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The Madness of the Czinger 21C VMax: A Hypercar for the Next Century The Southern California startup known as Czinger has carved out a unique space in the automotive world. They are not just another car company; they represent a radical departure from traditional manufacturing. With their groundbreaking application of 3D printing and advanced artificial intelligence, Czinger produces some of the most breathtakingly engineered vehicles on the planet. Their latest offering, the 21C VMax, pushes the boundaries of what we thought was possible in a road-legal car, blending cutting-edge technology with heart-stopping performance. This vehicle isn’t just about speed; it’s about rethinking the very definition of a hypercar. The Foundation of Innovation: Divergent Technologies To truly understand the Czinger 21C VMax, one must first look at the company behind it: Divergent Technologies. This parent company is the powerhouse of innovation, leveraging advanced additive manufacturing (3D printing) to revolutionize component design and production. Unlike traditional automotive manufacturers that rely on heavy steel castings or machined components, Divergent utilizes AI to design parts that are optimized for strength and minimal weight. Imagine the evolutionary process on fast-forward, where software iterates through hundreds of thousands of designs to find the perfect form, light as a feather but strong as bedrock. Divergent’s expertise is not limited to the automotive industry. Their advanced technology is trusted by the Department of Defense, suggesting that the level of precision and durability involved in their manufacturing process is second to none. While we may not be allowed to see everything (military hardware was kept under wraps during my visit), the experience of touring the factory was surreal. Peeking inside a massive 3D printer felt like witnessing the future firsthand. Lasers zapped powdered aluminum into automotive parts that looked like intricate bird bones, a testament to the company’s dedication to pushing the envelope of what’s possible. Lukas Czinger, the young CEO of both Divergent and Czinger Vehicles, explains that their technology reaches “Pareto optimal,” the point after which a single gram either added or subtracted becomes a negative. This focus on efficiency is why the Czinger 21C is so incredibly light. Outside the defense sector, Divergent supplies 3D-printed parts to nine other automotive OEMs. While Aston Martin, Bugatti, and McLaren are the only ones who publicly admit to this partnership, we can’t help but suspect that some of the most iconic vehicles on the road might have been enhanced by their technology. The Evolution of the 21C: The VMax Experience Czinger builds two versions of what is essentially the same car. The first, the 21C (named for the 21st century), is a high-downforce, track-focused monster. The second, the VMax, is a wingless, long-tailed version designed for road use. Technically, the road-legal car is called the 21C VMax, but the 21C designation is rarely seen on the car itself. For the inaugural Velocity Tour, a 500-mile road rally through Central and Northern California’s stunning wine country, I was fortunate enough to pilot a silver VMax. The experience of getting into the Czinger VMax is unique, to say the least. The cabin feels more like a fighter jet canopy than a traditional car interior, with glass surrounding you on both sides. The visibility is exceptional, reminding me of the time I was in an Extra 330LT stunt plane. However, the process of entering and exiting the car is quite unconventional. You have to sit with your legs facing out on the massive sill, pull your knees up to your chest, and then tuck your feet into the footwell while sliding your head under the roof. It’s a commitment, but once you’re inside, the view is worth the effort. Under the Hood: The Heart of the Beast One reason the sills are so substantial is that they are packed with batteries. The 21C VMax is a hybrid hypercar, with each sill containing 2.2 kWh of battery power, totaling 4.4 kWh. The car is not a plug-in hybrid; instead, a motor powered by the mid-mounted V-8 engine keeps the pack charged. These batteries can deliver 500 horsepower to the front axle, which features one motor per wheel. The engine is a Czinger-designed 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8, good for 750 hp on California’s 91-octane premium unleaded fuel. Pour in some 100-octane race fuel, and the horsepower jumps to 850. The small but mighty engine can also run on ethanol, producing even more power, though Czinger hasn’t released the exact figures. We predict a jump of about 10 percent. The gas engine powers the rear wheels via an Xtrac single-clutch automated semi-sequential gearbox. This is similar to the Xtrac seven-speed unit used in the Pagani Utopia, but Czinger has not only 3D-printed the gearbox casing but also uses small 48-volt electric motors to execute shifts at lower speeds. This eliminates the jarring, surging feeling that plagues most automated single-clutch gearboxes at low revs. The twin-barrel actuators work as advertised, making low-speed maneuvers in gas stations, restaurants, and parking lots feel almost normal. Bravo, Czinger. The Driver in the Back For the inaugural Velocity Tour, I was fortunate to have a pro driver, Evan Jacobs, in the passenger seat for the first day. As is common with high-end hypercars, Czinger wanted to ensure the car didn’t end up in a ditch. Thankfully, after a long day of driving, Jacobs assured the team I was no threat to the car and was allowed to drive solo for the remainder of the rally. We stopped by Laguna Seca for some parade laps, but as a non-Czinger employee, I was not permitted to drive the VMax on the track, even at the brutal pace the rally participants were restricted to. As I’ve learned the hard way, even if you can’t drive, always go for the ride. I climbed into the bizarre rear seat and was immediately struck by the similarity to a jet fighter. However, if you have big calves or feet, the rear-seat experience isn’t ideal. My XXL calves were squeezed between the carbon-fiber tub and the seat, and my feet didn’t fit well either. Yet, the visibility through the side windows was incredible, making it a unique way to experience a track—something I’ve done thousands of times. Jacobs and I managed to convince the Skip Barber Racing School staff to let him take the VMax for a couple of “6/10ths” hot laps. The most impressive hot lap I’ve ever experienced was riding shotgun in an Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH race car, where I could feel the blood pooling in my extremities under braking. The Czinger VMax is now second on that list. Even at less than the limit and without the rear wing, it was easy to understand how a Czinger 21C set 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 Koenigsegg Jesko Sadair’s Spear. The lap time of a ridiculous 1 minute 22.30 seconds is even faster than the fastest MotoAmerica Superbike lap ever recorded at Laguna. Czinger claims a vehicle weight of around 3,600 pounds, which is incredibly light for a 1,250-horsepower hybrid. For context, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale Asseto Fiorano—the highest-performance version of a three-motor twin-turbo V-8 PHEV with 986 hp—weighs 3,839 pounds. The new Lamborghini Temerario, another three-motor, twin-turbo V-8 (with less power, but for comparison), weighs over two tons at 4,185 pounds. At this point, it’s worth mentioning that the SF90 and Temerario are the quickest gasoline-powered cars we’ve ever tested (the Ferrari for 0–60 mph and the Lambo for the quarter mile). If Czinger’s weight claim holds up, they’ve managed to beat two Italian legends with their first production car. That’s remarkable on its own, especially considering that while Southern California is known for many things, there isn’t a huge pool of supercar-building expertise to draw from. In other words, L.A. is not exactly Modena. On the Road: Navigating the Unexpected The route chosen for the rally consisted mostly of real back roads. Tight, winding, and often weathered pavement—not exactly the kind of roads hypercar dream trips are made of. Plus, there was a lot of following the pack, navigating to lunch and coffee stops, and hanging with the camera car. At the time, I was perhaps a bit disappointed, but in retrospect, I gained something akin to what most owners will experience while living with a Czinger. To my surprise, the VMax was mostly like any other hyper-exotic. Take everything out of your pockets as the seats are tight, drink your water before you get in as there are no cupholders, and numb yourself to the fact that almost everyone else on the road—especially males between 16 and 24—will be looking