Y&R Full 3-16-2026 || The Young And The Restless Full Episode MONDAY, March 16.2026

Czinger 21C VMax: A Glimpse into the Future of Hypercars For years, the automotive world has anticipated the official arrival of a Czinger production vehicle. When the opportunity to spend three days driving the 21C VMax on a challenging road rally through California’s wine country finally presented itself, it felt like a pivotal moment not just for this reporter, but for the automotive landscape. While the track potential and absolute limits of this 1,250-horsepower, 3D-printed hypercar are certainly compelling, the true question lay in its real-world behavior. How does this alien-tech marvel, with its center-steer design and avant-garde philosophy, handle the demands of a 500-mile journey through varied terrain and public roads? The answer, as we soon discovered, is that the Czinger 21C VMax pushes the boundaries of what’s considered possible, both in performance and practicality. It is a car that defies convention, where advanced manufacturing techniques meet a revolutionary powertrain architecture. The experience of driving it is unlike anything else on the market, a visceral and sometimes surreal encounter that blurs the line between a road car and a fighter jet. Factory Fresh: Behind the Veil of Divergent Technologies The journey begins not at a dealership, but deep within the industrial heart of Southern California at the facility of Divergent Technologies, the parent company behind the Czinger brand. Entering this facility is an experience in itself. Unlike traditional automotive plants, the environment feels less like a car factory and more like a high-tech aerospace workshop. The first thing to note is the rigorous security. My U.S. passport was required for entry, not because the facility builds production cars, but due to Divergent’s extensive work with the Department of Defense. While the specifics of military contracts were kept confidential during my visit, the presence of cutting-edge defense technology added an extra layer of intrigue. Lukas Czinger, the visionary young CEO of both Divergent and Czinger, personally guided the tour, offering a glimpse into a production process that is light-years ahead of the industry standard. The highlight of the visit was undoubtedly the introduction to the additive manufacturing process. Standing beside one of the massive 3D printers, I watched as high-powered lasers fused powdered aluminum into automotive components that resembled delicate bone structures. This technology represents what Lukas Czinger refers to as “Pareto optimal”—the point where further reduction in weight would compromise structural integrity. The software iterates through thousands of designs to find the perfect balance of strength and lightness, an evolutionary process accelerated by artificial intelligence. Divergent’s expertise extends beyond the automotive world. In addition to the DOD, nine other automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) utilize their 3D-printed parts. While Aston Martin, Bugatti, and McLaren publicly acknowledge their use of Divergent technology, the distinctive suspension components of the Ferrari F80 strongly suggest they are also a customer. This wide-ranging adoption underscores the revolutionary nature of Divergent’s manufacturing process, making the Czinger 21C VMax merely the tip of the iceberg. Under the Carbon Fiber: Engineering a Modern Masterpiece Czinger builds two distinct versions of what is essentially the same platform: the high-downforce, track-focused 21C and the sleek, wingless VMax. The VMax, which appears to be the most road-ready iteration, was the vehicle assigned for our Velocity Tour, a 500-mile road rally through Central and Northern California’s wine country. The driving position in the 21C VMax is fundamentally different from any traditional car. The cabin is designed to feel more like a fighter jet cockpit than a vehicular greenhouse. Czinger explicitly states this intent, and it becomes immediately clear upon entering. The visibility is exceptional, with glass extending close to both sides of the driver’s head. However, the ingress and egress process is admittedly awkward. Passengers must sit with their legs facing outward on the substantial side sills, pull their knees up towards their chest, and pivot their body while tucking their feet into the narrow footwell, all before sliding their head under the roof canopy. One of the reasons for these enormous sills is the integration of batteries. The 21C VMax is a hybrid hypercar, with each sill housing 2.2 kWh of battery storage, totaling 4.4 kWh. The car is not a plug-in hybrid; instead, the mid-mounted V8 engine drives a motor that keeps the batteries charged. These batteries deliver a combined 500 horsepower to the front axle, with one electric motor dedicated to each wheel. The combustion engine is a Czinger-designed 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 that