Top speed gets the headlines, but it isn't the only way to measure "fastest." While BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme claimed the outright top-speed crown at 496.22 km/h, a different Croatian hypercar has spent the last three years quietly collecting something arguably harder to fake: independently verified acceleration and braking records, several of them formally recognized by Guinness World Records. That car is the Rimac Nevera, and its newest version, the Nevera R, just broke every one of its own predecessor's records in a single afternoon.

This guide separates what's independently verified — much of it measured on-site by the German firm Dewesoft, with select records formally adjudicated by Guinness World Records — from manufacturer marketing, and explains where the Nevera R fits against its most obvious rivals: Bugatti, Koenigsegg, and the Yangwang U9 Xtreme covered previously on this site.

Quick Specifications

Spec Rimac Nevera (original) Rimac Nevera R
Motors 4× independent electric motors 4× uprated motors, recalibrated torque vectoring
Total power 1,914 hp / 1,427 kW 2,107 hp / 1,550 kW
Battery 120 kWh 120 kWh (same pack, revised cooling/output)
Range (WLTP) Up to 490 km Not separately published; expected lower under record-focused tuning
0–100 km/h 1.81–1.97 s 1.72 s (record-verified)
Top speed 412 km/h (256 mph), verified EV record at launch 431.45 km/h (268.2 mph)
0–400–0 km/h 29.93 s 25.79 s (record)
Nürburgring lap 7:05.298 — production EV record at the time Not yet attempted as of this writing
Starting price ~€2.0–2.2 million €2.3 million (~$2.7 million)
Production 150 units total planned 40 units, limited run

Figures sourced from Rimac's own press releases and Dewesoft's independent measurement reports, cross-checked against the outlets cited throughout. Records described as "Guinness-certified" below are specifically noted as such; other figures are independently measured but not all individually filed with Guinness.

What Is the Rimac Nevera?

Rimac is the Croatian company founded by Mate Rimac in 2009, which now also owns Bugatti through the Bugatti Rimac joint venture formed in 2021. The Nevera is Rimac's second in-house hypercar after the earlier Concept_One, unveiled in production form in 2021 and delivered to customers from 2022, with early cars going to buyers including former Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg.

The Nevera R, revealed in mid-2025, isn't a full redesign — it's a focused, track-hardened evolution: more power from the same four-motor layout, a reworked aerodynamic package producing roughly 15% more downforce, new Michelin Cup 2 tires, copper-free carbon-ceramic brakes ahead of a 2025 regulatory ban on copper in brake pads in some markets, and a recalibrated torque-vectoring system recalculating power to each wheel 100 times per second.

The 24-Record Day: What's Actually Verified

On 10 July 2025, Rimac took the Nevera R back to the Automotive Testing Papenburg facility in Germany — the same track where the original Nevera set 23 records in 2023 — and broke every one of them, plus one more, for a total of 24 new marks in a single session. The headline figures: a 0–400–0 km/h run (accelerating to 400 km/h and braking back to a stop) in 25.79 seconds, a 268.2 mph (431.45 km/h) top speed, a 0–60 mph time of 1.66 seconds, and a quarter-mile in 7.90 seconds.

It's worth being precise about certification here, since headlines often blur the distinction. Rimac's own materials describe the records as independently verified by Dewesoft's on-site data-acquisition team — a genuine third-party measurement process, not an in-house claim. However, not every one of the 24 records has been individually confirmed as formally filed and adjudicated by Guinness World Records the way the original Nevera's separate reverse-speed record was (more on that below). Treat the 24 figures as independently measured and highly credible, while reserving the specific term "Guinness World Record" for the runs where that adjudication has been explicitly documented.

The Nürburgring and a Genuinely Unusual Guinness Title

The original Nevera set the production-EV lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in August 2023, completing the 20.6 km historic layout in 7:00.928 (7:05.298 on the full 12.94-mile configuration), beating the previous mark — held by a Tesla Model S Plaid Track Pack — by more than 20 seconds. That run was verified by independent timing data, TÜV SÜD, and onboard telemetry. As of this writing, Rimac had not yet published a Nürburgring attempt with the Nevera R specifically, despite company statements describing the Nordschleife as a target.

