''I always wanted to race, and the easiest and cheapest way to start racing in Croatia was to buy an old car with rear-wheel drive and a bunch of spare tires to just use until they blew up drifting,” 33-year-old Mate Rimac tells me over an early morning Zoom. “So as soon as I turned 18 I bought an old BMW 3-Series”–whose engine exploded soon after, eventually leading him to convert the car to electric power. Sitting in his offices just outside Zagreb, the bearded entrepreneur and EV visionary behind Rimac Automobili is recounting the beginning of a journey that has now led him to not only build his own hypercars but co-create a new company called Rimac Bugatti—joining forces with the most prestigious luxury marque in the world—with Rimac Group holding a 55% stake in the new venture.
That 3-Series—a 1984 E30—is where it all began. “I thought, I’ll make an electric one and maybe there is a business I can build out of it,” Rimac recalls. “It’s not like I did market research or analysis, and an Excel spreadsheet spit out that it makes sense to make electric cars; I did it out of passion. But I wanted to make something big, not just a hobby project.” Sourcing an electric fork-lift motor and some batteries, Mate quickly realized buying and modifying a battery management system would not suffice: he would have to design his own. It took only a year to get the initial electric BMW running, but that early iteration required numerous updates and engineering experimentations to perfect—a Herculean endeavor that would bear fruit when his revolutionary homemade EV would go on to notch five FIA and Guinness World Speed Records.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November - December 2021-Ausgabe von Maxim.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November - December 2021-Ausgabe von Maxim.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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WATER WORLD
The New York Yacht Club team, American Magic, will make another run at the America's Cup in Barcelona through October
THE 2024 MAXIM HOT 100
What does it mean to be hot? Maxim's eagerly anticipated Hot 100 portfolio asks just that, charting the individuals who are blazing a trail in entertainment, fashion, sports and pop culture. Not only are these world-class stars soaring high, breaking ground, smashing records and inspiring future generations with their inimitable talent and determination, they're doing it all while emitting a sizzling, sparkling energy that leaves us in awe. Read on with caution: These names are on fire right now!
Class Act
If you're looking for Elizabeth Hurley, check the garden. A longtime staple of screens, glossy magazine spreads and red carpetsparticularly since one unforgettable gown sent her profile stratospheric in 1994-one might be surprised to learn that she has quite the green thumb
Unexpected BEAUTY
A new exhibition and book show why Danish-born photographer Mare Hom is destined for greatness
TURKISH DELIGHT
Türkiye's remote D Maris Bay resort offers a verdant oasis of pristine beaches, opulent amenities and a variety of world-class culinary outposts
The CHOSEN ONE
Catching up with Ferrari's star driver Charles Leclerc at the Montreal Grand Prix
MONDO DINO
Enzo Ferrari's exquisite homage to his late son Alfredo, the Dino sports car, now enjoys the status of being an all-time classic
Sweet Caroline
As a teenager, Caroline Silta dreamed of becoming a supermodel. With sheer determination, she now walks the runway, graces magazine covers and headlines billboards in Times Square
MANN on the STREET
Exactly one member of the 2023-24 NBA rookie class had built a legacy long before entering the league: Skechers. Last fall, the Los Angeles-based footwear giant launched its inaugural line of technical basketball shoes: the SKX Resagrip and SKX Float.
SPORTS STAR
A conversation with Meg Stewart, Division 1 soccer player-turned-sports and talent agency president