produces 750 horsepower on California’s 91-octane premium unleaded gasoline. Switching to 100-octane race fuel boosts the output to 850 horsepower. The compact yet potent engine is also compatible with ethanol, which Czinger predicts will increase power further, though specific figures have not yet been released. The gasoline engine drives the rear wheels through an Xtrac single-clutch automated semi-sequential gearbox. This transmission, similar to the Xtrac unit used in the Pagani Utopia, benefits from Czinger’s additive manufacturing process. The transmission case is 3D-printed, and the addition of small 48-volt electric motors allows for smoother, faster shifts at lower speeds. This technological advancement completely eliminates the “drunken lurch” that typically plagues automated single-clutch transmissions at low revs. The dual-barrel actuators work flawlessly, making low-speed maneuvers feel almost conventional. Navigating parking lots, gas stations, and hotel entrances was a surprisingly smooth experience, earning a nod of approval from this seasoned automotive reviewer. Track Time: Pushing the Limits with a Pro As is often the case with high-end hypercars, Czinger assigned a professional driver, Evan Jacobs, to ride along with me for the first day of the rally to ensure I didn’t inadvertently damage the $2.5 million vehicle. Thankfully, Jacobs later confirmed my capabilities, and I was permitted to drive solo for the remainder of the tour. The rally included a stop at Laguna Seca, where non-Czinger employees were unfortunately not allowed to drive the VMax, even at the brutally slow pace of the organized event. However, even as a passenger, the experience was unforgettable. I scrambled into the unconventional rear seat, finding that the tight confines of the carbon-fiber tub and seat offered little room for large calves or feet. My XXL calves were practically wedged between the structure, and my feet were awkwardly positioned. Despite the physical constraints, the visibility through the side glass was incredible, offering a unique perspective of the track from what felt like a fighter jet. Jacobs eventually secured permission to take the VMax for a couple of “6/10ths” hot laps. The most exhilarating hot lap I’ve ever experienced was in the passenger seat of an Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH race car, where the braking forces pressed me deep into the seat. The Czinger VMax is now a close second, and this was achieved without Jacobs pushing the car to its absolute limits or engaging the large rear wing. Even at this reduced pace, it became abundantly clear how the Czinger 21C managed to achieve what the company calls the “California Gold Rush.” This achievement saw the VMax set five production car track records at five different California circuits—Thunder Hill, Sonoma Raceway, Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, and The Thermal Club—all within five days. Furthermore, Czinger returned to Laguna Seca to reclaim the lap record from the track-special Koenigsegg Jesko Sadair’s Spear. The recorded lap time of 1 minute, 22.30 seconds is astonishingly faster than the fastest MotoAmerica Superbike lap ever set at the track, which was 1:22.56. Czinger claims a vehicle weight of approximately 3,600 pounds, a remarkable achievement for a 1,250-horsepower hybrid vehicle. To provide context, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale Assetto Fiorano, the most potent version of a three-motor twin-turbo V8 PHEV with 986 horsepower, weighs 3,839 pounds. The new Lamborghini Temerario, another three-motor twin-turbo V8 with less power but serving as a comparison point, exceeds the two-ton mark, weighing in at 4,185 pounds. Now is a good time to highlight that the SF90 and Temerario are two of the quickest gasoline-powered cars MotorTrend has ever tested, with the Ferrari leading the 0-60 mph category and the Lamborghini topping the quarter-mile. If Czinger’s weight claim proves accurate, the unorthodox California startup has managed to outperform two Italian legends with its debut model. This is remarkable on its own but even more impressive considering that Southern California is not traditionally known for its supercar manufacturing expertise. In other words, Los Angeles is far from Modena. On the Road: Navigating the Road Less Traveled The chosen route for the rally consisted primarily of winding, back roads characterized by uneven, weathered pavement—not the pristine tarmac typically associated with dream hypercar tours. Much of the time was spent following the pack, navigating to lunch and coffee stops, and staying in formation with the camera car. While I may have been slightly underwhelmed at the time, in retrospect, I gained insight into what most owners will experience when living with a Czinger. To my surprise, the VMax handled most of the driving experience much like any other hyper-exotic. Passengers must empty their pockets before getting in as