Rumor: The Geneva-Bound Rimac Concept Two Will Get a 120-kWh Battery, Level 4 Autonomy

TopSpeed

By Jonathan Lopez

Published Mar 4, 2018

Insane power is a given, but self-driving capability as well?

Rimac has made a name for itself as the go-to manufacturer for over-the-top all-electric performance, all thanks to its insane Concept One mega machine. Now it looks like the Croatian brand is once again stepping up its game with a second-generation supercar, and rumor has it'll get juiced by an upgraded 120-kWh battery. Not only that, but it's possible the coupe will come with highly advanced Level 4 autonomous capability as well.

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The Full Story

Since 2013, Rimac has been all over the news thanks to the exploits of the Concept One. Between demolishing well-established gas-powered supercars in various drag events, racing to the clouds for a second-place finish at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and nearly killing Richard Hammond, this low-and-wide speed slab has been seemingly everywhere over the last few years.

But now the calendar is telling me it's 2018, which means Rimac is overdue for a second-generation of its absurd battery-powered performer. As such, the Croatians are bringing the Concept Two to the Geneva International Motor Show next week, and word has it it'll be every single shade of over-the-top.

First up on list of upgrades – more power. While the Concept One manages 1,073 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque thanks to its 90-kWh battery and four electric motors, the Concept Two is rumored to come packing with a 120-kWh pack, which means we may see as much as 1,500 horsepower from this beast.

That'll make it even faster, besting its predecessor's 0-to-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds and top speed of 221 mph. We're thinking around 2 seconds flat for the former and more than 230 mph for the latter.

Furthermore, our friends over at Autocar report that the Concept Two will get Level 4 autonomous driving capability, which means it'll be able to get you from A to B without any input from the human pilot whatsoever. Of course, technology like that raises a few questions over legality, as regional laws have yet to really catch up with advanced tech like that.

The other issue is that a self-driving supercar is a bit odd, at least from our point of view. Packing the tech into a commuter sedan or SUV makes sense – those were made to do the daily grind, something to which self-drivers are well suited. But a supercar with well over 1,000 horses? That's something you'd want to actually drive yourself, no?

Either way, it's looking like the Concept Two is a direct response to the reveal of the Tesla Roadster 2.0 this past November. While still several years out from full-fledged production status, the California-bred Roadster promises Rimac-matching specs like a 1.9-second 0-to-60 mph time, plus absurd numbers like 10,000 Nm (7,376 pound-feet) of torque and a top speed of 250 mph.

It also goes without saying that the Tesla will come with the very latest in self-driving tech.

We'll learn more about the Rimac Concept Two after its debut in Switzerland next week, but until then, check out our full speculative review.