This is the astounding RB17, a 50-off hypercar for public consumption announced by leading F1 team Red Bull. It was unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed by bigwigs from the team, including principal and CEO Christian Horner, soon-to-be-departing chief technical officer Adrian Newey and advanced technologies technical director Rob Gray.
Looks mean! Any tech specs?
The RB17 is powered by a mid-mounted, semi-stressed 4.5-litre V10 petrol engine with natural aspiration and an electric motor. This hybrid system delivers outrageous outputs of more than 1,200hp, at least 1,000hp of which comes from the engine with another 200 horses contributed by electric drive. The V10 is redlined at a giddy 15,000rpm and, installed in a body weighing less than 900kg, the car is said to deliver ‘F1-equivalent lap times’ and a top speed somewhere north of 350km/h.
And this is road legal, is it?
Umm, no. It looks to be a track-only toy for the super-rich. But let’s keep going with the spec because it’s just mental. The gearbox is made of carbon fibre; yes, the gearbox. It’s a six-speed unit driving the rear wheels, with reverse managed by the electric motor. The RB17 has a hydraulically locking centre differential, too, while in terms of its structure it is designed to meet the current Le Mans hypercar safety regulations. The carbon-fibre monocoque chassis features a ‘motorsport-style survival cell’ for the two occupants, with the car only being sold in left-hand-drive format, and with Newey being involved then, as you can imagine, it is aerodynamically advanced - active elements and a ground-effect skirt ensure the RB17 can generate a colossal 1.7 tonnes of downforce. Other eye-catching spec elements include pushrod suspension, as well as carbon-fibre construction for the brakes and the 18-inch wheels, the latter of which are shod in Michelin slick tyres.
Any word on price?
No, but rumours abound that it’ll be in the region of €6 million before local taxes...
For his part, Horner said: “With 20 years of legacy in the world of F1 to draw from, and as a performance-centred organisation, it only made sense for us to design our own hypercar from the ground up. Combining technical innovation, achievement and emotional appeal, the RB17 is a landmark car. We expect the RB17 to be a future classic.”
And Newey added: “I had been mulling around the idea to take on the challenge to design our very own hypercar, from concept to delivery, for many years and it has been a magnificent project and journey. For it to finally be the day we pull the covers off and see the birth of the RB17 is truly remarkable.
“The RB17 hypercar embraces everything we stand for: undeniable power, speed and beauty. It is very adaptable in its abilities, and we made sure to design it as a two-seater so that the thrill of driving at F1 speeds can be enjoyed with a friend or partner.”