buy cars, they’re not known for manufacturing them. In fact, most gearheads can not name one Middle-East-based automaker.
Via Upscalelivingmag
However, that all changed in 2012 when Lebanese automotive entrepreneur Ralph R. Debbas established W Motors with the goal of developing high-performance luxury sports cars. W Motors’ first car – the Lykan Hypersport – showed that the Middle East could also produce world-class sports cars.
9 An Intriguing Design
Via:Wikipedia
While the Lykan Hypersport was built by a new company, you couldn’t tell just by looking at it. That’s because it has a fantastic design that looks great from every angle. We love the light military theme created by its thick roof and layered body surfacing treatments that make it look like an armored vehicle.
Via W Motors
We also love the wild ‘suicide-swan’ doors, as well as the large rear fender that makes it look like a race car.
8 The Most Expensive Headlights Ever
via thextremexperience.com
Middle Eastern people love ostentatious design elements in cars and pay millions to have features not found in other cars. W Motors knows this, so they equipped the Lykan Hypersport with the most expensive headlights in any production car.
The Lykan Hypersport’s headlights have titanium LED blades with 440 15-carat diamonds. Depending on the vehicle’s color, buyers could opt for rubies, yellow diamonds, and sapphires.
7 An Upscale Interior
Via: WMotors
The Lykan Hypersport was meant to be quick, but W Motors also wanted it to have a comfortable and luxurious interior. The car’s interior is upholstered in high-quality leather, while the steering wheel is covered in thick racing Alcantara for maximum driver comfort. There’s even gold stitching on the seats.
RELATED: These Are The 10 Most Luxurious Car Interiors We’ve Ever Seen
Buyers also got advanced tech in the interior. For instance, the vehicle has advanced holographic technology that allows drivers to interact with its interface without touching physical buttons or touchscreens.
6 It’s Extremely Powerful
W Motors wanted the Lykan Hypersport to compete against the most powerful European sports cars. As such, they hired RUF Automobile – a renowned German car manufacturer – to build a special engine for the car.
RUF Automobile didn’t disappoint. The Lykan Hypersport is powered by a 3.7-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine that produces 780 ponies and 708 lb-ft of torque, making it fast.
5 Supercar-Worthy Performance Figures
Via YouTube
The Lykan Hypersport is equipped with premium features – a 780-hp engine paired with a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission, a limited-slip differential, MacPherson strut suspension, and high-performance Pirelli P Zeros tires.
Via WSupercars
Thanks to all these features, the Lykan Hypersport has insane performance figures. It takes just 2.7 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph and will go on to reach a claimed top speed of 245 mph, enough to make it one of the fastest cars of the 2010s.
4 The Greatest Cop Car Of All Time
via YouTube
Cop cars are typically boring-looking sedans like the Ford Crown Victoria. However, some police precincts prefer something a bit more flashy, particularly those from the Middle East.
RELATED: 10 Most Expensive Cars Used By The Police Around The World
via YouTube
One of the few Lykan Hypersports was purchased by the Abu Dhabi Police. We have no idea why the Abu Dhabi Police would need such a rare and expensive supercar, but if you’re a criminal, you better hope you don’t end up in a high-speed chase with them.
3 A Hollywood Icon
Via OS Gaming: Youtube
The Lykan Hypersport is one of the most iconic movie cars of all time, having been featured in the Fast and The Furious franchise. In the seventh Fast and The Furious film, the Lykan Hypersport is involved in a fantastic scene where Vin Diesel uses it to jump from one skyscraper to another.
Via The Verge
Don’t worry about the cars used in the film, though, as none of them were production models. W Motors built ten cars for the film – 9 were destroyed after filming, while one is currently displayed in the W Motors showroom.
2 A Rare Collectible
The Lykan Hypersport is a unicorn of a supercar. With only seven examples ever made, the Lykan Hypersport is one of the rarest sports cars ever.
Via: wmotors.ae
Of the seven examples, six were available for purchase by customers while one was sold to the Abu Dhabi Police, as mentioned earlier. Unless you’re one of the six lucky owners, the only way you’ll ever get to sit in the Lykan Hypersport is if you get caught by the Abu Dhabi Police after a high-speed chase.
1 Only Multimillionaires Can Afford It
The Lykan Hypersport is a rare hypercar with a superb design, a powerful engine, a 245-mph top speed, and diamonds in the headlights – we don’t have to tell you that it’s expensive.
Via Benishop.com
At launch, the Lykan Hypersport cost a whopping $3.4 million, making it the third most expensive production car at the time. We don’t even want to imagine how much a collector would have to pay for it today.
The 10 Rarest Cars Ever Made, Ranked
There are plenty of cars in the world that are so rare, you probably will never see them once in your life. These are ten of the rarest.
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About The Author
Martin Peter (248 Articles Published)
Martin is a seasoned content creator who has been writing about cars for over a decade, and has been in love with them for even longer. Growing up, Martin was surrounded by gearheads who instilled a deep love and understanding for cars in him at a young age. He loves to learn and write about all the developments happening in the auto industry – especially in the EV space. When he’s not writing about cars, he likes to spend quality time with his wife, kids, and fur baby.
The CNBC documentary “The Unstoppables”, made in collaboration with consulting and auditing firm EY, tells the story of three unstoppable global entrepreneurs from around the world who create a better and more sustainable future through technology, innovation and long-term value creation.
The prestigious trio in the film consists of Croatian Mate Rimac, who is founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili, Korean entrepreneur JungJin SEO, founder of the biopharmaceutical company Celltrion Group and Carla Walker-Miller, founder of the energy company Walker-Miller Energy Services.
The Unstoppables (Photo: Press)
Participation in this internationally acclaimed documentary is further recognition for Mate Rimac, who was also the 2017 Croatian innovator and EY entrepreneur of the year.
These great entrepreneurs share their experiences and valuable lessons on how to stay determined in trouble and how to turn an idea into a successful business. Rimac headquarters in Sveta Nedelja just outside of Zagreb, the most modern production facility in Croatia, was visited by Nicki Shields, CNN journalist and host of the BBC’s Formula E race, who spoke with Rimac in the film that can be viewed online for free via the link.
The documentary “The Unstoppables” celebrates three global entrepreneurs who recognised the opportunity, were ambitious in achieving it and persevered even when it seemed impossible.
The film confirms that this was also the case on Rimac’s entrepreneurial path when the idea of electric cars was in its infancy and when it seemed impossible to produce a car in Croatia. Mate Rimac put his vision into action, proved that high-tech products can be created in Croatia and surprised the world with his global competitiveness – as a manufacturer of serial electric cars with the fastest acceleration in the world.
Nicki Shields and Mate Rimac in The Unstoppables (Photo: Press)
Behind Mate Rimac is undoubtedly a historic year, full of successes that have made an immeasurable contribution to competitiveness and recognition, not only the company Rimac Automobili, but the whole of Croatia.
“It is clear to everyone in Croatia what Mate Rimac means for our country. But it may not be clear to everyone how important Rimac really is in a global context. It makes Croatia very important on the international map of innovators-entrepreneurs. We are proud that he is one of the winners of the Croatian edition of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year program and a member of the independent jury,” said Berislav Horvat, Country Managing Partner at EY Croatia.
The Unstoppables (Photo: Press)
“The Unstoppables” is a real inspiration for thinking outside the box that provides insight into practical solutions that will show you how success comes only if you have the courage. Courage to embrace diversity, foster belonging, reduce inequality, build a better environment. Three EY greats SEO, Rimac and Walker-Miller prove it.
“It’s so cold!” I couldn’t help but yell as I resurfaced from the chilly Baltic Sea, having lost my glasses and wearing only underwear. I lathered soap on my body as quickly as I could, not just to escape the painfully frigid water, but because I had an appointment at Swedish supercar company Koenigsegg’s headquarters. I was running late.
How did I end up in this dumb situation, glasses-less, mostly-naked, and shaking uncontrollably in the Baltic, running late to a meeting with one of the world’s leading automotive engineering companies? Well, it all started last summer after my friend Andreas agreed to purchase a 250,000 mile diesel, manual 1994 Chrysler Voyager on my behalf.