Separately, and almost as a party trick, Rimac took the original Nevera back to Papenburg in late 2023 to set a genuinely unusual record: fastest production car in reverse, hitting 275.74 km/h (171.34 mph) driving backwards. Unlike some of the acceleration figures, this one was explicitly witnessed on-site by a Guinness World Records adjudicator and is officially listed in the Guinness database — worth noting because electric cars, lacking a mechanical reverse gear, can theoretically run their motors at full power in reverse in a way combustion cars generally can't.

Design, Interior and Everyday Usability

At 4.75 m long and 2.05 m wide, the Nevera is a genuine two-seat hypercar rather than a repurposed sedan platform, with a curb weight of roughly 2,265 kg — heavy for a supercar, but explained by its 120 kWh battery pack. The Nevera R adds a fixed rear wing and an enlarged rear diffuser, visually distinguishing it from the standard car, along with new 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels hiding the revised brake package.

Unlike a single-purpose drag-strip special, Rimac has consistently marketed the Nevera as usable beyond the test track — Rosberg and other early owners have driven cars on public roads — and the original car's WLTP-rated range of up to 490 km (roughly 305 miles) is genuinely competitive for the segment. Rimac has not published a separate range figure for the R specifically, and given its more aggressive tuning and tires, a lower real-world figure than the standard car's should be expected.

Price and Availability

The original Nevera launched at roughly €2.0–2.2 million depending on configuration and market, with total planned production capped at 150 units. The Nevera R starts at €2.3 million (about $2.7 million at the time of its announcement), limited to just 40 units worldwide — a deliberately tighter run than the standard car, reinforcing its position as the range-topping, record-chasing variant rather than a volume model.

Deliveries of the Nevera R had not yet begun as of its July 2025 unveiling, according to contemporary reporting, with Rimac taking orders against the 40-unit cap. As with any ultra-low-volume hypercar, buyers should expect a lengthy, relationship-driven allocation process through Rimac directly rather than a conventional dealer order.

How It Compares

Against the Yangwang U9 Xtreme covered previously on this site, the comparison cuts in different directions depending on which number matters most to you. The U9 Xtreme is outright faster in a straight line — 496.22 km/h versus the Nevera R's 431.45 km/h — but that Yangwang run has not been confirmed by Guinness or the FIA, while several of the Nevera's records have gone through that additional certification step, including the Guinness-listed reverse-speed record. The Nevera R also currently holds the faster verified 0–400–0 combined acceleration-and-braking benchmark, a metric that arguably says more about real-world engineering than outright top speed alone.

Against the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ — Rimac's own corporate sibling through the Bugatti Rimac joint venture — the Nevera R's 431 km/h trails the Chiron's certified 304.8 mph (490.5 km/h) record from 2019, but the Nevera R's 0-60 and quarter-mile times are meaningfully quicker, reflecting the fundamental advantage electric motors have in instant torque delivery over even the most powerful combustion engine.

Pros and Cons

Advantages:

  • 24 independently measured performance records set in a single day, building on the original Nevera's already-record-setting career
  • A genuine Guinness World Records title (fastest production car in reverse) — a distinction not every rival hypercar can claim
  • WLTP-rated range on the standard car (up to 490 km) that's unusually practical for a hypercar segment
  • Backed by Bugatti Rimac's combined engineering resources, not a standalone startup
  • Faster verified acceleration and braking benchmarks than every internal-combustion hypercar rival, including Bugatti's own Chiron

Disadvantages:

  • Not every one of the 24 new records has been individually confirmed as formally Guinness-adjudicated, despite how headlines have sometimes framed it
  • Trails the Yangwang U9 Xtreme's outright top speed by a wide margin
  • No Nürburgring attempt yet published for the R specifically, despite the original car's own record there
  • Limited to 40 units at €2.3 million — effectively inaccessible to almost any buyer
  • No separate range figure published for the R, and its more track-focused tuning likely reduces real-world range versus the standard car

Who Should Care About the Rimac Nevera R?

