The Czinger 21C VMax: A 1,250-HP 3D-Printed Hypercar Pushes the Limits of Automotive Engineering
The Southern California-based company Czinger has been making waves in the automotive world with its innovative approach to hypercar design and manufacturing. The Czinger 21C VMax, a limited-production hybrid hypercar, represents the pinnacle of this innovation. With a unique center-steer, tandem two-seater configuration and an advanced powertrain that combines a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 with electric motors, the 21C VMax is a true technological marvel.
The Future of Automotive Manufacturing: Divergent Technologies
The foundation of Czinger’s innovation lies in its parent company, Divergent Technologies. Utilizing iterative artificial intelligence and large-scale 3D printing, Divergent creates incredibly lightweight and strong mechanical components for both automotive and defense applications. I had the privilege of touring the Divergent facility and witnessing firsthand the cutting-edge technology that underpins these vehicles. Inside one of the massive printers, I watched lasers fuse powdered aluminum into automotive parts that resembled organic bone structures. This process allows engineers to achieve a state of “Pareto optimality,” where every gram of material is optimized for maximum strength and minimal weight.
Divergent’s technology is utilized by several automotive OEMs, including Aston Martin, Bugatti, and McLaren, with rumors suggesting that Ferrari’s F80 also incorporates some of these advancements. The precision and efficiency of 3D printing enable Czinger to push the boundaries of what’s possible in automotive design, creating vehicles that are not only high-performing but also incredibly lightweight and innovative.
The Czinger 21C VMax: A Masterpiece of Form and Function
Czinger offers two versions of the 21C: the 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 had the opportunity to drive the silver 21C VMax.
Interior Experience: A Jet-Like Cabin
The interior of the 21C VMax is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Czinger describes it as a jet fighter-like cabin, and I can attest to that. The visibility through the glass is exceptional, though getting in and out of the car is a bit of a challenge. You sit with your legs extended out on the massive sill, pull your knees up and spin on your butt as you tuck your feet into the footwell, and then slide your head under the roof.
One reason for the large sills is the presence of batteries. The 21C VMax is a hybrid hypercar, with each sill containing 2.2 kWh of battery power for a total of 4.4 kWh. The car is not a plug-in hybrid, so a motor powered by the mid-mounted V-8 engine keeps the pack charged. These batteries can deliver 500 horsepower to the front axle, which has one motor per wheel.
Powertrain: A Blend of Internal Combustion and Electric Power
The Czinger 21C VMax is powered by a Czinger-designed 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 that produces 750 horsepower on 91-octane premium unleaded. Using 100-octane race fuel boosts the horsepower to 850. The gas engine powers the rear wheels via an Xtrac single-clutch automated semi-sequential gearbox. This gearbox, similar to the one in the Pagani Utopia, has been enhanced with 3D-printed components and 48-volt electric motors to provide smooth, quick shifts even at low speeds. This eliminates the jerky, surging feeling often associated with automated single-clutch transmissions.
Track Performance: Pushing the Envelope
For the Velocity Tour, Czinger assigned a professional driver, Evan Jacobs, to ride along to ensure safety. After a few laps at Laguna Seca, Jacobs determined I was safe to drive solo for the rest of the rally. While I couldn’t drive the VMax on the track during the rally, I did get to ride in the rear seat with Jacobs.
The rear seat is best suited for passengers with smaller calves and feet. My XXL calves were pressed between the carbon fiber tub and the seat, and my feet didn’t fit comfortably. However, the visibility from the rear seat is incredible, offering a unique perspective of the track.
Jacobs took the VMax for a couple of “6/10ths” laps at Laguna Seca, and the experience was exhilarating. 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 is now second only to that lap. Even at less than full tilt and without the rear wing, it was easy to understand how the 21C achieved its five production car track records in five days, becoming the first car to set records at all five California tracks in the shortest amount of time.
Czinger claims a vehicle weight of approximately 3,600 pounds, which is impressive for a 1,250-horsepower hybrid. This is lighter than the Ferrari SF90 Stradale Assetto Fiorano, which weighs 3,839 pounds, and the Lamborghini Temerario, which weighs 4,185 pounds.
The Driving Experience: A Thrilling but Demanding Ride
The 21C VMax offers a driving experience that is both thrilling and demanding. On normal roads, the car rides much better than I expected, and the air conditioning works well. However, the cabin is very loud due to a lack of sound deadening. While this might be acceptable for a track car, it’s an annoying oversight in a road car. I would have preferred more sound deadening, even if it added a few pounds to the vehicle.
Pushing the Limits: A Car Too Much for Public Roads?
When I finally got to drive the Czinger 21C VMax on proper California canyon roads, I was blown away by its performance. Every time I accelerated, the braking zone appeared almost instantly. It feels like the car is bending the road rather than driving over it. I’ve driven EVs with this much power, but the Czinger is a different beast. I think this car might be too much for public roads. I despise even typing that, but every time I got into the throttle, the braking zone appeared.
However, I must admit that the car handles beautifully and has a prodigious amount of grip. I would love to try the VMax on larger and faster roads like Angeles Crest or Highway 33, as it might be the case that too much is not enough. But for now, it’s probably more than plenty, and then some.
Conclusion: Who Is This Car For?
If you’re in the market for a $2.5 million tandem-seat hypercar, you likely already own other high-performance vehicles. You might think that all these cars are basically the same, but the Czinger 21C VMax is anything but. Czinger is only building 80 of these cars, and they are truly unique. Plus, I have it on good authority that the follow-up to the 21C VMax will feature traditional seating, the kind where you can hold hands with the person sitting next to you. But if you live in this world, you might as well grab the Czinger that started it all.
Czinger 21C VMax: A 1,250-HP 3D-Printed Hypercar That Redefines Speed
Czinger, a Southern California-based automaker, has taken the automotive world by storm with its revolutionary approach to high-performance vehicles. The Czinger 21C VMax, a limited-production hybrid hypercar, stands as a testament to this innovation. Featuring a unique center-steer, tandem two-seater configuration and an advanced powertrain that merges a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 with electric motors, the 21C VMax represents a quantum leap in automotive engineering and design.
The Future of Automotive Manufacturing: Divergent Technologies
The foundation of Czinger’s innovation lies in its parent company, Divergent Technologies. Utilizing iterative artificial intelligence and large-scale 3D printing, Divergent creates incredibly lightweight and strong mechanical components for both automotive and defense applications. I had the privilege of touring the Divergent facility and witnessing firsthand the cutting-edge technology that underpins these vehicles. Inside one of the massive printers, I watched lasers fuse powdered aluminum into automotive parts that resembled organic bone structures. This process allows engineers to achieve a state of “Pareto optimality,” where every gram of material is optimized for maximum strength and minimal weight.
Divergent’s technology is utilized by several automotive OEMs, including Aston Martin, Bugatti, and McLaren, with rumors suggesting that Ferrari’s F80 also incorporates some of these advancements. The precision and efficiency of 3D printing enable Czinger to push the boundaries of what’s possible in automotive design, creating vehicles that are not only high-performing but also incredibly lightweight and innovative.
The Czinger 21C VMax: A Masterpiece of Form and Function
Czinger offers two versions of the 21C: the 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 had the opportunity to drive the silver 21C V
