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The Limitless Machine: Can the Czinger 21C VMax Handle the Demands of the Real World? For years, automotive enthusiasts have been captivated by the promise of the Czinger 21C VMax. This highly exclusive hypercar, manufactured in Southern California, represents a bold vision of the future, a testament to the revolutionary potential of 3D printing, and a significant leap in automotive engineering. With its avant-garde design, advanced hybrid powertrain, and remarkable performance figures, the 21C VMax has become a coveted machine among collectors and performance aficionados alike. The Czinger 21C VMax is more than just a car; it is the culmination of years of research and development by its parent company, Divergent Technologies. Divergent utilizes state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and 3D printing technology to design and produce incredibly light and strong mechanical components. This innovative approach has allowed Czinger to build a vehicle that defies conventional engineering norms, offering a level of performance and efficiency that was previously thought to be the domain of science fiction. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Czinger 21C VMax is its powertrain. The vehicle features a hybrid system that combines a powerful combustion engine with an electric motor, resulting in a combined output of 1,250 horsepower. This allows the car to deliver blistering acceleration and top speeds while maintaining a reasonable level of fuel efficiency. Another standout feature of the Czinger 21C VMax is its innovative seating arrangement. The car is a tandem two-seater, with the driver positioned in the center and the passenger seated behind. This unique configuration not only enhances the car’s aerodynamic performance but also provides a sense of intimacy and connection between the occupants. The Czinger 21C VMax has already proven its performance capabilities on the track, setting multiple production car records at prestigious tracks such as Laguna Seca and Sonoma Raceway. This impressive performance is a testament to the car’s advanced aerodynamics, lightweight construction, and powerful powertrain. However, the Czinger 21C VMax is not without its quirks. The car’s unique seating arrangement and minimalist interior design may not appeal to everyone. Additionally, the car’s high price tag makes it accessible to only a select few. Despite these limitations, the Czinger 21C VMax is a remarkable achievement in automotive engineering. It represents a bold vision of the future and pushes the boundaries of what is possible in a production car. As Czinger continues to innovate and refine its technology, we can expect to see even more groundbreaking vehicles in the years to come. Factory Fresh Innovation To understand the Czinger 21C VMax, one must first understand Divergent Technologies, the parent company that makes this radical creation possible. It’s not your typical automotive startup; Divergent operates at the intersection of advanced AI, additive manufacturing, and high-performance engineering. As I learned during a tour of their facility, the manufacturing process is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed in the automotive industry. I had to present my U.S. passport to enter the Divergent facility—a requirement stemming from the company’s dual role as a supplier to the Department of Defense. While the military hardware was off-limits for photography, one piece bore a striking resemblance to a rocket. The tour was led by the CEO himself, Lukas Czinger. Peeking inside one of the colossal 3D printers was like getting a sneak peek into the future. Multiple lasers fused powdered aluminum into delicate, almost bone-like structures that formed the car’s mechanical components. Lukas explained that Divergent’s technology strives to achieve what he calls “Pareto optimality”—the point where any change, whether adding or removing a single gram, results in a net negative in performance. For example, engineers design a reservoir holder for the rear suspension damper. Given the available space and the required load-bearing capacity, the software iterates through hundreds of thousands of designs until it finds the most efficient and structurally sound shape. It’s like evolution on fast-forward. Beyond their work with the military, Divergent supplies 3D-printed parts to nine automotive OEMs. The most public names include Aston Martin (DBR22 Roadster), Bugatti (Tourbillon), and McLaren (W1). There’s a strong suspicion that the control arms on the Ferrari F80 are also Divergent-built, even if they haven’t officially confirmed it. Under the Carbon Fiber Czinger produces two