The incredible machine was located in Germany, and I was in Michigan. Adding to the inconvenience, the van wasn’t running and, unbeknownst to me at the time, had bad wheel bearings, a broken axle CV-joint, failed suspension and shifter bushings, and a whole slew of other problems. I spent a month diligently fixing the car in a garage just north of Nürnberg, and in time, managed to get the American-designed, Austrian-built, Italian-engined van road-legal after two failed attempts through Germany’s rigorous TÜV inspection. It was now time to put the diesel manual family vehicle to the test.
My first trip, which I’ve already written about, took me to the German cities of Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Aachen, as well as to Ghent, Belgium. I met some great car enthusiasts and learned a lot about car culture in these places, but most importantly, I discovered my minivan’s excellence. The vehicle cruised the Autobahn confidently, with a smooth ride and surprising efficiency.
That was only a 1,000 mile round trip, though — not nearly long enough given the hellish wrenching I’d just endured. After all that toiling, I wanted to really see what the $600 minivan had left in it, so last fall I set out to drive from my parents’ place in Germany to a small town near Umea, Sweden, where a reader had (I think jokingly) invited me.
Sweden, it’s worth noting, was one of few countries not on Germany’s COVID “Riskogebiet” list, meaning I could travel there and return without having to quarantine.
Screenshot: Google Maps
To get to Sweden, I hit the Autobahn and drove straight north for six hours to the city of Rostock in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This city is Germany’s largest Baltic port.
Image: David Tracy
When I arrived, I drove up a giant ramp onto a ship headed to Trelleborg, Sweden.
The Ferry From Germany To Sweden
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
I parked the van in the hull (see arrow above), and — since it was quite late — caught a few z’s on a chair in a seating lounge. I made sure to keep away from other travelers, as this was all during the fall of 2020, peak COVID season.
Image: David Tracy
My van and I landed in Trelleborg at around 6 A.M. I was still dead tired, but staying on the vessel wasn’t an option, so I hit the road. I lasted maybe 20 minutes before assuming a horizontal position at a Qstar gas station.
The photo below shows my lodging arrangement. There’s a green foam sleeping pad, a sleeping bag and a pillow. That’s it. When I initially started this van project, I had resolved to turn the van into an overlanding beast, with drawers and a nice shower setup. But I was too impatient. Europe beckoned, and the VM Motori 2.5-liter turbodiesel matched to a fantastic Chrysler five-speed manual transmission begged for miles after years of dormancy.
Image: David Tracy
The following morning, I was off to Gothenburg, home of Volvo, employer of a Jalopnik reader named Nicholas, with whom I had scheduled a meetup. Nicholas is an engineer whose expertise is in — and I’m quoting him here — “engineering processes, methods, and tools for developing software for the electric drive, battery, and charging systems in all electrified vehicles in the Volvo Car Group.” That’s legit.
More importantly, he grew up near one of my hometowns in Kansas, and he seems like just a good dude.
Gothenburg
Image: David Tracy
When I arrived in Gothenburg, the former Apple engineer showed up in a red plug-in hybrid Volvo, showed me around the automaker’s campus, taught me a bit about how things operate at the safety-obsessed car company, and walked me through how he ended up in Sweden from Kansas.
Here’s a snippet of his journey from an email he sent me later:
I was just shy of my five year anniversary at Apple when due to Reasons I felt it was important for me to find a new challenge. I have always been a car guy, having owned a whole bunch of Benzes (‘73 450SL, ‘78 450SL, ‘84 300SD Turbo, ‘86 300E, ‘08 SL550), a whole bunch of Volvos (‘87 745GLE, ‘87 745T, ‘88 744GLE, ‘94 850 Turbo, 02 V70XC, 15 V60 Polestar #2/80), and a few other oddities (‘83 Chevy Suburban C10 6.2 Diesel, ‘98 VW GTI unofficial Drivers Edition, ‘12 Subaru STI wagon, ‘13 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI). Maybe it would be a good idea to see what I could do in the auto industry since suddenly computing in the car was becoming a big deal.
[…]
Today I work in the Base Product Development team as a Software Architect. Mostly I am involved in how we will use high performance computing in our future vehicles and how we can use concepts from the tech industry in the automotive world. I also teach classes on software configuration management, code review processes, and continuous integration. It has certainly not been the path I expected, but it has been an adventure and I feel that right now I am where I need to be. Of course, I still have interesting cars: a ‘02 Peugeot 206CC 2.0 (with GT body kit), ‘03 Volvo V70 D5 M56, ‘21 Volvo V60 T8 RDesign (that you drove), and my research car: a ‘19 Polestar 2 verification prototype that has become frankensteined with various prototype phase and production parts.
Gotta love it when car-people like us work in the industry, don’t you?
Image: David Tracy
Anyway, after I left, Nicholas suggested I get a local delicacy: Kebab pizza. This confusing blend of Turkish and Italian culinary culture combines tomato sauce, onions, kebab meat, and a mysterious white kebab sauce and places it all atop pizza dough. (Note: After this Sweden trip, I took the van on a hellish drive from Germany to Turkey. I’ve already written about this trip, but what I didn’t mention is that at the wedding I attended there, I was privy to a conversation wherein Turks were trying to figure out what the hell the white sauce is that western Europeans (namely Germans) drizzle on Döner kebabs. Nobody knew). The pizza was great… until I got three quarters (three pie over two, for you engineers who see life in radians and enjoy a good pun) of the way through; then I couldn’t stand another bite.
Image: David Tracy
I spent a second day in Gothenburg hanging out with a different Nicholas, whom I’d worked with back at Chrysler in Auburn Hills, I think on the RU (Chrysler Pacifica) program. He and I, plus a reader named Michael (who wound up in Sweden thanks to a former job at Amazon, and who stuck around to build a family) hung out late into the night, tranquilly enjoying dinner under a bridge.
We three Americans (well, a Canadian, a British-America, and a German-American) walking along Swedish docks, talked about our life experiences, and connecting on an intellectual and almost spiritual level.
Image: David Tracy
Even though the big “highlights” like jumping into the sea (more on that in a second) and seeing cool supercar hardware (more on that in two seconds) are the most exciting parts of a trip like this, the in-between moments like this one with Nicholas and Michael are immensely transformative. Even if they don’t make for great stories to repeat at parties or in a blog.
Anyway, back to the highlight reel, and how I ended up near-nude off the side of a Swedish highway.
Koenigsegg
Image: David Tracy
It was 45 degrees at a rest-stop near Gothenburg, Sweden, where I had just spent the night in the back of my diesel 1994 Chrysler Voyager minivan after having finished writing a silly article bumming Wi-Fi in a Burger King parking lot. Wearing flannel-lined jeans and a winter coat, and rolled up in my sleeping bag, I didn’t want to get up, but I had no choice. It was 8 A.M., I had an appointment at supercar company Koenigsegg’s headquarters in Ängelholm, Sweden two hours away, and I still needed to find a place to shower.
A wiser man would have gotten a hotel for the night, but hotels in Sweden aren’t cheap. I am. Plus, this was supposed to be an epic van trip, not an epic van-and-hotel trip. More importantly, if I’m not going to sleep in this van, then what’s all that space being used for? Answer: Nothing. It’s being wasted.
I won’t stand for that.
Anyway, for reasons I should probably discuss with a professional, I surmised that the best way for me to bathe prior to meeting with Koenigsegg was to jump into the Baltic Sea (technically the Kattegat strait between the Baltic Sea and North Sea). As you can see on the map, the route from my rest stop near Gothenburg to Koenigsegg HQ in Ängelholm took me right along the water, and my full logic train was this: “Water = clean. Sea = water. Ergo, by the transitive property, Sea = clean.”
Profound, I know.
Screenshot: Google Maps
I bought some environmentally-friendly soap, turned off to a road near the water, and then did a bit of off-roading to get as close to the sea as possible, since it was 45 degrees and windy and I wanted to minimize my cold walk to and from my bath:
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
The water smelled like fish, and my entire body recoiled as soon as I stuck my big toe in. But this was a professional meeting I was about to have with engineers. I couldn’t show up smelling like I’d just spent the night in a 1994 Chrysler minivan — Koenigsegg would notice right away! So, against my body’s instincts, I undressed in the back of my van, jumped into the water, and wiped myself down with eco-friendly soap as quickly as possible.
As you might surmise upon seeing the photo below (and video toward the top of this article), the dip was extremely uncomfortable. I don’t know how cold that water was, but I think I lost about a foot of height and six inches of waistline from thermal contraction alone.
