Yahoo Autos Red Bull's V-10-Powered RB17 Hypercar Revealed in All Its 15,000-RPM Glory
They say it's inspired by a Formula 1 car, but the newly revealed Red Bull RB17 hypercar looks more like a wild wave of carbon fiber. After teasing the two-seater for three years, Red Bull's first go at hypercar production is finally here — with the requisite outlandish power figures, spec and engineering details you'd expect from the crew who've dominated F1 in recent years.
For starters, the basis of the RB17 is a carbon fiber monocoque chassis with a semi-stressed, mid-mounted, naturally aspirated, Cosworth-developed V-10 engine that makes more than 1,200 horsepower and red lines at an insane 15,000 rpm. All that power is sent to the rear wheels through an electric motor-augmented carbon fiber transmission, helping keep the RB17's weight under 2,000 pounds. Notably, the 197-hp electric motor functions as both starter and reverse gear for the RB17. With a top speed of 217 mph, the RB17 will be in good company with the likes of Koenigsegg and Aston Martin in the 200+mph hypercar club.
With Adrian Newey name spiritually etched into the chassis of the RB17, it's hard not to draw performance parallels between the Red Bull hypercar and Aston Martin's Valkyrie. However, the RB17 will be a track-exclusive model, owing its birth to the hands of over 120 engineers at Red Bull Advanced Technologies and with a clear influence from the brand's F1 endeavors. In that vein, the RB17 features active aerodynamics and a suspension system akin to the one Newey has pioneered in F1.
Naturally, Red Bull is keeping the RB17 an exclusive experience, capping production at 50 units over two years. Designed and manufactured by Red Bull Advanced Technologies with names like Oracle Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO Christian Horner, group chief technical officer Adrian Newey, and Red Bull Advanced Technologies technical director Rob Gray, the process of purchasing an RB17 will be a journey, Red Bull says. Included in this buyer's journey is a range of track events with driver development lessons and individual tailoring of the car to suit every owner's unique needs.
"Each RB17 will be bespoke, with customers able to specify everything from the exterior paint color to interior materials, and a whole host of smaller details," Red Bull's release reads.
With racing in its blood, the RB17 is fit for a proper racing series, Horner explained to Autocar, but he isn't sure which series the two-seat model would fit into. Even so, with the Aston Martin Valkyrie set to run in Le Mans next year, Horner teased the idea of the RB17 stepping up to the plate. Regardless of where it hits the track, Horner said that the last of FIA regulations made the development process a particularly creative one.
"There's no FIA constraints and no cost cap, so you can see influences from all these cars over the years. It has an insane amount of performance that even Max Verstappen would struggle to extract," he said to Autocar.
Exact pricing for the RB17 has yet to be revealed, and Red Bull is reportedly being selective about who can make a deposit for the limited-edition hypercar. From Newey's perspective, it only makes sense that the RB17 is exclusive, seeing as he views it as a piece of art. And while it will be unapproachably expensive for 99.99999% of the world, it won't be too hard to drive fast, Newey told Autocar.
"The RB17 Hypercar embraces everything we stand for: undeniable power, speed, and beauty. It is very adaptable in its abilities, and we made sure to design it as a two-seater so that the thrill of driving at F1 speeds can be enjoyed with a friend or partner," Newey said.
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