The Geneva International Motor Show is always crammed full of the newest and most glamorous supercars and hypercars—some of which even make it from show-stand to reality. The Czinger 21C—all 1,233 horsepower and $1.6 million of it—looks to be the real deal and, hallelujah, it’s wholly designed and built in the U.S. In fact, Czinger’s base is just a stone’s throw from the MotorTrend offices in California.
This new hypercar—which Czinger will show in Geneva on March 3—boasts unique in-line seating, a hybrid drivetrain developed entirely in-house (not a smal-lblock V-8 in sight), and an innovative production technique based around “Additive Manufacturing,” or 3-D printing as it’s more often described. The accompanying video is shot in various California locations and shows an unusually slim hypercar (great for canyon roads) but still plenty of presence, especially at the rear with its distinctive upswept light bar and fixed wing.
Although the Additive Manufacturing process is what really sets the 21C apart, the car seems to nail the hypercar basics of extreme power and crazy performance figures, too. Czinger claims its new proprietary “strong hybrid drivetrain” is good for 1,233 hp (1,250 PS in European terms) and will slingshot the 21C from zero to 62 mph in 1.9 seconds. The 21C will allegedly make the quarter-mile run in 8.1 seconds, and reach a top speed of up to 268 mph. We’re getting used to wild performance claims in the world of pure EV hypercars, none of which have actually made it to production yet, but the 21C relies on its mystery internal-combustion engine for much of its power.
The gasoline engine is a compact, mid-mounted twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-8 with a flat-plane crank, with its redline set at a sizzling 11,000 rpm. Two electric motors—each powering a front wheel, with torque vectoring—add to the car’s capability, and mean it features all-wheel drive. Czinger says the gearbox is “an ultralight” seven-speed sequential automated manual. As far as laying down all of that power on the pavement, Czinger worked with Michelin to develop the 21C’s high-performance tires.
Czinger is named after founder Kevin Czinger, an entrepreneur with a hugely varied background—college football star, federal prosecutor, executive director of media, telecom, and technology for Goldman Sachs, founder of EV start-up and battery manufacturer CODA Automotive, and, latterly, owner of Divergent 3D.
Czinger’s time with CODA was the inspiration for the 21C’s new production technique, which could also be applied to higher-volume, more affordable cars. Seeing the costs and resources required to produce conventional EVs and by calculating full lifecycle emissions, Czinger felt there had to be a better way. In the past, he has claimed Divergent’s technology eliminates 80-percent of factory costs and reduces the number of individual parts required for a car by 75 percent, too.
Czinger the company says it will build just 80 examples of the 21C, across both road and racetrack versions featuring various options and customization choices. It hopes to begin delivering cars to customers in early 2021.
We hope to take you inside Czinger’s amazing new factory at some point very soon. Maybe then we can examine these claims more closely. However, the fact that the first fully formed product from Czinger is a lightweight hypercar—the regular version rings in with a cited curb weight of 2,756 pounds, while the track version weighs 2,685—with more than 1,200 hp, featuring a unique driving environment, and appearing to have the quality and detailing to match Europe’s best, is enough to have us seriously intrigued. Not to mention, with up to 551 pounds (standard version) or 1,742 pounds (track) of aerodynamic downforce at 155 mph, the 21C should be able to negotiate quick corners at an impressive pace. Did we say factory tour? Perhaps we can find a way to skip straight to a road test.
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