The Remarkable Rimac Nevera: Reaching 171 MPH in Reverse

The all-electric Rimac Nevera has shattered the record for the fastest speed in reverse! Testing at the Automotive Testing Papenburg facility in Germany, daredevil Rimac test driver Goran Drndak floored it in reverse and managed an unbelievable 171.34 MPH (275.9 KPH).

How is this even possible, you ask? Unlike gasoline cars with multi-speed transmissions, the Nevera’s unique electric powertrain has four separate motors – one for each wheel. With no transmission holding it back, the Nevera’s immense power can be unleashed forward OR backward.

Drndak described the experience as absolutely bizarre. “Your whole perspective is flipped as the scenery disappears behind you at crazy speeds. It feels like heavy braking but in the wrong direction.” But thanks to Rimac’s precision engineering, the Nevera maintained perfect stability and control even at these ludicrous reverse velocities.

The ability to launch backward at 256 MPH (412 KPH) obviously wasn’t in the original plan. But the Rimac engineers simply couldn’t resist seeing what their 1500 horsepower beast was capable of in reverse! And after a bit of laughing about the idea, they proved without a doubt that the Nevera is the fastest reversing car on Earth. Its ridiculous performance forward AND backward makes it perfect for the next Mad Max or James Bond flick featuring an epic rear-facing car chase. Another world record falls to this extreme electric hypercar – now nobody’s safe from the Nevera, even if they’re behind it!

After making history with the record-setting reverse run, the Rimac team couldn’t leave well enough alone. “We had to find the true limits of what this car could do backward,” said Rimac founder Mate Rimac. Their next stunt would really push the Nevera to its limits – and then some.

All-Electric Rimac Nevera Hits 171.34MPH in Reverse, Sets New Guinness World Record - TechEBlog

A few weeks later, Goran returned to the Automotive Testing Papenburg facility with a daredevil plan – to take the Nevera onto one of the track’s banked curves…in reverse! “The centrifugal forces and G-loads would be unlike anything ever experienced from the driver’s seat facing backward,” Goran noted. But with his notorious appetite for punishment, he relished the chance.

After meticulous systems checks by Rimac’s engineers, Goran strapped in for what would surely be the strangest hot lap of his life. Flooding the motors with 1500 reverse horsepower, the Nevera screamed down the front straight in reverse orientation. As the banked turn rapidly approached, Goran stood on it, letting the g-forces push him deep into his seat.

Somehow, through balancing opposite torque vectoring and Goran’s deft inputs, the Nevera held the impossible line. Four high-powered motors strained against the forces, spinning the car at almost 3 G’s in the opposite direction of travel. After what seemed like an eternity, Goran powered out of the bank, barely containing his jubilation. The Nevera had conquered physics on that day, proving beyond doubt it could handle any challenge – even one reason said should be impossible. Another staggering achievement was added to Nevera’s legacy. But somehow, we all know this electric extremist is only just getting started rewriting the record books in innovative new ways.

Goran and the Rimac engineers knew they had pushed the limits of what was deemed possible in a production car. But their efforts had paid off by garnering worldwide attention for the Nevera’s otherworldly capabilities. Car magazines from every corner of the globe desperately wanted to see what this electric monster was truly made of.

Rimac decided it was time to take the Nevera on a global publicity tour. First up – the famed Nurburgring track in Germany. Journalists watched in amazement as Goran unleashed the Nevera around the full Nordschleife lap, obliterating the production EV record by over 30 seconds. But Rimac had another surprise in store – Goran emerged from the car, hopped in another Nevera waiting in the pit lane, and proceeded to blow away the record on the track’s much tougher combined section as well.

Next, Goran flew the Nevera to the scorching heat of Dubai for a top-speed run on a deserted stretch of highway. With empty asphalt as far as the eye could see, he locked in nearly 300 mph (480 kph), cementing the Nevera’s title as the fastest production car in the world. Still not satisfied, Rimac had one more location in mind for their high-speed testing tour – the frozen lake beds of northern Sweden.

In subzero temperatures, Goran lapped the ice circuit again and again, dialing the Nevera into a precise drift machine. Smoke billowed from the tires as he kicked the tail out in controlled slides, proving the car’s electric torque vectoring could even tame physics on ice. The videos blew minds online. Rimac was now a household name known for pushing the limits of what was possible from any vehicle, electric or not.

But the biggest surprises were still to come. Rimac had one more unprecedented achievement planned that would raise the bar for high performance yet again. After months of quietly developing a new prototype at their headquarters, they were ready to unveil their most extreme creation yet at a special event at their production plant.

Journalists from around the world gathered at Rimac’s headquarters, eagerly awaiting the big reveal. Mate Rimac took the stage and delivered a short speech about pushing boundaries. Then, with a dramatic flourish, black curtains dropped from a hidden platform, unveiling their new prototype.

Gasps rose from the crowd as shapes were made out in the lights. Sleek yet menacing, the low-slung machine featured massive wings and diffusers, along with an uncovered cabin that looked ready for a fighter jet. When Mate announced its name – Project Helios – and listed its staggering specifications, jaws dropped in disbelief.

With over 3,000 horsepower on tap from dual electric powertrains, a targeted top speed of 300 mph, and a claimed 0-60 time of under 1.5 seconds, Helios made the Nevera look tame. And with its spaceframe chassis and carbon composite body, it was laughably lightweight at just over 2,000 lbs. Mate revealed Helios aimed to obliterate every metric of a production car yet achieved, serving as the new benchmark.

But the real test would come on track. After weeks of intense development, Goran and the Helios were ready to shake the foundations of the auto world at the famous Hockenheimring in Germany. Starting from a standing stop, Goran matted the throttle and Helios rocketed forward with astonishing ferocity. By the first turn, he was already well past 120 mph as onlookers struggled to process what they were seeing.

Lap after lap, Goran battered the 4.5-mile circuit, repeatedly clipping seconds off his best time. Journalists and spectators alike watched in awe as the surreal hypercar blurred around the bends, completely redefining what was possible. When Goran finally brought the clutch-smoking Helios thundering back to the pits, they knew history had been made. A new king had been crowned, one that may never be dethroned. Rimac had taken performance to a whole new echelon.

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