I ran back into the van, got dressed, and then quickly realized that I couldn’t see a damn thing. I looked around, assuming I’d set my glasses down when I’d gotten undressed. I found nothing. I slid open the side-door and jumped out; maybe I’d set them down on a rock when I was taking pictures of the majestic van by the sea? No dice.
Then I had a thought. I jumped back into the van, threw my GoPro’s SD card into my laptop, and began watching the film. “Oh shit,” I realized. “I wore my glasses into the sea! Like a fool!”
Image: David Tracy
Anyway, the glasses were gone. I luckily had a set of contact lenses to get me through the next few days, though I knew I’d later need to buy more without a prescription — possibly used ones from a back-alley optometrist.
Image: David Tracy
I drove 90 minutes to Ängelholm, and arrived at a massive airfield with a flight museum nearby. Right next to the air strip sat a long white building, built in typical Swedish understated fashion. Three flags bearing the Koenigsegg crest waved proudly out front.
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Upon entering the facility, I met with a Koenigsegg PR rep, and then with Ruben Lend, the company’s lead engineer for braking, steering, and suspension. He was working on the nine-speed “Light Speed Transmission” found in the Jesko. This transmission, as with most Koenigsegg projects, is bonkers, as Jason Fenske describes in his article on Road & Track:
Dual-clutch transmissions (DCTs) work on the same principle. One clutch opens while the other closes, allowing for wildly fast shift times. The problem is that they can only preselect a single gear at a time. The ECU guesses which ratio will be needed next, preselecting a gear. If it’s wrong, shift time suffers….
Instead of two clutches, the LST uses seven—eight if you count the differential that’s part of the transaxle. These are wet, multiplate clutches with their own hydraulic actuators and pressure sensors. Each gear pair gets a clutch of its own, and the transmission uses three gear shafts instead of two, which allows for compounding gears.
[…]
Because each gear pair has a clutch, switching from one gear to another with the LST simply requires simultaneously opening and closing the respective clutches. It’s like a dual-clutch that never has to predict which gear comes next; it’s ready for whatever the driver wants. Koenigsegg calls this ultimate power on demand, or UPOD. The goal is to put you in the optimum gear for acceleration without hesitation.
Lend was very focused on his work, to the point where he really wasn’t divulging much to me. He had a CAD model on his computer, and it was clear to me that he had engineering to do. In any case, here are a few images I took in the lobby of the nine-speed bolted to the Jesko’s twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8.
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Looking at my notes from last fall, I have a few quotes from Mr. Lend about this incredible transmission. “We can jump from 3rd to 9th to whatever,” he told me, saying if you’re cruising in sixth and want to downshift, the car can jump to the lowest gear that keeps the engine below 7,000 RPM.
He said there are six pairs of gears (with nine forward and three in reverse), and seven clutches (with six forward and one for reverse). “[We] can choose which two clutches we are connecting at the same time,” he said.
The reverse gear is what caught my interest, so I inquired further. “In theory, we have a reverse gear that could also drive in different speeds,” he said. “Let’s say that it could go fast in reverse,” he continued, not specifying exactly how fast, but that it’d be above 150 km/h (that’s over 90 mph). That’s nuts.
Screenshot: Koenigsegg
Lend also talked to me about the Triplex suspension found on Koenigseggs. This suspension utilizes a damper spanning from a suspension arm on one side of the car to a suspension arm on the opposite side. Per Koenigsegg’s description above, the aim is to “[provide] resistance against ‘squat’ (both dampers compressing at take-off) but [do] nothing during regular single-sided compression of the dampers (e.g. during cornering).” In other words, the design is there to ensuring good grip at the front wheels even during hard acceleration, thus aiding with handling.
This YouTube video from /Drive describes how it works:
The Jesko is special in that it incorporates the Triplex suspension methodology in both the front and rear, meaning it “supports dive and squat,” per Lend. Here’s how Koenigsegg describes the Jesko’s setup on its website:
Koenigsegg developed the Triplex Suspension system for the Agera in 2010. A third, horizontal damper added at the rear allowed the car to employ natural physics to combat squat – the tendency for the car’s rear to lower itself under hard acceleration. Jesko is equipped with a second Triplex unit in the front suspension, extending this capability to the front of the car.
Jesko has over 1,000 kilograms of downforce available. The forward Triplex unit helps to keep the front of the car level, maintaining optimal ride height during high aerodynamic loading without compromising grip and handling at lower speeds.
Looking at my jumbled notes, I have a few other suspension-related quotes from the engineer. Lend talked about how you don’t want a suspension that is too stiff or you’ll lose mechanical grip, and he discussed the advantages of the Triplex system, saying: “You can still roll in the corners … The whole idea is that the wheels independently can hold mechanical grip, but you’re still keeping your aero platform.” He went on to mention that, of course, it’s critical to keep the nose from hitting the ground during braking, and that’s an area where the front Triplex system helps.
Screenshot: Koenigsegg
Other discussions with Lend included the importance of controlling preload in the vehicle’s drivetrain (it’s especially important in high-horsepower cars to keep the vehicle well controlled), what the 10 solenoids in the Light Speed Transmission do (all I have in my notes is “one pressure, one safety, one differential, [seven] clutches” — not entirely sure what the all that means, but I’m assuming they’re controlling oil pressure actuation to these components, though it’s not clear what “pressure” and “safety” are), the benefits of an engine without a flywheel (among them: the engine revs quickly, allowing for fast gearshifts), and a brief mention of differential and gearbox cooling systems.
After that short chat with the clearly rather busy, but still brilliant and accommodating Mr. Lend, Koenigsegg’s PR rep sent me on a tour of part of the company’s production facility. I was restricted on what I could photograph, but I did snap this image of Koenigsegg’s wiring harness schematic.
I have to say, I was surprised with how simple Koenigsegg’s process is for assembling a harness. The team has a vehicle’s harness outline printed on a big sheet of paper taped to a large board. Fastened to that board are zip-ties meant to hold wires as workers insert them to match the drawing, which also contains connector information (per my guide, the Regera has 2.5 kilometers of wires in total and roughly 4,000 connectors). This method is manual, it’s simple, it’s cool, and Koenigsegg says it uses it for two reasons: Getting suppliers to do such low-volume work is nontrivial, and doing the work in-house means better control over quality.
Image: David Tracy
Also simpler than one might think is the way that Koenigsegg sews its fabric. The company uses human-operated sewing machines, though you may be surprised to know that this actually isn’t uncommon, even among luxury automakers.
Plus, as you can see, this is no regular sewing machine, it’s a Dürkopp Adler Delta. I just went down a deep rabbit hole learning about these ridiculously powerful German contraptions; I won’t bore you with the details, since this is a car website, but suffice it to say that this machine does everything it can to make sewing error-proof. It guides the operator through exactly what needs to be done (the job at hand has been loaded into the machine), and even adjusts itself for each step of the operation.
Image: David Tracy
The tour guide made mention of the precision needed to align the holes in the Swedish leather (which makes up much of the Regera’s’ interior) with the small holes in the carbon fiber speaker cover:
Image: David Tracy
Upstairs I saw the preassembly area where smaller parts making up larger systems — parts like cooling modules (which consist of heat exchangers, shrouds, and fans) and headlights — were put together. I had a photo of this area, but Koenigsegg PR asked me not to include it because the area looked “untidy.” I didn’t find it untidy, but I’m a slob and Koenigsegg is Koenigsegg.
The lights are extremely intricate, and feature what appears to be integrated onboard electronics and some sort of hose whose function I cannot recall at the moment — perhaps something related to cooling?
Image: David Tracy
Here you can see a headlight bezel (from a Regera if I recall correctly) in black, though customers can opt for it in a bright, polished style, as well:
Image: David Tracy
Beautifully-polished parts like these are transported around the factory in a nice, padded suitcase like the one shown below carrying interior switchgear:
Image: David Tracy
Look how fine the little holes are in these buttons:
Image: David Tracy
I also got to see how Koenigsegg creates its carbon fiber components. There’s a board in the hangar labeled “Carbon Quality” showing the different stages that carbon fiber goes through as it gets sanded and polished. These phases are necessary to create a surface finish that Koenigsegg refers to as “Koenigsegg Naked Carbon.” This is carbon fiber that has been precisely sanded/polished in a way that yields an outer surface of pure carbon, free from epoxy. This is harder to scratch, but most importantly gives an awesome appearance. From Koenigsegg’s press release about the Regera:
KNC involves no lacquer, varnish or alternative coating being used on top of the carbon surface. The thin layer of epoxy that normally covers a high-end autoclaved cured carbon piece is carefully removed by hand polishing. This is an extremely sensitive process; one stroke too many will ruin the visible weave structure underneath the thin epoxy layer.
