Rimac Nevera R tops 268mph to become world's fastest EV

Hardcore version outpaces Bugatti Veyron Supersport and clocks 0-62mph in stunning 1.66sec, writes Felix Page

- 

The new Rimac Nevera R has officially become the world’s fastest electric car, clocking a top speed of 268.2mph.

That means the more hardcore version of Rimac’s EV hypercar is also one of the world’s fastest production cars of all time — surpassing even the Bugatti Veyron Supersport.

The independently verified top speed was confirmed as part of a final round of validation tests ahead of customer deliveries getting under way — during which, Rimac says, the 2,078bhp Nevera R claimed “new world records in 24 categories”.

Surpassing “every performance record previously set by the standard Nevera’, the R also proved itself the world’s fastest-accelerating production car, sprinting from 0-60mph in a dazzling 1.66sec— 0.08sec quicker than the standard car.

The R also achieved a record 0-400-kmh (0-249mph) time of just 25.79sec — just over two seconds quicker than the previous fastest car — and completed a quarter-mile sprint in 7.9sec, a 0.35sec improvement.

Company founder and chief executive Mate Rimac said: “When we first introduced Nevera, it almost seemed like the pinnacle of hypercar performance had been reached. In a single generation, we had created a performance jump that previously would have taken decades.