The $2.5 Million Hypercar That Redefines “Too Much”
For years, the automotive world has been buzzing about Czinger Vehicles. Known for their radically innovative approach to hypercar design and manufacturing, the Southern California-based company has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge hybrid technology. Finally, I got the chance to experience their flagship model, the Czinger 21C VMax, on a three-day road rally through the breathtaking wine country of Central and Northern California. While the track capabilities of the 21C are well-documented and the subject of much industry discussion, the real question was: how does this alien-tech, 1,250-horsepower hypercar perform when navigating the real world of winding roads, public streets, and everyday driving? The answer, as I discovered, is a thrilling blend of future-forward engineering and mind-bending performance that left me in a state of pure awe.
A Glimpse into the Future of Automotive Manufacturing
My journey began at the headquarters of Divergent Technologies, the parent company of Czinger Vehicles. Stepping inside their facility was like walking into a scene from a science fiction film. It’s not every day you need a passport to enter a car factory, but Divergent’s unique relationship with the Department of Defense—supplying high-tech, 3D-printed components to military contractors—demands such precautions. The company’s CEO, Lukas Czinger, personally guided me through the facility, a process that was both enlightening and deeply impressive.
The heart of Divergent’s operation lies in its massive 3D printing machines. Watching these industrial giants in action was a surreal experience. Lasers beam down, fusing powdered aluminum into automotive parts that look more like delicate bird bones than heavy metal. This proprietary technology, known as the “3D printed chassis,” is the foundation of the Czinger 21C.
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The $2.5 Million Hypercar That Redefines “Too Much”
For years, the automotive world has been buzzing about Czinger Vehicles. Known for their radically innovative approach to hypercar design and manufacturing, the Southern California-based company has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge hybrid technology. Finally, I got the chance to experience their flagship model, the Czinger 21C VMax, on a three-day road rally through the breathtaking wine country of Central and Northern California. While the track capabilities of the 21C are well-documented and the subject of much industry discussion, the real question was: how does this alien-tech, 1,250-horsepower hypercar perform when navigating the real world of winding roads, public streets, and everyday driving? The answer, as I discovered, is a thrilling blend of future-forward engineering and mind-bending performance that left me in a state of pure awe.
A Glimpse into the Future of Automotive Manufacturing
My journey began at the headquarters of Divergent Technologies, the parent company of Czinger Vehicles. Stepping inside their facility was like walking into a scene from a science fiction film. It’s not every day you need a passport to enter a car factory, but Divergent’s unique relationship with the Department of Defense—supplying high-tech, 3D-printed components to military contractors—demands such precautions. The company’s CEO, Lukas Czinger, personally guided me through the facility, a process that was both enlightening and deeply impressive.
The heart of Divergent’s operation lies in its massive 3D printing machines. Watching these industrial giants in action was a surreal experience. Lasers beam down, fusing powdered aluminum into automotive parts that look more like delicate bird bones than heavy metal. This proprietary technology, known as the “3D printed chassis,” is the foundation of the Czinger 21C.
Czinger explains that their engineering philosophy is driven by the pursuit of “Pareto optimal” designs. This means they aim for the perfect balance between strength and weight, where any further modification—either adding or removing material—would actually degrade the component’s performance. Consider, for instance, the remote reservoir for the rear suspension damper. The software iterates through hundreds of thousands of potential designs to find the one that can withstand the required forces while being the lightest possible. It’s like evolution on fast-forward, but executed in a fraction of the time it would take nature.
This cutting-edge technology isn’t just for Czinger’s in-house projects. Divergent supplies 3D-printed parts to nine major automotive OEMs. While many remain tight-lipped about their collaborations, names like Aston Martin (DBR22 Roadster), Bugatti (Tourbillon), and McLaren (W1) have publicly acknowledged working with Divergent. Some automotive analysts even suspect the Ferrari F80’s control arms might be products of this avant-garde manufacturing process.
Unpacking the 21C: VMax vs. Track Special
Czinger builds two distinct versions of what is essentially the same core vehicle. The first is the standard 21C, a high-downforce track monster optimized for extreme cornering and blistering lap times. The name “21C” is a nod to the 21st century and represents the pinnacle of their engineering.
The second variant is the 21C VMax. This model sheds the aggressive rear wing and features a streamlined, long-tailed design optimized for top-speed performance rather than downforce. For the inaugural Velocity Tour—a 500-mile road rally through California’s prestigious wine country—I had the privilege of piloting a silver VMax. The route was carefully curated to test the car’s versatility, combining winding backroads with public roads and challenging navigation scenarios.