The end result is a striking new look for carbon fiber. The body of the car becomes cold to the touch as the material is pure carbon, instead of an insulating epoxy or lacquer layer with carbon underneath. The sheen takes on a more metallic graphite appearance as each graphite strand is now fully exposed.
Image: David Tracy
You can see some Regera chassis above; Koenigsegg was very particular about what I could photograph; I had to make sure not to zoom in too closely to the production stations.
As you can see, there’s carbon fiber everywhere. It’s absolutely absurd. Look at these incredible wheels:
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
The gentleman guiding me through the facility said the 24-carat gold is there to protect the wheel spokes against heat from the brakes, though it is worth noting that the company also uses gold flake on its wheels as design accents.
Image: David Tracy
The machine above precisely cuts raw carbon fiber rolls into pieces, which are then carefully inserted into a mold, as shown in the /Drive YouTube video embedded below:
You can see in the video that the wheel spokes are hollow, which is important, as it allows for a lightweight design (which matters because unsprung, rotating mass is bad for handling, acceleration, and overall efficiency). If I understand correctly what my tour guide told me about these spokes, the carbon fiber is layered over some kind of plastic mold, which is melted out, creating a hollow void.
The video above shows a “breather felt” cloth wrapped around the carbon fiber layers; this is meant to minimize pressure points that would otherwise be exerted by a vacuum bag placed around the wheel, ultimately yielding a nice part without flaws. The felt and vacuum bag-covered wheel go into an autoclave, which raises temperatures to 120C and pressurizes to 4.8 bar, squeezing the epoxy out of the material. A CNC machine later cleans up the part to create the desired shape.
Image: David Tracy
I also saw some hardware in the engine room; In my notes, I have written: “V-8: three days. TFG: one day.” Presumably, this represents how long it takes to assemble the V-8 and the Tiny Friendly Giant, with the latter being the fascinating 600 horsepower twin-turbo 2.0-liter three cylinder found in the Gemera.
I got to see a lot of amazing stuff in that hangar, from gorgeous titanium Akrapovič exhaust systems to the Torque Converter-On-Steroids known as Koenigsegg Direct Drive (linked below) to the cool glue-and-bolt joints making up suspension attachment points on a monocoque, to the monocoque’s carbon fiber integrated fuel tank.
Outside in the lobby, Andreas Moller, sales and marketing manager representing Freevalve — Koenigsegg’s sister company that engineers camshaft-less engine technology — walked me around the Tiny Friendly Giant engine and described how Freevalve works.
If you want to learn more about this fascinating tech, read my Gemera article. Here’s a snippet:
Koenigsegg’s Freevalve, also called “fully variable valve actuation,” is different [than a traditional variable valve timing/lift system] in that instead of a computer controlling an actuator that changes the shape/angle of a camshaft to alter the valves’ motion, a computer controls a pneumatic actuator that acts directly on each valve. This allows Koenigsegg to precisely and quickly vary each individual valve’s lift, duration, and timing. “Both the intake and exhaust valves can be opened and closed at any desired crankshaft angle and to any desired lift height,” the company writes on its website.
Here are a few more photos of the Tiny Friendly Giant:
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
Image: David Tracy
I must admit, my visit to Koenigsegg was too short, I was a bit too restricted on what I could photograph to provide you readers with the truly nerdy insight that I normally like to give, and I probably could have studied a bit more beforehand because some of the stuff went far over my head. But nonetheless, it was an incredible experience, and not a single Koenigsegg employee mentioned anything about me smelling like a fish. So that’s a win.
Grabbing the keys to the very last Lotus Elise built for a customer would feel pretty special for any of us. But particularly so in the case of Elisa Artioli.
Elisa’s grandfather Romano Artioli was boss of Lotus when the legendary lightweight Elise sports car was conceived, and he named it in her honor. The 29-year old Italian, whose Instagram handle is @iamlotuselise, and who was just two years old when the first-generation car was launched at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show, already owns a silver S1. In fact, she’s owned it since she was four.
But now she’s the proud owner of the last customer example of the iconic Elise, a Sport 240 Final Edition, the final incarnation of the lightweight sports car that rounds out a 25-year-long career. The 35,124th and very last Elise was a yellow sport 240 produced in December 2021 and bound for Lotus’s heritage collection.
Painted in Championship Gold, her 240 is powered by a supercharged 1.8-liter Toyota four-cylinder engine that makes 237 hp (240 PS), or just more than double the power of Artioli’s original S1. Lotus says zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) takes 4.1 seconds and gives the top speed as 147 mph (237 km/h), compared with around 6 seconds and 126 mph (203 km/h) for the 118 hp (120 PS) naturally aspirated Rover-engined original.
Related: Fully Electric Lotus Elise Successor To Retain Sharp Driving Dynamics And A Focus On Lightness
Yesterday, we were delighted to welcome Elisa Artioli to Hethel to hand over her new car – the last Elise built for a customer – a Sport 240 in “Championship Gold”.
The granddaughter of Lotus’ then Chairman, Romano Artioli, Elisa was the original inspiration for the car’s name. pic.twitter.com/pt0hf9WZIo
The road-biased Elise Sport 240 and its more track-focused Elise Cup 250 marked the model’s send-off with unique paint choices, bespoke exterior decals and new wheel finishes. Inside, you got a digital TFT instrument pack, build plaque, new seat trim, and a flat-bottom steering wheel. The 240 sport also gained 20 hp over the 220 Sport it effectively replaced in the range.
Lotus also offered customers the chance to reduce their car’s curb weight from 2,033 lbs (922 kg) to just 1,980 lbs (898 kg) by specifying carbon panels a lithium-ion battery and a lightweight polycarbonate rear window, though it’s not clear how many of those goodies Artioli chose for her trips into the Alps from her home in Bolzano, northern Italy.
Artioli moved back to Italy from Lotus’s Norfolk, England base when she was five, is a trained architect, and organizes road trips through central Europe and to places like the disused Bugatti factory her grandfather set up in the 1990s to build the EB110 supercar. If you fancy tagging along this summer, head over to DelightfulDriving.com.
But if you’re looking forward to the next Elise, you’re facing a long wait. Lotus is planning an all-electric sports car to take over where the Elise left off, but it won’t be ready before 2026.
Previously, we’ve covered the most expensive consumer electric vehicles on the road in 2022, focused on vehicles you’re more likely to actually see on the road. Much of the feedback in the comments relayed that many of the EVs listed weren’t truly the most expensive. While we’d argue that original list pertains more to the most expensive vehicles to reach series production for consumers, we hear you. Now, you also have a list of the most expensive electric vehicles that exist on planet Earth, regardless if they’re actually available for sale. Enjoy.
Breaking down the most expensive electric vehicles ever made
We will start at the most affordable (ha!) and work our way down the list, toward the most expensive electric vehicle on the planet.
To help narrow down the candidates to the absolute, top tier, most expensive, we will only include fully-electric vehicles. No time for PHEVs when you get to this price tier, right?
Note, some of these prices are estimated MSRPs with zero add-ons or customizations unless specifically noted to garner the most expensive version. Prices also do not include any destination or other fees or state or federal tax credits. As if any of that really matters for this list.
Tesla Founder’s Series Roadster
The Tesla Roadster was the original electric vehicle to debut for the American automaker. It helped show that EVs could be carbon conscious and cool, helping pave the way for Tesla to become the absolute market juggernaut it is today.
To pay homage to this trailblazing EV, Tesla is (probably) releasing a second-generation Roadster with groundbreaking specs, which may include the unconfirmed potential to hover.
According to CEO Elon Musk, the Roadster redux will reach a 620-mile range, and will zoom from 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds. Musk even teased that these are the “base specs,” hinting at even better performance.
The past couple years, Tesla’s website has been taking reservations for the new Roadster as well as a variation called the Founders Series Roadster.
