The Czinger 21C VMax: A Hybrid Hypercar from the Future
For years, the automotive world has been buzzing about Czinger, the Southern California company that designs and produces hypercars like the 21C VMax. We finally had the chance to experience this vehicle firsthand on a three-day road rally through Central and Northern California, and it was an experience that left us in a state of awe and bewilderment. This article delves into the fascinating world of Czinger, its innovative 3D-printed technology, and the unparalleled performance of the 21C VMax.
Factory Fresh: A Glimpse into the Future of Automotive Engineering
My journey began with a visit to the Czinger factory, which is the parent company of Divergent Technologies. This facility represents the pinnacle of modern automotive engineering, where advanced artificial intelligence and massive 3D printers are used to design and produce lightweight, strong mechanical components. What struck me most was the intricate process of 3D printing, where lasers fuse powdered aluminum into components that resemble bird bones. It’s a truly mesmerizing sight to witness the birth of a hypercar from the ground up.
Lukas Czinger, the young CEO of both companies, explained that Divergent’s technology has reached the “Pareto optimal” point, where any addition or subtraction of a gram would be detrimental to the vehicle’s performance. The software iterates hundreds of thousands of designs to find the strongest and lightest shape, essentially fast-forwarding the evolutionary process. Beyond the Department of Defense, nine automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) utilize Divergent’s 3D-printed parts, including Aston Martin, Bugatti, and McLaren. While Ferrari has not publicly confirmed, the control arms on the F80 suggest a partnership.
Under the Carbon Fiber: The Architecture of the 21C VMax
Czinger produces two versions of what is essentially the same car: the high-downforce, track-focused 21C and the wingless, long-tailed VMax. For the inaugural Velocity Tour, a 500-mile road rally through California’s wine country, I drove a silver VMax. The cabin feels more like a jet fighter canopy than a traditional automotive greenhouse, with glass positioned less than a foot away from both sides of the driver’s head. While the visibility is excellent, the process of getting in and out of the car is a bit ridiculous: sit with legs facing out on the massive sill, pull your knees up, spin on your butt, and tuck your feet into the footwell before sliding your head under the roof.
One reason for the large sills is that they house batteries. The 21C VMax is a hybrid hypercar, and each sill contains 2.2 kWh of battery power, for a total of 4.4 kWh. The car is not a plug-in hybrid; a motor powered by the mid-mounted V-8 engine keeps the pack charged. These batteries deliver 500 horsepower to the front axle, which features one motor per wheel. The combustion engine is a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 designed by Czinger, producing 750 horsepower on 91-octane gasoline. Using 100-octane race fuel increases horsepower to 850. The compact engine can also run on ethanol, yielding even higher power output, though specific figures have not been released.
The gas engine powers the rear wheels via an Xtrac single-clutch automated semi-sequential gearbox. Similar to the Xtrac seven-speed used in the Pagani Utopia, Czinger 3D-prints the transmission case and uses small 48-volt electric motors to execute shifts at lower speeds. This eliminates the sluggishness and surging common in other automated single-clutch gearboxes at low speeds, as the twin-barrel actuators perform as advertised in low-speed situations. Arriving at gas stations, restaurants, and hotel parking lots felt almost normal, and I must commend Czinger for this innovation.
Track Time: Pushing the Envelope
The most unusual aspect of the rally was having a professional driver, Evan Jacobs, in the passenger seat for the entire first day. As is common with many high-end hypercars (Bugatti, Pagani), Czinger ensures a safety driver is present to prevent owners from crashing the $2,500,000 vehicle. Thankfully, Jacobs later reassured the Czinger team that I was not a threat to the car and was permitted to drive solo for the rest of the rally. We visited Laguna Seca for some parade laps, but Czinger does not allow non-employees to drive the VMax on racetracks, even at the very slow pace of the rally participants.
Even if you can’t drive, the ride is a must-experience. I scrambled into the peculiar rear seat, and the first thing to note is that those with large calves or feet will find the experience uncomfortable. My XXL calves were wedged between the carbon-fiber tub and seat, and my feet didn’t fit well either. However, the side-window visibility is incredible, reminding me again of a stunt plane. This provided a unique perspective during track laps, something I’ve done over 1,000 times.
Jacobs and I convinced the Skip Barber Racing School staff (whose track day we crashed) to let him take the VMax for a couple of “6/10ths” hot laps. The most impressive hot lap I’ve ever experienced was in an Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH race car, where I could feel the blood pooling in my extremities under braking. The Czinger VMax now ranks second, even without the driver going full tilt or the large downforce rear wing. It was easy to understand how a Czinger 21C achieved the “California Gold Rush.” This means setting five production car track records—at Thunder Hill, Sonoma Raceway, Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, and the Thermal Club—in five days and driving between each track. Later, Czinger returned to Laguna Seca to beat its own record and reclaim the throne from a track-special Koenigsegg Jesko Sadair’s Spear. That lap time, a ridiculous 1 minute, 22.30 seconds, is faster than the fastest MotoAmerica Superbike lap ever recorded at Laguna, which stands at 1:22.56.
Czinger claims a vehicle weight of approximately 3,600 pounds, which is remarkably light for a 1,250-horsepower hybrid vehicle. For context, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale Asseto Fiorano—the highest-performance version of a three-motor, twin-turbo V-8 PHEV with only 986 hp—weighs 3,839 pounds. The new Lamborghini Temerario, another three-motor, twin-turbo V-8 (with less power than the Czinger) weighs over two tons, coming in at a hefty 4,185 pounds.
This is a good time to mention that the SF90 and Temerario are the two quickest-accelerating gasoline-powered cars MotorTrend has ever tested (the Ferrari for 0–60 mph and the Lambo for the quarter mile). If Czinger’s weight claim holds true, the unorthodox California startup has managed to beat two Italian legends with its debut model. This is remarkable in itself, especially considering that while Southern California is known for many things, there isn’t a large pool of supercar building expertise. In other words, Los Angeles is not exactly Modena.
On the Road: Navigating California’s Backroads
The rally route consisted mostly of true backroads: tight, winding, and lousy pavement—not the kind of asphalt that comes to mind when dreaming of hypercar trips. There was also a lot of following the pack, navigating to lunch and coffee stops, and keeping up with the camera car. At the time, I may have been slightly disappointed, but in retrospect, what I experienced is similar to what most owners will experience while living with a Czinger.
To my surprise, the VMax was mostly like any other exotic hypercar. Take everything out of your pockets because the seats are tight, drink your water before you get in as there are no cup holders, and get used to the fact that almost everyone else on the road, especially males aged 16–24, will be staring at you, following you, waving, and revving at you, likely shouting friendly obscenities. Regardless, the Czinger rides much better than I expected; the team deserves applause for not making it overly stiff. Even the air conditioning works well. My only complaint about the “just driving around doing normal stuff” aspect of the VMax is the cabin noise level. I’m not talking about the sound of the unique V-8, but rather the complete lack of sound deadening. This is great for a dedicated track car like the 21C, but it’s an annoying oversight on a road car like the VMax. It becomes especially apparent when spending hours inside the car. Yes, weight is the enemy of performance, but how much does sound-deadening foam weigh? Twenty pounds? Twenty-five? Google AI says between 10 and 50 pounds. Why not just 10 pounds of the stuff? It would make a big improvement overall.
Get to the Good Part: Unleashing the VMax
We finally came upon some proper California canyon roads, and I got to fully open up the Czinger 21C VMax. As quickly as my right foot passed the throttle pedal’s kickdown point, it was already slamming onto the brake pedal. I’ve driven EVs with this much power, but
