Y&R Full 3-11-2026 || The Young And The Restless Full Episode WEDNESDAY, March 11.2026

The Czinger 21C VMax: A Hybrid Hypercar That Bends Reality Since its introduction, the Czinger 21C VMax has been more than just a hypercar; it represents the future of automotive manufacturing and the ultimate expression of automotive madness. This hypercar is a testament to radical design and cutting-edge technology, making it one of the most anticipated vehicles in the history of the automotive industry. The story begins with the Czinger family, founders of Divergent Technologies, who have been a subject of intrigue for years. In October 2022, Kevin and Lukas Czinger joined MotorTrend’s InEVitable podcast to discuss the innovative company that uses iterative artificial intelligence and massive 3D printers to design and produce incredibly lightweight yet strong mechanical components. The Birth of a Hybrid Titan Divergent Technologies’ ability to push the boundaries of engineering is evident in its military contracts. In fact, the company supplies parts to the Department of Defense, a claim that adds to its mystique. During a tour of the facility, Lukas Czinger, the young CEO of both companies, provided a glimpse into the future of automotive production. A peek inside one of the massive 3D printers revealed what looked like bird bones being zapped into existence by more than a dozen lasers, turning powdered aluminum into automotive parts. Lukas explained that Divergent’s technology reaches the “Pareto optimal,” the point where any gram, whether added or subtracted, becomes negative. For example, an engineer might call for a part that holds the remote reservoir for the car’s rear suspension damper. Using the target, the software iterates hundreds of thousands of designs to find the strongest, lightest shape. It’s like evolutionary processes on fast-forward. In addition to the DOD, nine automotive OEMs utilize Divergent as a supplier of 3D-printed parts. Aston Martin, Bugatti, and McLaren have publicly confirmed their use of the technology, while the Ferrari F80’s control arms are strongly suspected of being 3D-printed. The Czinger 21C VMax: A Different Species of Hypercar Czinger produces two versions of what is essentially the same car: the high-downforce, track-focused 21C and the wingless, long-tailed VMax. Technically, the latter is called the 21C VMax, but the “21C” branding is absent from the car. For the inaugural Velocity Tour, a 500-mile road rally through Central and Northern California’s wine country, I found myself driving a silver VMax. The cabin feels more like a canopy than a traditional automotive greenhouse, and Czinger claims it is akin to being inside a fighter jet. Having experienced a ride inside an Extra 330LT stunt plane, there is indeed a similarity. There is glass less than a foot away from both sides of your head, and the visibility is as excellent as the process of getting in and out of the car is ridiculous: sit with your legs facing out on the massive sill, pull your knees up and spin on your butt as you tuck your feet into the footwell, then slide your head under the roof. One reason the sills are so large is because they are stuffed with batteries. The 21C VMax is a hybrid hypercar, with each sill containing 2.2-kWh of battery power for a total of 4.4-kWh. The car is not a plug-in hybrid, so a motor powered by the mid-mounted V8 engine keeps the pack charged. These batteries can deliver 500 horsepower to the front axle, which has one motor per wheel. The combustion engine is a Czinger-designed 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 that produces 750 hp on California’s 91-octane premium unleaded. Dumping 100-octane race fuel into the tank increases the horsepower to 850. The small but mighty engine can also run on ethanol and produce even more power, but Czinger has not released those figures. We predict a 10 percent jump. The gas engine powers the rear wheels through an Xtrac single-clutch automated semi-sequential gearbox. This is similar to the Xtrac seven-speed gearbox found in the Pagani Utopia. However, Czinger not only 3D-prints the transmission case but also utilizes small 48-volt electric motors to execute shifts more quickly at lower speeds. This eliminates the drunken surging that all other automated single-clutch gearboxes exhibit at low speeds. The twin-barrel actuators work as advertised in low-speed situations, which was a relief. Pulling into gas stations, restaurants, and hotel parking lots felt almost normal. Pushing the Limits: Track Performance and the California Gold Rush Czinger claims a vehicle weight of approximately 3,600 pounds, which is surprisingly light for a 1,250-hp hybrid vehicle. To provide context, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale Assetto Fiorano, the highest-performance version of a three-motor twin-turbo V8 PHEV that only makes 986 hp, weighs 3,839 pounds. The new Lamborghini Temerario is another three-motor, twin-turbo V8 that weighs 4,185 pounds. The SF90 and Temerario are the two quickest-accelerating gasoline-powered cars MotorTrend has ever tested, but Czinger has managed to beat two Italian legends with the VMax. Considering that Southern California is known for many things but lacks a long history of supercar manufacturing, this is a remarkable feat in itself. L.A. is not exactly Modena. During the inaugural Velocity Tour, I had a passenger for the first day, as is common practice with high-dollar hypercars (Bugatti and Pagani). Pro driver Evan Jacobs was in the car to ensure I didn’t drive the $2,500,000 vehicle off a cliff. However, later that night, Jacobs assured the Czinger team I was no threat to the car and allowed me to drive solo for the rest 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 extremely slow pace the rally participants were limited to. Despite my inability to drive, I accepted the offer to ride along as a passenger. The first thing to note is that if you have big calves or feet, the back-seat experience isn’t great. My XXL calves were literally wedged between the carbon-fiber tub and the carbon-fiber 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 was a novel way to experience riding around a track. This experience was especially memorable when Jacobs and I convinced the Skip Barber Racing School staff (whose track day we crashed) 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, during which I could feel the blood pooling in my extremities under braking. The Czinger VMax is now second, and remember, Jacobs didn’t go full tilt. Even without the big-downforce rear wing, it was easy to understand how the Czinger 21C achieved what the brand calls the California Gold Rush. This meant it set five production car track records—at Thunder Hill, Sonoma Raceway, Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, and the Thermal Club—in five days, driving from one track to the next. Later, Czinger returned to Laguna Seca to not only beat its own record but to reclaim the throne from a track-special Koenigsegg Jesko Sadair’s Spear. That lap time, a ridiculous 1 minute, 22.30 seconds, is quicker than the fastest MotoAmerica Superbike lap ever recorded at Laguna, a 1:22.56. On the Road: A Hybrid Hypercar Built for the Real World The route chosen for the rally consisted mostly of true back roads, with tight, winding, and weather-beaten pavement—not the type of asphalt 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. While I might have been disappointed at the time, in retrospect, what I gained from the experience is akin to what most owners will experience while living with a Czinger. To my surprise, the VMax was mostly like driving 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 brace yourself for the fact that almost everyone else on the road, especially males between the ages of 16 and 24, will be looking at you, following you, waving at you, and revving at you, all while (probably) screaming friendly obscenities. Regardless, the Czinger rides much better than I expected; the team deserves applause for not making it overly stiff. Even the air conditioning works well. If I have any complaint about the “just driving around doing normal stuff” aspect of the VMax, it’s the cabin’s noise level. I’m not talking about the sound of the unique V8, but rather the lack of sound deadening. While that’s great on a dedicated track car like the other version of the 21C, it’s an oversight on a road car like the VMax. It becomes especially apparent when you’re inside