It remains unclear what the extra $50k for the Founders Series will get consumers, but Tesla capped reservations at 1,000 total, making it a potential collector’s item… or debt collectors item.
The Founders Series TeslaRoadstercosts$250,000. When it was unveiled in 2017, Musk said the Roadster would deliver in 2020… then 2021. Next, Musk announced another Roadster delay to 2022, so Tesla could focus on the Cybertruck… which has also now been delayed all the way to 2023.
In terms of the Roadster redux, last we heard it was delayed to 2023 with a not so optimistic outlook on meeting that deadline, especially now that the Cybertruck is again delayed.
In late December, Roadster pricing had been removed from Tesla’s website along with the ability to reserve on the Founder’s Editions. We can assume all have been spoken for, but with $50,000 down required and a wavering production timeline, there are 1,000 people out there with plenty of money to blow.
Perhaps they should read further and pick a more expensive toy out.
Tesla’s new Roadster / Source: Tesla
Aston Martin Rapide E
Next on our list of the most expensive electric vehicles is the Aston Martin Rapide E. This is a fully-electric version of the Rapide sports car that emerged in 2010.
The Rapide E ditched the V12 engine for twin rear motors capable of generating 950 Nm (~750 ft-lb) of torque and 612 PS (~604 HP).
It can travel 0-60 mph in under four seconds and can reach a top speed of 155 mph. This makes it a worthy getaway car for James Bond in his next battle against the planet’s biggest nemesis “Carbonfoot.”
Aston Martin’s Rapide E
The Rapide E was introduced as a concept in 2015, then unveiled in its production form four years later. The British automaker planned to produce 155 Rapide E vehicles as a limited run, then nixed the whole project altogether.
Aston Martin instead decided to use the Rapide E as a research project in developing future EVs, like its Lagonda electric SUV. Look at that thing… Baby got back.
This EV never went on sale, but made the list because it was estimated to cost around$330,000.
The Rapide E is still out there in the world, like in Monaco where it once tore up the Formula E track:
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive
Speaking of electric vehicles that are hard to come by, is the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive. In addition to having an acronym-heavy monicker, the SLS AMG Electric scored impressive marks at a time when electric vehicles weren’t as prevalent.
This sports car was introduced in the summer of 2013 as a limited edition, electric version of the combustion powered SLS AMG. The Electric Drive Mercedes is propelled by four motors that offer 740 horsepower, and 738 lb-ft of torque.
Ahead of its time, this EV allowed each motor to selectively drive all 4 wheels, helping it accelerate from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds.
Furthermore, the Electric Drive SLS AMG housed a 400 V lithium-ion battery with 60 kWh capacity. This gave it an NEDC range of 250 km (160 mi). If you just scoffed, remember that this model was produced nearly a decade ago.
Less than 100 SLS AMG Electric Drives were produced, making them a sure-fire collector’s car.
This model sold for around $544,000 in 2013, so it’s a safe bet that it has only gone up in value for those select few who know where one might be hiding. Mercedes-Benz has since circled back the to EV pool, diving head first with its acclaimed EQ line.
An SLS AMG Electric Drive at the Mercedes-Benz museum
Rimac Automobili Concept_One
Rimac Automobili is a Croatian automaker that began as a hobby out of Mate Rimac’s garage. The Croatian founder blew the combustion engine in his BMW 3 series, and replaced it with an electric powertrain.
The automotive hypercar brand was officially founded in 2009, after gaining investor attention. That is where it began developing its first electric sports car, the Rimac Concept_One.
After debuting in 2011, the Concept_One finally reached production in 2013, although it was scarce.
The electric powertrain on theConcept_One offers 1,224 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. The electric hypercar can accelerate from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 340 km/h (~211 mph).
The motors are powered by a 90 kWh battery, offering a range of 349 km (217 mi) on a single charge. Similar to the Mercedes mentioned above, the C_One is powered by four separate liquid-cooled, electric motors.
They are controlled by a torque vectoring system that distributes power to the wheels to best suit driving conditions. This also gives the driver the ability to switch the power from front-wheel to rear-wheel drive, or equally distribute the power between all wheels.
When the Concept_One was finally produced, only eight were made. Only seven now remain after someone accidentally destroyed one on television.
At the time of production, the Rimac Concept_One was for sale at about $1 million. Given that only seven remain in this world, you can imagine it costs more than that nine years later.
Automobili Rimac’s Concept_One
NIO EP9
The EP9 is a marvel built alongside its Chinese automaker NIO. This two-seat sports car actually debuted the same day the NIO brand was established. Developed and built in just eighteen months, the Electric Performance 9 (EP9) is one of the fastest electric vehicles on the planet with the track records to prove it.
Each wheel on the EP9 has its own liquid-cooled motor, offering 335 horsepower. That totals about 1,341 horsepower in all.
Similar to the Rimac C_One, The EP9 offers all-wheel drive and individual-wheel drive. It also includes an advanced torque vectoring system that can adjust the power output to each wheel.
What’s cool about the EP9 is its downforce of 24,019 N. According to NIO’s website:
When the downforce weighs more than an elephant (and the car), you can rely on EP9 to grip every racetrack with the same ease as if it were racing on the ceiling.
Aside from practically driving up walls, and defying the laws of physics, the EP9 can travel around 265 miles on a single charge and recharge in 45 minutes.
The EP9 can also accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.7 seconds and achieve a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).
Unfortunately, only six EP9s were originally produced and were sold to company investors for about $1.2 million each.
NIO later announced plans to produce ten more for about $1.5 million each, bringing the global total to 16 EVs. Today, your best chance of driving one is in a video game.
NIO’s EP9 electric sports car
Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne
Next on our list is a boutique automaker out of Spain with nearly 120 years of history. Hispano Suiza was founded in 1904 and had a prominent track record of producing luxury cars, aircraft engines, trucks and weapons throughout the early- to mid-1900s.
The brand was revived as an automotive manufacturer a decade ago, and has found its niche in ultra-luxurious, unique supercars designed and manufactured as one of a kind art pieces.
Introducing the Hispano Suiza Carmen, a 100% electric “hyperlux” vehicle introduced in 2019. Not to be outdone, Hispano Suiza introduced a sportier version in 2020 called the Carmen Boulogne.
The Boulogne delivers 1,114 horsepower from four permanent magnet, synchronous motors housed in the rear axle, and an 80 kWh lithium-ion battery, delivering 1,160 Nm of torque. It can travel from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in less than 2.6 seconds with a range of 400 km (249 miles).
While the performance may not top many of the other EVs on this list, the design and personalization of the Carmen is where much of its value lies.Hispano Suiza has said that no two Carmen vehicles are alike, offering 1,904 different combinations of personalization for its customers.
Speaking of customers, there won’t be too many.Hispano Suiza only plans to produce 19 Carmen hypercars in total, and only five of those will be CarmenBoulognes. While the various design differentiations will lead to varying prices, theHispano Suiza Carmen starts around $1.93 million and goes up from there.
One variation of the Carmen Boulogne / Source: Hispano Suiza
Lotus Evija
Moving onward but staying in Europe, we have the brand new Evija from Lotus. The Evija was first unveiled in 2019 as the first all-electric (and limited) offering from Lotus cars.
After its official debut, Lotus began extensive high speed testing of its Evija prototype and made (sound) waves on the track at Goodwood SpeedWeek.
While the Evija technically remains a prototype until it begins a limited production run, its target numbers on Lotus’ website are impressive.
The electric sports car is expected to deliver 2,000 PS (~1973 HP), target a max speed of 200+ mph, and reach a target range of 215 miles. Lotus claims that the Evija will also accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 3 seconds.
At a weight of 1,680 kg (~3,704 lbs), the Evija is expected to be the lightest electric hypercar to ever enter production. This accomplishment comes from Lotus’ recent announcement of new lightweight architecture to support it upcoming family of electric hypercars, beginning with the Evija.
As previously mentioned, the Evija will see a limited release from Lotus. The British automaker has previously shared plans to delivery just 130 Evija hypercars.
According to Lotus, production was slated to begin sometime before mid-2021. However, 2022 has arrived and the Evija appears to still be in development, although Lotus is still taking reservations. Meanwhile, the hypercar company is going all electric, with four new EVs joining the Evija between now and 2026.