variations of essentially the same vehicle: the track-focused 21C (named for the 21st century) and the wingless, long-tailed VMax. Officially, the VMax is the “21C VMax,” but the “21C” lettering doesn’t appear on the car itself. For the inaugural Velocity Tour—a 500-mile rally through California wine country—I was assigned a silver VMax. I use the word “piloting” intentionally. The interior feels much more like a jet fighter canopy than a traditional automotive cabin. Czinger claims it’s akin to being in a fighter jet, and while I haven’t flown one, I have ridden in an Extra 330LT stunt plane. The similarity is striking: there’s glass less than a foot from either side of your head. Visibility is excellent, but the ingress and egress process is admittedly bizarre. You sit with your legs extended out onto the massive sill, pull your knees up, spin on your bottom, and tuck your feet into the footwell, then slide your head under the roof. The reason for the large sills is due to the batteries they house. The 21C VMax is a hybrid hypercar, and each sill contains 2.2 kWh of battery power, totaling 4.4 kWh. It’s not a plug-in hybrid; a motor powered by the mid-mounted V8 engine keeps the pack charged. These batteries provide 500 horsepower to the front axle, where each wheel has its own motor. The combustion engine is a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 designed in-house by Czinger, delivering 750 horsepower on California’s standard 91-octane premium fuel. When filled with 100-octane race fuel, the horsepower increases to 850. The V8 can also run on ethanol, likely producing even more power, though Czinger has not released those figures. The gas engine powers the rear wheels through an Xtrac single-clutch automated semi-sequential gearbox. This transmission is similar to the Xtrac seven-speed used in the Pagani Utopia, but Czinger not only 3D prints the transmission case but also uses small 48-volt electric motors for faster shifting at lower speeds. This eliminates the sluggish, surging behavior typical of other automated single-clutch gearboxes in low-speed situations. The twin-barrel actuators worked exactly as advertised, making low-speed maneuvers—pulling into gas stations, restaurants, and hotel parking lots—feel almost normal. Bravo, Czinger. Track Time What never felt normal was the driver sitting behind me for the entire day. As is customary with certain high-end hypercars like Bugatti and Pagani, Czinger assigned a professional driver, Evan Jacobs, to ensure I didn’t drive the $2.5 million car off a cliff. Thankfully, later that night, Jacobs assured the Czinger team that I was no threat to the vehicle and was cleared to drive solo for the remainder of the rally. We stopped by Laguna Seca for some parade laps, but for whatever reason, non-Czinger employees are not allowed to drive the VMax on racetracks, even at the restricted pace of the rally. As I have learned the hard way, even if you can’t drive, a passenger seat ride is the next best thing. I scrambled into the peculiar rear seat, and the first thing to note is that if you have large calves or feet, the back-seat experience isn’t ideal. My XXL calves were literally squeezed between the carbon-fiber tub and seat, and my feet didn’t fit well either. However, the visibility through the side glass is incredible. Again, it reminded me of a stunt plane and offered a novel way to experience a track day—an activity I’ve done countless times before. This was especially true when Jacobs and I convinced the Skip Barber Racing School staff (whose track day we happened to crash) to let him take the VMax for a couple of “6/10ths” hot laps. The most intense ride I’ve ever experienced was in an Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH race car, where I could feel the blood pooling in my extremities during braking. The Czinger VMax is now second on that list, and remember, Jacobs wasn’t even driving at the limit. Even at something less than full throttle and without the rear wing, it was easy to understand how a Czinger 21C achieved what the brand calls the California Gold Rush. This means setting five production car track records—at Thunder Hill, Sonoma Raceway, Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, and the Thermal Club—in five days, driving from each track to the next. Later, Czinger returned to Laguna Seca to not only beat its own record but to reclaim the throne from the track-special Koenigsegg Jesko Sadair’s Spear. That lap time, a ridiculous 1:22.30 seconds, is faster than the fastest MotoAmerica Superbike lap ever recorded at Laguna (1:22.56). Czinger claims a vehicle weight of approximately 3,600 pounds, which is quite light for a 1,250-hp hybrid vehicle. To put