CRAZY EIGHTS

WANT TO RUN EIGHTS ON YOUR DRIVE TO THE SUPERMARKET? THE RIMAC NEVERA CAN.

- MATTA PARAH

EIGHT-POINT-FIVE SECONDS. That's how long the Rimac Nevera electric hypercar takes to run the quarter-mile. It's six-tenths quicker than the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport. And at the end of those 1320 feet, the Nevera is traveling 161 mph, according to Rimac. And the Nevera will do it over and over, 30 times on a single charge, on regular old Michelin tires, on the street.

In those old-timey days when cars had wheels made of wood, headlamps made of brass, and roofs made of air, some believed a driver's face might melt off at over 100 mph. With the benefit of hindsight and thanks to the low-tech and underappreciated windshield, it's clear the 100mph barrier was no real barrier. Now, when you're going very, very fast in a car without a windshield, as Jeremy Clarkson learned in a notorious 2007 Top Gear segment on the Ariel Atom, your face does flap like Silly Putty, making for excellent television. But with a windshield? Facial structure is safe. Or so I thought.

With my right foot pinned to the floor, I released my left foot from the Nevera's brake, the car hurtling past 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and not remotely letting up. My face changed shape with cheeks pulled back taut, eyeballs knocked against my brain, and blood rushed rearward inside a well-appointed, virtually silent cockpit with the automatic temperature control set to a pleasant 71 degrees. I experienced extreme tunnel vision and could focus only on one urgent task: figuring out how much road I had left in order to avoid a massive crash. Deep into the triple digits, I developed a headache and mild vertigo. Then I made a U-turn and repeated the process twice more. This much electricity is a hell of a drug.