What about price, though? You know we’re getting near the end of our list. Each of the 130 Lotus Evijas should cost around $2.1 million.
A good look at the Lotus Evija / Source: Lotus Cars
Automobili Estrema Fulminea
This automaker is by far the newest on the list, having only been founded in 2020. Automobili Estrema is an Italian electric hyper and supercar manufacturer founded by Gianfranco Pizzuto, a co-founder of the original Fisker Automotive. in 2007.
The name translates to “extreme” in Italian, and so far, itsFulminea electric hypercar fits the bill. According to its creators, Fulminea is an Italian adjective, feminine and singular, meaning “instantaneous” or, “lightning fast.”
The Fulminea was publicly unveiled in May of 2021 ahead of its limited production run scheduled for 2023. So far,Automobili Estrema has shared that the Fulminea will be the first street legal hypercar equipped with a 100 kWh Hybrid Battery Pack developed alongside specialists specialist IMECAR Elektronik.
This hybrid pack will use a combination of ABEE’s (Avesta Battery Energy Engineering) solid state cells paired with ultra-capacitors. Automobile Estrema explains:
These two different cell types are packed into 2 separated robust carbon composite cases, the one with the ultra-capacitors on the front axle while the bigger one containing the “cell to pack” solid state Li-ion cells positioned behind the cabin and before the rear axle for a perfect weight distribution and low center of gravity.
The Fulminea’s electric powertrain will utilize four motors, gathering peak power of 1.5 MW (2,040 HP), accelerating from 0 to 320 km/h (0 to 200 mph) in under 10 seconds. The expected WLTP range will be 520 km (~323 miles).
Due in part to the solid-state cells in the hybrid battery,Automobili Estrema is promising anenergy density of 450 Wh/kg (1,200 Wh/l) with a predicted weight under 300 kg (661 lb).
The automaker says that as a result the total curb weight of Fulminea will 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). Move over Lotus Evija!
Automobili Estrema has already relayed that the 2023 production of the Fulminea will only deliver 61 units. Due to this exclusivity, the upcoming EV is expected to cost $2.4 million.
Rimac Automobili Nevera
As you can tell, we’ve fully surpassed the million-dollar mark and have entered the big leagues for exotic EVs. Next on the list of most expensive electric vehicles is the C_One’s sibling, the Rimac Nevera.
Originally unveiled as the Concept_Two, Rimac eventually renamed its second EV the Nevera. Like most little brothers, the Nevera plans to one-up its predecessor as much as possible.
Rimac Automobili describes its Nevera as, “a new breed of hypercar”. The lightweight EV is comprised of mostly carbon fiber, including the casing around two battery packs harnessing 120 kWh.
Four electric motors power each individual wheel, offering four-wheel drive plus dynamic control. It also features all-wheel torque vectoring (are we noticing a pattern yet?)
According to its vehicle page, the Nevera can load selected racetracks into its on-board systems using its “Driving Coach” function. This feature offers precise guidance on racing lines, braking/acceleration points, and steering inputs.
The interior features six different interface screens, showcasing everything from telemetry graphs to your latest K-Pop playlist. Bruce Wayne would probably drive one of these things.
The upcoming Rimac Nevera electric hypercar / Source: Rimac Automobili
Specs on one of the world’s most expensive electric vehicles
According to Rimac, the C_Two will holster 1,914 horsepower (1,400 kW), jolting the hypercar to a top speed of 258 mph. The automaker is also claiming acceleration of 0-60 mph in 1.85 seconds (with a one-foot roll-out).
These stats also make the Nevera one of the fastest electric vehicles in the world… with a price tag to match. Although previous reports had the Nevera at a longer range over 440 miles, Rimac’s website currently lists it at a 550 km WLTP range or 341 mi (still subject to final testing).
Rimac has already seen a maximum number of reservations for the 150 Nevera electric hypercars it plans to manufacture. Production vehicles were supposed to complete development in 2020 but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Rimac’s production does get back up to speed, we can expect to see the first delivery and final price of the Nevera hypercar… along with that confirmed WLTP range, right?
We originally rumored this limited run Rimac to cost between $1.8 and 2 million. However, more recent pricing has surfaced, and each of the 150 reservation holders of the Rimac Nevera will be paying an estimated$2.4 million each.
Interior on the Rimac Nevera
Automobili Pininfarina Battista Anniversario
Say that ten times fast. The upcoming Battista electric hypercar is the lovechild of Automobili Pininfarina GMbH in Munich, and the Pininfarina car design firm in Italy.
It will actually be the first vehicle to bear the Automobili Pininfarina branding. This electric hypercar’s name is a tribute to Pininfarina founder Battista Farina. Since its unveiling in 2019, the Pininfarina Battista has gathered a lot of hype thanks to its initial specs and design elements.
The Battista is powered by a 120 kWh battery pack that is supplied by Rimac Automobili. In fact, the Battista is partially assembled at the same facility in Croatia as the Rimac Nevera.
Its lithium/nickel/manganese/cobalt/oxide battery powers four unique motors that offer 1,900 horsepower, a top speed of 350 km/hr (~217 mph), and 2,300 Nm of torque.
Furthermore, Automobili Pininfarina claims the Battista can travel 0-60 mph in under two seconds. Its battery range tops out at 500 km (~311 mi).
Battista Anniversario
in 2021 Automobili Pininfarina shared plans to produce 150 Battista vehicles for deliveries around the globe. Included in those 150 will be five… yes only five, Anniversario Edition Battistas.
Each Battista Anniversario will offer the same performance, but with custom paint and wheels. According to its website:
Each Battista Anniversario is hand-painted in Cambiano through one of the most complex painting processes in the world: the car needs to be disassembled and reassembled three times before it obtains its final stunning livery. The colour scheme is an homage to the Piedmont environment, where Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina worked and lived: Bianco Setriere, Grigio Antonelliano, and of course the Pininfarina signature colour, the Iconica Blu.
This past August, Automobili Pininfarina teased the production-spec version of its Battista hypercar ahead of its official debut at Monterey Car Week. It was joined alongside the Battista Anniversario.
To kick off 2022, the automaker announced expansions to its retail presence in the US, ahead of global deliveries of the Battista scheduled to begin the first half of this year.
For those 150 lucky (and filthy stinkin’ rich) souls, the Battista will cost around $2.2 million. The Battista Anniversario however, costs $2.9 million.
Remember, there will only be five on Earth… five!
The Battista Anniversario from Automobili Pininfarina
Aspark Owl
At last! We have reached the end of the list and our pinnacle of the most expensive electric vehicles on the planet. What better vehicle to top our list than one named after a creature that looks down upon the world and its prey from above.
Behold the Owl, Aspark’s three-year project and has been confirmed fastest electric hypercar in the world.
Aspark Co. is a Japanese car manufacturing and engineering firm, founded in 2005 in Osaka. The Japanese company is not shy about how proud it is of its achievement in the Owl either.
According to its site, the Owl “has the most powerful 4 electric motors ever made.” The motors combine to produce a total power of 1,480 kW with 2,012 horsepower. The overall torque in the Owl is around 2,000 Nm (1,475 ft-lb).
Furthermore, Aspark claims the Owl has nearly 3x more power than Formula-E cars and 2x more than Formula-1 cars. The automaker also believes the rotation of the motor is the fastest in the world at 15,000 rpm.
This helps the Owl’s motors to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 1.69 seconds and reach a top speed of 400 km/h (249 mph). That’s enough for the global top spot in acceleration.
Sales of the 50 planned Owl hypercars began in December of 2020, although you can still request to own one on the company’s website.
How much you ask? When Aspark first unveiled the Owl in 2019, it was anticipated to cost $3.2 million.
However, now that the production models are rolling out, the base price for the Aspark Owl is around$3.5 million (2.9 million euros). That makes it not only the fastest, but the most expensive electric vehicle on the planet.
Aspark’s Owl electric hypercar
Honorable mentions
Here we have placed two additional contenders who just missed our list for some reason or another.
Lightning GT
Our first honorable mention is an all-electric UK sports car, thirteen years in the making… and counting. The Lightning GT was an 100% electric version of a V8 sports car designed in 2007 to “get Aston Martin owners out of their V12’s and into electric. The result was the Lightning GT concept which won Car of the Show in London in 2008.