Stepping Inside the Jet Fighter Cabin
Before even turning the key, the experience of getting into the 21C VMax is unique. The cabin feels more like a jet fighter cockpit than a traditional car interior. Czinger specifically emphasizes this similarity, and I can attest to it. Having had the opportunity to ride shotgun in an Extra 330LT stunt plane, I immediately recognized the parallels. The glass is less than a foot away from both sides of your head, offering an incredibly immersive and expansive view of your surroundings.
However, this exceptional visibility comes at the cost of easy ingress and egress. Getting in is a multi-step process: you must position yourself with your legs extending outward over the massive carbon-fiber sill, pull your knees up to your chest, pivot on your rear end, and then slide your head under the low roofline before tucking your feet into the compact footwell. It’s a complex maneuver that requires practice and a good deal of flexibility, but the reward is a sense of being enveloped by the car.
The Power Behind the Performance
One of the reasons the sills are so substantial is that they house the batteries for the hybrid powertrain. The 21C VMax is a plug-in hybrid, with each sill containing 2.2 kWh of battery capacity, totaling 4.4 kWh. The car is powered by a mid-mounted, Czinger-designed 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine. On California’s standard 91-octane premium fuel, this engine produces a staggering 750 horsepower. If you choose to fill the tank with 100-octane race fuel, the output jumps to 850 horsepower. Czinger is also developing ethanol-powered variants that are expected to deliver even higher output, though those figures have not yet been released.
Power from the V-8 is sent to the rear wheels through an Xtrac seven-speed automated sequential gearbox. While many automatics use hydraulic actuators, the Czinger 21C employs small 48-volt electric motors to execute shifts. This innovation allows for smoother, faster transitions, particularly at low speeds where automated gearboxes often exhibit a lurching or “drunken” feel. I’m pleased to report that the actuators worked flawlessly, making low-speed maneuvers like navigating through gas stations, restaurants, and hotel parking lots feel almost normal. This is a significant engineering achievement that sets the 21C apart from many of its competitors.
Track Time: The Adrenaline Rush
As is customary with many high-end hypercars, the Czinger team assigned professional driver Evan Jacobs to ride with me during the initial stages of the rally. This was a sensible precaution given the value and performance potential of the $2.5 million vehicle. Thankfully, Jacobs later assured the Czinger team that I was a safe pair of hands, and I was cleared to drive the car solo for the remainder of the tour.
We made a stop at Laguna Seca for some parade laps. However, non-employees are not permitted to drive the VMax on the track, even at the reduced pace allowed during a rally. Regardless, I seized the opportunity to experience the car from the backseat—a truly bizarre and novel position, even for someone like me who has experienced a wide range of automotive experiences.
The Bizarre Rear Seat
The rear seat of the Czinger 21C is a unique proposition. If you have large calves or wide feet, the experience can be challenging. My size XXL calves were squeezed uncomfortably between the carbon-fiber tub and the seat, and my feet barely fit into the allocated space. However, the visibility from the rear is incredible. It truly feels like sitting in a stunt plane, offering a completely different perspective of the track that I hadn’t experienced in more than a thousand track laps.
During my ride, Jacobs and I managed to convince the Skip Barber Racing School staff to let him take the VMax for a couple of hot laps at around 6/10ths of its potential. The most impressive lap I’ve ever witnessed was riding shotgun in an Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH race car, where I could feel blood pooling in my extremities under hard braking. The Czinger 21C VMax now holds the second spot on my list of most thrilling rides, and remember, Jacobs wasn’t even pushing the car to its limit.
Even at less than full throttle and without the massive rear wing, it was easy to understand how the Czinger 21C has achieved its legendary status. The brand claims the 21C has set five production car track records—at Thunder Hill, Sonoma Raceway, Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, and the Thermal Club—in just five days. They even returned to Laguna Seca to reclaim the throne from the track-special Koenigsegg Jesko Sadair’s Spear. The lap time achieved was a staggering 1 minute and 22.30 seconds, which is faster than the fastest MotoAmerica Superbike lap ever recorded at Laguna.
Lightweight Champions
Czinger claims a vehicle weight of approximately 3,600 pounds, which is incredibly light for a 1,250-horsepower hybrid. To put that in perspective, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale Asseto Fiorano—the highest-performance version of a three-motor, twin-turbo V-8 plug-in hybrid with only 986 horsepower—weighs 3,839 pounds. The new Lamborghini Temerario, another three-motor, twin-turbo V-8 (with less power but the same performance philosophy), pushes past the two-ton mark at 4,185 pounds.
Both the Ferrari SF90 and the Lamborghini Temerario are the quickest gasoline-powered cars MotorTrend has ever tested. The SF90 leads in 0–60 mph acceleration