Croatian automaker Rimac Automobili has just set another Guinness World Record with its all-electric hypercar Nevera’s unprecedented reverse-driving speed of 171 mph.
Fastest speed driving in reverse
According to the Guinness World Records report, the Caterham 7 Fireblade was the previous record holder before the Rimac Nevera. Mr. Darren Manning drove the Caterham 7 Fireblade and reached a remarkable result of 165.08 km/h (102.58 mph) in 2001.
Now, Rimac’s electric hypercar arrived at the Automotive Testing Papenburg facility in Germany to snatch the title from the UK-based automaker Caterham Cars. The Rimac Nevera, driven by Mr.Goran Drndak, broke the record with its top speed in reverse of 171.34 mph (275.74 km/h).
“On the run itself, it definitely took some getting used to. You’re facing straight out backwards watching the scenery flash away from you faster and faster, feeling your neck pulled forwards in almost the same sensation you would normally get under heavy braking.”
Test driver Goran Drndak
Rimac further noted that achieving the Top Speed in Reverse feat is largely due to the lack of gears in the car’s drivetrain, Car and Driver reports. It has four separate motors, placing two for each axle. It powered the Nevera forward/backward, disregarding for gearing.
Therefore, the electric motors that enabled the hypercar to set the 256 mph speed in early 2023 can also enable the same thrust in reverse.
Rimac Nevera details
Presented below are some of the key specifications of the Rimac Nivera, as indicated on its official website:
| Rimac Nivera | Specs |
| Power | 1.914 HP |
| Torque | 2.360 NM |
| Top Speed | 412 km/h (256 mph) |
| Acceleration 0-60 mph | 1.74 SEC |
| Acceleration 0-180 mph | 9.22 SEC |
| ¼ Mile Time | 8.25 SEC |
| Top Speed | 258 MPH |
| Battery Capacity | 120 KWH |
Previous achievements
In early 2023, the Rimac Nevera stunned the industry with its 20+ acceleration and braking records in just a day. One of these records is the car’s 256 MPH (412 km/h) top speed.
According to the duPont Registry, the hypercar also dominated the recent Supercar Shootout at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed with an unbeatable record of 49.32 seconds.
Nevera also broke the Nürburgring record with an astounding lap time of 20 seconds, with Croatian racing ace Martin Kodrić driving it.
As for the recent world record, Nevera’s Chief Engineer even joked about how the team thought of testing the top speed of the hypercar in reverse during the development.
“It occurred to us during development that Nevera would probably be the world’s fastest car in reverse, but we kind of laughed it off. The aerodynamics, cooling, and stability hadn’t been engineered for traveling backwards at speed, after all.”
Matija Renić, Rimac Nevera’s Chief Engineer
Rimac limited the Nevera’s production to only 150 units, with a rate of about 1 in a week. It has a base price of €2 million (£1.7 m; $2.1 m).