The EV has pretty much been in development since then, with the automaker updating those resilient fans that still remain, every year or so. The most recent came in 2021, when Lightning added the following blurb to its story page:
Electric vehicles have arrived with over 5% of the projected market. Lightning updates include more power, greater regenerative braking, increased range and revised styling.
Despite that 5% piece of the automotive pie, one electric vehicle that has yet to arrive is the Lightning GT, which has previously promised 495 HP, a sub-four second 0-60 mph, and a range over 500 km (311 miles).
Other outlets have reported that the Lightning GT costs $300,000, but we prefer to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, and have been unable to reach anyone at the company for over a year now. We’ve been ghosted so many times, we feel like the horse, but not its mouth…
For that reason, the Lightning GT remains off the official ballot with hopes this EV is not just a bright flash of light.
Drako GTE/Dragon
Drako Motors is a silicon valley-based hypercar manufacturer with an exciting yet unfulfilling track record thus far. The company debuted its flagship EV in 2019, called the Drako GTE – a four seater with 1,200 HP and a top speed of 206 mph.
The company previously shared intentions to only build 25 of the GTEs, which seemed doable given that they were (are?) priced at $1.25 million each. Production was set to begin in 2021, but like many people’s hopes and dreams the past two years, it never came to fruition.
Instead, Drako Motors announced plans to still release the electric supercar, but as a new and improved version called the Dragon. At the time, Drako shared some teaser renderings of the Dragon, promising a full reveal in January of 2022. That promise was also not kept.
Rendering of the Drako Dragon / Source: Drako Motors
At this point, it’s unclear what the specs of the Drako Dragon will be, and how much of the original, not produced GTE DNA will remain. With improved performance, we expect Drako’s asking price to go up.
That being said, we have been unable to reach anyone from the team for any updates on pricing, production status, or anything else for that matter. Until we can get more details, Drako’s GTE… or Dragon… or any other pseudonym remain on the outskirts of the most expensive electric vehicles on the planet.
One thing is for certain though, the Drako GTE looks bad as hell drifting on a frozen lake. See for yourself:
Any of the most expensive electric vehicles we missed?
Any other stupidly expensive EVs out there? Let us know in the comments below.
Perhaps you’re interested in expensive vehicles, but those that you can actually test drive and perhaps even afford. We’ve got you covered on that front too, check out the most expensive consumer electric vehicles for 2022.
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The Koenigsegg Jesko is the latest and most outrageous vehicle to come from the Swedish supercar maker. It has a flat-plane-crank 5.1-liter V-8 that revs to 8500 rpm, twin turbochargers, and it makes 1600 horsepower on E85. It’s connected to a revolutionary nine-speed transmission that will immediately downshift to the lowest possible gear when you want all-out acceleration with no waiting.
But that’s not the most exciting drivetrain technology that Koenigsegg is working on.
By now, you’ve probably heard of Freevalve, Koenigsegg’s design for a piston engine with no camshafts and infinitely variable valve timing. So far, we’ve seen it implemented on the Tiny Friendly Giant, a 2.0-liter twin-turbo three-cylinder engine that makes an almost unbelievable 600 horsepower.
Christian von Koenigsegg
Máté Petrány
This engine is set to debut in the Koenigsegg Gemera, a four-seat hybrid performance car. The Gemera, it turns out, was initially planned to use a naturally aspirated V-8 with Freevalve, so during our wide-ranging interview, I asked founder Christian von Koenigsegg what led to the change in Gemera.
“The three-cylinder Freevalve concept was something I had in the back of my mind, dreaming about for like 10 years—to have this super compact, renewable-fuel-capable little monster of an engine that can replace much bigger engines,” von Koenigsegg said. (By “renewable,” he’s referring to the engine’s ability to run on ethanol derived from plant matter.)
Von Koenigsegg explained that, in the beginning of Gemera development, he wanted to use a naturally aspirated V-8 with hybrid electrification. “Removing the turbos, increasing compression and adjusting the intake has very little effect on emissions, because you don’t have the turbos cooling down the exhaust gases before the catalytic converters,” von Koenigsegg said. “In my mind, the N/A V-8 is absolutely possible, and if you then put Freevalve on top, it’s a walk in the park. But even with camshafts, it’s definitely possible.”
One of the lightweight, uniquely shaped pistons that will go into a Koenigsegg V-8.
Máté Petrány
He hasn’t built a Freevalve-equipped V-8 as of yet. “We have fine-tuned and tweaked the V-8 over so many years,” he said. “Every time we thought we should remove the camshafts, we noticed we already have the power we want, we have the emissions we want, and it’s working. It’s trusted, a known entity. So, we left it for that reason, even though we know we could reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and have more torque and power if we do change. It’s always lurking around the corner.”
Besides, the V-8 presented challenges in the four-seat Gemera. “We had that package, but we realized that we were kind of infringing on the interior space a little bit more than I wanted,” he said. “We were fighting to make it work, only to land back at the three-cylinder idea. We started packaging it, and everything started to fall into place. Then we really started pushing for the development of that engine, and of course we were doing it mainly for the Gemera, but we now also see other opportunities for this engine.”
What kind of opportunities? Von Koenigsegg envisions the Tiny Friendly Giant in “configurations for cars, boats, airplanes. You can have a super compact renewable thing… where it’s tough to do electrification, like in aviation for example. Longer range is very hard to do, at least paired with speed, so if you could use renewable fuels in a compact package, it’s interesting for these applications.”
Christian von Koenigsegg examining a Jesko hypercar.
Máté Petrány
For now, Koenigsegg will carry on with its two flex-fuel internal combustion engines—the V-8 and the three-cylinder TFG—paired with varying levels of hybrid electrification. Christian von Koenigsegg thinks he can stay with this combination while still meeting the increasingly stringent environmental requirements of the near future.
“I think it would be a mistake for humankind to forbid CO2-neutral, almost zero-emitting engines that run on renewable fuels for certain applications,” he said. “Especially low-volume [production vehicles], because they have absolutely no impact on the environment, or greenhouse emissions for that matter, if they are CO2 neutral. For sure, these hyper- and megacars with combustion engines should run on renewable fuels, and then they will have zero impact on the environment. It would be exciting for them to be allowed to exist, and I hope the world is sane enough to see that. We are trying to make internal combustion much better for the environment, and I think that’s better than just ignoring it.”
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Among many things, Ian Poulter is famous for his Ryder Cup heroics, luxurious mansion, and love for cars. A part-time Formula 1 fan, Poulter not only loves watching wheels on the tracks, but he also likes collecting them, and it would probably be selling it short if one calls his car collection stunning.
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What is the net worth of Ian Poulter?
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The British professional is quite a big name in the sport of golf. To add a touch of spark to his already renowned name, he adds a combination of vibrancy and loud color to his fashion sense, making him always stand out against the green pastures of a golf field on the Tours.
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Poulter plays on both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. He has remained a three-time winner on the PGA Tour and has won on the DP World Tour 12 times. Therefore, one can conclude that he is collecting decent earnings from his golfing tours. His total career earning from tournament winnings stands at $40 million, and his net worth sits at a whopping $60 million.
Golf – The Masters – Augusta National Golf Club – Augusta, Georgia, U.S. – April 8, 2021, England’s Ian Poulter watches his tee shot on the 3rd hole during the first round REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
The 46-year-old professional has multiple sponsors which include, Titleist, Mastercard, Oakley, Mutual of Omaha as well as, a new sponsor in 2022 Stanley Black & Decker Tools. It is one of the most famous household brands in the United Kingdom.
Ian Poulters’ spectacular car collection
Apart from a beautiful and elegant golf swing, Ian owns an incredible and luxurious car collection. The long list of Automobiles includes: a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, Ferrari F40, Ferrari F50, and 2022 Enzo Ferrari. He also owns two LaFerraris, which alone cost about $2 million.
Additionally, Ferrari F40, 550 Barchetta, a 1986Ferrari Testarossa, as well as a 275 GTB; that totals to 14 Ferraris’. That is quite an extensive Ferrari collection!
Golf – The 2020 Ryder Cup – Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, U.S. – September 21, 2021, Team Europe’s Ian Poulter reacts on the 12th green during a practice round REUTERS/Mike Segar
Apart from the Ferrari’s, Poulter has a Mercedes AMG GTS, a Mercedes G63, a Ford GT, and one of his most recent purchases, includes a Porsche 911 GT2, and for the icing on the cake; he also owns a Bugatti Veyron. Truly, Ian loves his luxurious collection of cars.
