5 TIMES AMERICA'S NEWEST HYPERCAR BEAT THE WORLD'S BEST

As the automotive world makes its way through the golden age of the hypercar, automakers are locked in a fight for increasingly eye-watering, physics-defying performance, chasing higher and higher records on all fronts, from speed to power output. One relatively new player in the hypercar game is California-based Czinger, a start-up that began building its 21C hypercar in 2021 with customer deliveries arriving two years later.

The 21C, the brand’s very first vehicle, had a difficult start in life; it was due to be introduced to the world at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, and when the show was canceled at the last minute, a private event in London was organized instead, just two weeks before the UK and the world were plunged into lockdown.

Powered by a V8 combined with two electric motors in a hybrid powertrain, the 21C keeps a close eye on sustainability and technology, using 3D-printed parts and having the ability to run on sustainable fuels for a zero-emissions drive. The end result is a staggeringly powerful hypercar that has already managed to beat several records in the brief time since its arrival. Let’s explore all the times the Czinger 21C has beaten a key automotive record, and what’s in store in its future.

The 21C In Numbers

Most Power-Dense Production Engine (June 2021)

While some of the 21C’s records were broken on the track, others were broken before it had even left the factory. When it made its debut in the summer of 2021, the 21C had the highest power density available on a production car, with a specific output of 329.86 hp/l, placing it above other hypercars such as the Koenigsegg Jesko and Gemera.

It’s important to note that the power density calculation does not take into account the 21C’s two electric motors, but only the ICE, as is always the case when working out power density for a hybrid vehicle. This is because the calculation for specific output requires the size of an engine in cubic centimeters, and you need the bore, stroke, and number of cylinders, which an electric motor obviously does not have.

Laguna Seca - 1st Lap Record (August 2021)

The first time the 21C became a record-breaking car was just over a year after its introduction, and a couple of months after the production version arrived. In August 2021, the 21C claimed the lap record at the Laguna Seca racing circuit. Driver Joel Miller set an impressive time of one minute and 25.44 seconds, beating the previous record holder (the McLaren Senna) by nearly two seconds.

There wasn’t just one record-breaking lap, either: the 21C managed to surpass the Senna’s time on three separate laps (having registered a time of one minute and 27.4 seconds on one lap, and one minute of 26.6 seconds on the other one). When the 21C broke this record, Chief Engineer Ewan Baldry stated that “the most exciting part is that we know we have more performance to come!”, hinting at what lay ahead for the Czinger’s future.

The Czinger’s stay on the Laguna Seca throne would last three years before the record was broken again by a rival hypercar (more on that later). However, this wasn’t quite the end of the road for the 21C. It soon returned to the circuit to claim its place at the top of the list again.

Circuit Of The Americas Lap Record (October 2021)

In the first months after being released, the Czinger went from strength to strength, demonstrating its abilities on a variety of tracks. In October 2021, the Czinger followed up on its triumph at Laguna Seca with yet another lap record around an iconic American circuit: driver Joel Miller set a lap time of 2:11.33, confirmed by multiple GPS systems, around the Circuit of the Americas. This put the Czinger a full six seconds ahead of the previous record holder, the McLaren P1, which achieved a lap time of 2:17.12. Czinger’s record lasted three years, but shortly after it was surpassed, the same driver returned to the circuit and took the record back once more.

Fastest Road-Legal Production Car At Goodwood (July 2024)

The Goodwood Festival Of Speed is one of the most prestigious automotive events in the world, and its legendary hillclimb is a proving ground for high-performance cars of all types. In 2024, a 21C in Rattlesnake Green, driven by British racer Chris Ward, broke the record for the fastest road-legal production car to go up the Goodwood hillclimb. Aside from being the fastest production car, the 21C was also the fifth-fastest car overall. The car’s Goodwood run helped establish its credentials with the automotive community, building Czinger’s name and reputation as a company.

The previous record holder had been the Rimac Nevera; the Czinger managed to beat it by nearly half a second, with a 48.83-second run. Ward pushed the car and track to their limits to complete this incredible run, clipping the grass a handful of times and even making contact with a hay bale at one point. The latter incident resulted in one of the Czinger’s wing mirrors being clipped off, which may have compromised its aerodynamic integrity. With both of its wing mirrors still in place, there is a possibility the 21C may have been even faster, further expanding the gap between it and the Nevera’s record.

Circuit Of The Americas - 2nd Lap Record (early August 2024)

In March 2024, two and a half years after the Czinger 21C had broken the record for fastest production car around the Circuit of the Americas, Hennessey dethroned it with the Venom F5, which shaved nearly half a second (0.43 seconds, to be specific) off the 21C’s lap time. A few months later, towards the end of August, Czinger returned to COTA and took its record back by an even narrower margin, beating the Venom by two hundredths of a second thanks to the efforts of driver Joel Miller, the same driver who had set Czinger’s original COTA record in 2021.

Laguna Seca - 2nd Lap Record (late August 2024)

In August 2024, the Koenigsegg Jesko Attack set a new record for fastest production car around the Laguna Seca circuit, beating the 21C’s previous record, with a lap time of 1:24.86. However, the Jesko’s triumph would not last very long. Around a week later, the Czinger 21C returned to Laguna Seca to take back its place at the top of the leaderboard, and achieved its goal without breaking a sweat.

Its final lap time was one minute and 24.75 seconds, overtaking your guest by merely tenths of a second; the Jesko Absolut may have been defeated, but it was mere tenths of a second far behind, having set a time of one minute and 24.86 seconds thanks to test driver Markus Lundh.

Whats Ahead: A Nrburgring Record Attempt?

The 21C may already have several records under its belt, but it’s always chasing after more. Speaking to CarBuzz at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed, founder Kevin Czinger expressed interest in establishing more records on an international level, hinting the 21C may soon be spotted tackling iconic circuits all over the world. One possible candidate for a high-profile record attempt would be the Nürburgring: the ultimate proving ground for cars of all shapes and sizes. The current Nürburgring record holder for road-legal production cars is another hypercar, the Mercedes-AMG ONE, with a lap time of 6:35.183 on the long-format track and 6:30.705 on the shorter track. All we can do is watch this space and see what record the innovative 21C will be aiming for next.

2024-09-17T10:07:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd