A Glimpse Into the Future of Automotive: Driving the Czinger 21C VMax
The Southern California-based company’s hypercar represents the pinnacle of modern automotive engineering, combining cutting-edge additive manufacturing with hybrid performance to push the boundaries of what’s possible on public roads. But how much power is too much?
For years, the automotive world has buzzed about Czinger, the boutique hypercar manufacturer based in Southern California. With a focus on advanced 3D-printing technology, aerodynamic efficiency, and hybrid performance, Czinger has positioned itself at the forefront of the supercar landscape. I finally had the chance to experience this automotive marvel firsthand during a three-day road rally that took me through the stunning landscapes of Central and Northern California, culminating in an exclusive track experience at Laguna Seca.
The primary goal of this drive was to understand how the Czinger 21C VMax performs not just on a racetrack, where its capabilities are well-documented, but also on the open road. What does it feel like to drive a 1,250-horsepower, center-steer, tandem-seat hypercar on a 500-mile journey? How does it handle tight turns, high-speed straightaways, and the mundane necessities of daily driving? These were the questions that drove my exploration of the Czinger 21C VMax.
Factory Fresh: A Tour of Divergent Technologies
My journey began at Czinger’s headquarters, the parent company Divergent Technologies, located in California. The experience was unlike any other factory visit I’ve had. Walking into the facility, I immediately noticed the blend of aerospace innovation and automotive precision. The CEO, Lukas Czinger, personally escorted me through the premises, offering an in-depth look at the company’s unique manufacturing process.
Divergent Technologies specializes in creating ultra-light and incredibly strong mechanical components using additive manufacturing and AI-driven design. The most striking aspect of the factory tour was the array of massive 3D printers working their magic. Observing the lasers zapping powdered aluminum into intricate automotive parts, reminiscent of bird bones, felt like peering into the future of vehicle production.
Lukas explained that Divergent’s technology strives for “Pareto optimality,” the sweet spot where further optimization is physically impossible. Using advanced algorithms, the software generates hundreds of thousands of designs to find the strongest yet lightest shape that meets specific engineering requirements. This process, likened to evolution on fast-forward, allows Divergent to produce parts that are significantly lighter than conventionally manufactured components.
Aside from the Department of Defense, which has strict security protocols in place—requiring a U.S. passport for entry and limiting photography of certain military hardware—nine automotive OEMs utilize Divergent as a supplier of 3D-printed parts. While the company doesn’t disclose all its clients, Aston Martin (DBR22 Roadster), Bugatti (Tourbillon), and McLaren (W1) publicly acknowledge their use of Divergent’s technology. Industry speculation also points to the Ferrari F80 as a potential beneficiary of these advanced manufacturing techniques. The integration of this technology across multiple high-end automakers highlights the revolutionary potential of Divergent’s approach to automotive design and production.
Under the Carbon Fiber: The Czinger 21C VMax
Czinger produces two versions of essentially the same car: the high-downforce, track-focused 21C and the wingless, long-tailed 21C VMax. For the inaugural Velocity Tour, a 500-mile road rally through California’s wine country, I had the pleasure of driving a silver VMax.
The term “piloting” is apt here, as the cabin of the 21C VMax feels more like a jet fighter cockpit than a traditional car interior. Czinger claims the experience is akin to being in a fighter jet, and while I haven’t flown one, I have experienced a ride in an Extra 330LT stunt plane. There’s a definite similarity: the glass is less than a foot away from your head on either side, providing unparalleled visibility. However, getting in and out of the car is a process that borders on the ridiculous. You sit with your legs stretched out on the wide sill, pull your knees up, and pivot your body to tuck your feet into the cramped footwell. Then, you slide your head under the roof. It’s a unique and memorable experience, to say the least.
One of the main reasons for the massive sills is the integration of batteries for the car’s hybrid system. The 21C VMax is a hybrid hypercar, with each sill housing 2.2 kWh of battery power, totaling 4.4 kWh. The car is not plug-in hybrid, so a motor powered by the mid-mounted V-8 engine keeps the pack charged. These batteries deliver 500 horsepower to the front axle, which is equipped with one motor per wheel. The combustion engine is a Czinger-designed 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 producing 750 horsepower on California’s 91-octane premium unleaded gasoline. When fueled with 100-octane race fuel, the horsepower increases to 850. The compact but potent engine can also run on ethanol, generating even more power, although Czinger has not yet released these figures; we estimate a 10 percent increase.
The gasoline engine sends power to the rear wheels via an Xtrac single-clutch automated semi-sequential gearbox. This transmission is similar to the Xtrac seven-speed used in the Pagani Utopia, but Czinger enhances it with additive manufacturing. By 3D-printing the transmission case and integrating small 48-volt electric motors, Czinger achieves smoother shifts at lower speeds. This eliminates the jerky, surging feeling commonly associated with automated single-clutch gearboxes at low RPMs. The twin-barrel actuators perform as advertised, making low-speed maneuvers like pulling into gas stations, restaurants, and hotel parking lots feel almost normal. The engineering precision here deserves applause, as it addresses a common annoyance in high-performance cars.
Track Time: A Thrilling Ride with Evan Jacobs
One aspect that never felt normal was the presence of the professional driver in the passenger seat. As is customary with some high-end hypercars like Bugatti and Pagani, Czinger placed pro driver Evan Jacobs in the car to ensure safety and proper handling. Fortunately, Jacobs later reassured the Czinger team that I posed no threat to the vehicle, allowing me to drive solo for the remainder of the rally.
We visited Laguna Seca for some parade laps, but as per protocol, non-Czinger employees are not permitted to drive the VMax on the racetrack, even at the slow pace dictated by the rally. However, I seized the opportunity to experience the car from the rear seat, despite the cramped conditions. For those with larger calves or feet, the back seat is a tight fit. My XXL calves were practically wedged between the carbon-fiber tub and the carbon-fiber seat, and my feet struggled to find a comfortable position. Nevertheless, the visibility from the side glass is incredible, reminding me again of a stunt plane and providing a novel perspective on the track experience, which I’ve enjoyed on countless occasions.
This experience was especially memorable when Jacobs and I convinced the Skip Barber Racing School staff to let him take the VMax for a couple of “6/10ths” hot laps. The most intense hot lap I’ve ever experienced was riding shotgun in an Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH race car, during which I could feel the blood pooling in my extremities under braking. The Czinger VMax now holds the second spot on that list, and remember, Jacobs was not driving at full throttle. Even at speeds below the limit and without the rear wing, it was easy to understand how a Czinger 21C achieved the record-setting feat known as the California Gold Rush.
The California Gold Rush: A Record-Breaking Feat
The Czinger 21C VMax is renowned for setting five production car track records across five different California tracks in a single day: Thunder Hill, Sonoma Raceway, Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, and the Thermal Club. After this initial sprint, Czinger returned to Laguna Seca to not only beat its own record but to reclaim the throne from the Koenigsegg Jesko Sadair’s Spear. The lap time recorded was a staggering 1 minute, 22.30 seconds, which is quicker than the fastest MotoAmerica Superbike lap ever recorded at Laguna, a 1:22.56. This remarkable achievement demonstrates the car’s incredible performance potential, even without the downforce-generating rear wing.
Czinger claims a vehicle weight of approximately 3,600 pounds, which is impressively light for a 1,250-horsepower hybrid hypercar. To put this into context, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale Asseto Fiorano—the highest-performance version of a three-motor twin-turbo V-8 PHEV that produces only 986 hp—weighs 3,839 pounds. The new Lamborghini Temerario, another three-motor, twin-turbo V-8 (producing less power but providing a valid comparison), weighs over two tons at 4,185 pounds.
At this point, it’s worth noting that the SF90 and Temerario are among the quickest 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 unconventional California startup has managed to outperform two Italian legends right out of the gate
