The rage to create especially rarified, ultra-high-performance hypercars, especially as they fit the FIA’s new Le Mans Hypercar category for international sports car competition, has lassoed in established automakers including Alpine, Toyota and for a while, Aston Martin. There’s been no known plans to go racing with it but the Czinger, an American-based interpretation of the ultra-hybrid statement, fits very nicely into this formula. Founded by entrepreneur Kevin Czinger – the C is silent, so the car’s name really is pronounced “zinger” – and based in Los Angeles, Czinger was supposed to roll out its first car at the 2020 Geneva International Motor Show, but the coronavirus tanked that plan. Instead, the final production-spec prototype of the Czinger 21C was displayed at its headquarters, with production also set to take place in Los Angeles.
All we can say is that whenever the C21 finally does reach production, it’s likely to be hellaciously fast. The hybrid powertrain is based around a Czinger-designed 2.88-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 with a flat-plane crankshaft and flex-fuel capability, linked to dual high-output electric motors via a seven-speed sequential transmission. Czinger is claiming perfect weight distribution thanks to its fore-and-aft passenger layout, an actual 1:1 power-to-wweight ratio, total powertrain output of 1,250 horsepower (with 1,350 optionally available), a top end of 281 MPH and a promised zero-to-248 MPH dash of 21.3 seconds. Artificial intelligence is thoroughly employed in the car’s design – its suspension control arms are hollow, with flyweight internal reinforcing structures – and AWD is standard. A run of 80 production cars is envisioned, with no production startup or pricing particulars yet unveiled.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 