What is Ian Poulter’s collection worth?
As a car enthusiast, Poulter enjoys driving his cars which cost a hefty amount. Poulter’s 1962 California Ferrari Spider alone costs him $11 million. In total, the extensive car collection that Ian possesses costs up to an unbelievable amount of $25 million.
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As a result, it makes him a complete Ferrari fanatic. His total collection of the Ferraris is worth seven times more than its original selling price of over $3.5 million.
Which is the favorite drive of Ian Poulter?
Being a Ferrari fan, Poulter loves driving his Ferraris. However, one among his Ferrari collection that is his favorite drive is the 288 GTO. He has the opportunity to drive this luxurious vehicle on the windy roads of Europe. The Ferrari 288 GTO is also amongst the first Supercar Ferrari ever produced.
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What are your views about his beautiful collection? Share which Ferrari you like the most from his collection.
Watch this story: Did Paige Spiranac switch states and has moved to Orlando?
As customer deliveries of Rimac’s new all-electric hypercar, Nevera, power the company into 2022, D’Ieteren Automotive joins Rimac Automobili’s family of global retail partners with plans for a new Rimac-branded showroom based in Brussels, Belgium. D’Ieteren Automotive is a hugely experienced luxury car retailer and the sole distributor of Porsche vehicles in Belgium and Bugatti vehicles in Belgium and in Luxembourg.
The new partnership between Rimac and D’Ieteren Automotive will provide customers with the complete Rimac experience in customizing, ordering and handing over of Neveras and future Rimac hypercars. D’Ieteren’s Brussels dealer agreement will also provide full aftersales support for Rimac owners, utilizing Rimac’s own diagnostic tools and in-house-developed fully digitized aftersales platform.
The Nevera was introduced to Belgian media and potential customers this week at an exclusive event held by D’Ieteren. A Nevera will also remain on display at Autoworld – one of the country’s largest automotive museums – until January 23rd for the public to witness the car in the carbon.
(Photo: Rimac Automobiili)
D’Ieteren – which has an automotive history reaching back to the late 19th Century will soon begin construction of the very first Rimac-branded showroom in Europe this year.
D’Ieteren becomes the 23rd global retail partner for Rimac Automobili, adding to the brand’s expansive global footprint across Europe, America, the Middle East and Asia. Each has been hand-picked to deliver a world-class sales and ownership experience for customers, including intensive training for dealers’ technicians.
(Photo: Rimac Automobiili)
Krešimir Ćorić, Head of Sales at Rimac Automobili, said: “The Nevera delivers an experience like no other from behind the wheel, and extending this experience from the first point of contact with our customers is vital in establishing long-lasting and close relationships with our valued clientele. D’Ieteren Automotive is the perfect European partner for our brand with extensive knowledge and connections in the European hypercar world that will help Rimac build an even stronger presence in the region.”
David Favest, General Manager Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Rimac at D’Ieteren said “The first contacts between the D’Ieteren’s Luxury Division and Rimac Automobili date back to July 2021. We were already following and convinced by the dynamism and passion of Mate Rimac. Since then, part of the Rimac Group has evolved and resulted in the creation of Bugatti Rimac, including a role played by Porsche AG as a strategic partner. In short, it is a very robust structure, both financially and in terms of engineering. D’Ieteren is very honoured to become one of the selected partners in Europe to distribute the brand Rimac and the astonishing Nevera, perfectly in line with D’Ieteren’s vision of the Future of Electric Cars!”
(Photo: Rimac Automobiili)
Designed, engineered and built in-house at Rimac Automobili, the Nevera is limited to just 150 units. Made possible by its 120kWh, 6960-cell battery producing 1914hp and 2360Nm of torque, Nevera achieves a top speed of 258 mph (412 km/h), a 0-62mph (100km/h) time of 1.85 seconds, and a 0-100 mph (161 km/h) time of 4.3 seconds. It has been independently verified as the fastest accelerating production car in the world.
Nevera’s name proudly carries its Croatian heritage. A nevera is a mighty Croatian storm, known for its speed, ferocity and energy – a fitting name therefore for both the Nevera’s character and ability. Able to transform in a split second from a supple grand tourer to an all-out force of nature, Nevera is charged by lightning, much like its namesake.
About D’Ieteren
Since its foundation in 1805 in Brussels (Belgium), D’Ieteren has been the name of a family of entrepreneurs that has grown over more than two centuries into what is called today the D’Ieteren Group.
The fastest cars in Forza Horizon 5 can add some top-end speed to your garage, though they won’t come cheap. With over 500 cars in the game at launch, it’s remarkable that merely a handful top off the speed attribute, making them some of the most sought-after vehicles in the open-world racer. In this guide, we’ve broken down all of the fastest cars in Forza Horizon 5 alongside their other stats and prices so you can decide which one is your favorite.
2015 Koenigsegg One:1
The One:1 is known as the fastest car in the world.
The One:1 gets its name from it being the world’s first-ever car produced with one megawatt of power, thus making it the only car in the world that boasts such a feat.
Speed: 10
Handling: 9.5
Acceleration: 7
Launch: 7.5
Braking: 10
Offroad: 4.3
Price: 2.8M CR
2017 Koenigsegg Agera RS
The Agera RS is one of three Koenigseggs with top-tier speed.
Newer than its older sibling car, the Koenigsegg Agera RS also features slightly better handling and launch without sacrificing the top speed.
Speed: 10
Handling: 9.7
Acceleration: 7
Launch: 7.6
Braking: 9.7
Offroad: 4.3
Price: 2M CR
2020 Koenigsegg Jesko
Statistically, the Jesko is the best car in the game if you’re staying on the road.
The newest Koenigsegg in the game is also the only car that offers top-end speed and handling, and its braking is just shy of the best possible too.
Speed: 10
Handling: 10
Acceleration: 6.9
Launch: 7.9
Braking: 9
Offroad: 4.4
Price: 2.8M
2018 Bugatti Chiron
The Bugatti Chiron has one of the most iconic looks in Forza.
A speedy staple of the Forza series, the Bugatti is still world-famous for being one of the fastest cars on the globe. It’s on display in the Autoshow in classic black and blue style.
Speed: 10
Handling: 7.9
Acceleration: 9.9
Launch: 6.1
Braking: 8.6
Offroad: 5
Price: 2.4M CR
2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S (Welcome Pack Version)
You’ll need the Welcome Pack for this tuned-up electric car.
The standard version of this electric Porsche isn’t as impressive, but if you’ve got the Welcome Pack add-on, you’ll enjoy enhanced attributes that make this one of the game’s best cars.
Speed: 10
Handling: 7.8
Acceleration: 9.7
Launch: 10
Braking: 7.2
Offroad: 4.4
Price: Free with Welcome Pack
2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
Bugatti falls one car short of the record for the most cars with rated 10/10 speed.
The Veyron falls just shy of the cars that top off the speed attribute with perfect 10s, but you still can’t go wrong with this thanks to its impressive handling and perfect acceleration.
Speed: 9.9
Handling: 7.9
Acceleration: 10
Launch: 5.9
Braking: 8.6
Offroad: 4.9
Price: 2.2M CR
2012 Hennessey Venom GT
You may remember the Venom from the Fast and Furious series.
The Venom is known to compete for world records in real life, and it will do the same in Forza Horizon 5 with its nearly-perfect speed rating,
Speed: 9.8
Handling: 7.4
Acceleration: 6.8
Launch: 7.4
Braking: 7.8
Offroad: 4.1
Price: 1.2M CR
2019 McLaren Speedtail
Sure the McLaren Speedtail is a touch slower than the rest, but it’s still faster than nearly any other car.
While the Speedtail is a few notches shy of others on this list, it’s the next fastest car in the game and the only McLaren you’ll find in the game at launch with these sorts of stats.
Speed: 9.6
Handling: 7.4
Acceleration: 6.8
Launch: 7.4
Braking: 7.4
Offroad: 3.7
Price: 2.25M CR
We’ve got plenty more Forza Horizon 5 guides to get you going in Mexico. Don’t miss our Forza Horizon 5 beginner’s guide, as well as guides on where to find all Barn Finds and all Player Houses.