As with the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, almost nobody reading this is actually shopping for one of 40 allocation slots at €2.3 million. Where the Nevera R matters is as a data point in the broader argument electric hypercars have been making since 2021: that instant torque and precise four-motor torque vectoring can out-accelerate, out-brake, and — increasingly — out-corner combustion engineering that took a century to refine. The Guinness-certified reverse-speed record, oddly, might be the most honest illustration of that: it's a genuinely new category of "fastest," created entirely because electric motors don't need a mechanical reverse gear at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Rimac Nevera R faster than the Yangwang U9 Xtreme?

Not in outright top speed — the U9 Xtreme's 496.22 km/h beats the Nevera R's 431.45 km/h. The Nevera R currently holds the faster verified 0–400–0 combined acceleration-and-braking record, and several of its records carry more formal certification than the U9's uncertified top-speed run.

Does the Rimac Nevera hold an official Guinness World Record?

Yes — specifically for the fastest production car driven in reverse, at 275.74 km/h (171.34 mph), witnessed on-site by a Guinness adjudicator. Most of its other 24 acceleration and braking records are independently measured by Dewesoft but aren't all individually documented as formal Guinness titles.

How much does the Rimac Nevera R cost?

It starts at €2.3 million (roughly $2.7 million), limited to 40 units worldwide. The standard Nevera it's based on starts around €2.0–2.2 million depending on market and configuration.

What is the range of the Rimac Nevera?

The standard Nevera is WLTP-rated at up to 490 km (about 305 miles) from its 120 kWh battery. Rimac has not published a separate range figure for the more track-focused Nevera R.

Has the Nevera R set a Nürburgring lap record?

Not yet, as of this writing. The original Nevera set the production-EV Nürburgring record in 2023 at 7:05.298, and Rimac has indicated the Nordschleife is a target for the R, but no attempt had been published at the time of writing.

Can I actually buy a Rimac Nevera R?

Only in theory, and only 40 people worldwide will. Orders are allocated directly through Rimac rather than a conventional dealer network, and deliveries had not begun as of the car's mid-2025 unveiling.

Final Verdict

The Rimac Nevera R doesn't chase the single biggest number the way the Yangwang U9 Xtreme does — it chases precision, and by that measure it's arguably the more rigorously credentialed of the two. Twenty-four independently measured records, a genuine Guinness World Records title, and acceleration and braking figures that beat every combustion hypercar on the market, including corporate sibling Bugatti's own Chiron, add up to a car whose claims hold up under closer scrutiny better than most.

What it isn't is attainable, or even the outright fastest in a straight line anymore. For the 40 buyers who'll actually take delivery, that's almost beside the point — they're not buying a car so much as a rolling data point in an engineering argument that electric hypercars have now been winning, convincingly, for several years running.

Watch: Rimac Nevera R Breaks 24 World Records

Sources

  • Rimac Nevera R record footage — youtube.com/watch?v=LOcp3-Ik3G4
  • Rimac Newsroom — official press releases on the 2023 records, Nürburgring lap, and reverse-speed Guinness title
  • Hypebeast, Motorbeam, Supercars.net — Nevera R 24-record coverage
  • Guideautoweb, Robb Report, Carwow — Nevera R specifications and pricing
  • Dewesoft.com — independent measurement and verification reports for both the 2023 and 2025 record days
  • The Drive, Electrek, LinkedIn/Autofy — Guinness World Records reverse-speed certification coverage
  • Autocar India, Car Expert, Goodwood.com, Robb Report — Nürburgring lap record coverage
  • IEEE Spectrum — technical breakdown of the original Nevera's record-setting powertrain
  • FastestLaps.com, EV Database (motorwatt.com) — cross-checked specification figures