Rimac used Monterey Car Week to reinforce its claim on the electric hypercar space, displaying the 2,107-horsepower Nevera R and circulating multiple customer cars across the Peninsula’s coastal roads and hillsides.
The Best Upgrades That Don’t Hurt Resale
The Croatian company, which rose to prominence building battery-electric exotics and later joined forces with Bugatti, centered its week around the new Nevera R. Rimac says the even-higher-performance evolution of its flagship set 24 performance marks earlier this year. The car anchored a series of appearances that included a private reception at a Monterey residence attended by VIP guests and Bugatti Rimac executives, as well as informal sightings of the Nevera and Nevera Time Attack on local roads.
Rimac framed the presence as a showcase of its recent milestones and a signal of where ultra-luxe performance is headed. The Nevera R’s stated 2,107 horsepower places it among the most powerful roadgoing EVs yet, and its public showing in a week typically dominated by rare gasoline supercars and seven-figure auctions drew steady crowds.
Company officials did not disclose additional specifications in Monterey beyond the headline output and previously announced records, but emphasized that the R model builds on the standard Nevera’s acceleration and track capability. The Time Attack edition, produced in limited numbers, also appeared during the week, underscoring the brand’s focus on special-series variants.
Rimac’s strategy in Monterey hewed to the traditional rhythms of Car Week — mixing private gatherings, driveway displays and rolling drive-bys — while highlighting a fully electric lineup. The approach mirrors a broader shift at the event, where legacy supercar makers increasingly share space with plug-in debuts and concept previews.
For Rimac, the timing served to spotlight the company’s trajectory since aligning with Bugatti under the Bugatti Rimac umbrella. Executives characterized the brand’s current slate as an expansion of that partnership’s ambitions, with the Nevera R positioned as a statement piece on the bleeding edge of battery performance.
Attendees encountered the cars in varied settings, from stone-lined drives outside Spanish-style homes to pull-offs overlooking the surf, a deliberate contrast to traditional stand-behind-ropes presentations. The tactic gave owners and guests close access to details like the Nevera’s aero elements and cabin, while the soundless departures and instant torque offered an EV counterpoint to the week’s soundtrack of vintage race engines.
While Rimac did not announce new models in Monterey, its concentrated presence — and the optics of a 2,000-plus-horsepower EV sharing headline space with internal-combustion icons — reinforced the notion that electric power is a permanent fixture at the top of the performance market. With the Nevera R as the draw and customer cars circulating throughout the region, the brand’s message was clear: exclusivity and speed no longer require gasoline.
Comments