Nevera Say Never Again
Maxim|November - December 2021
That 3-Series—a 1984 E30—is where it all began.
By Nicolas Stecher
Nevera Say Never Again

''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.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

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.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS MAXIMAlle anzeigen
150 YEARS of SUPERYACHTS STYLE
Maxim US

150 YEARS of SUPERYACHTS STYLE

Here's why Benetti's expensive-but-worth-it vessels have been favored by the beautiful people, from James Bond to Donald Trump, David Bowie and Jay-Z

time-read
5 Minuten  |
May - June 2024
KING of the PRANCING HORSES
Maxim US

KING of the PRANCING HORSES

The extremely sought-after Ferrari 250 series-including the sales record-setting 250 GTO-are the most valuable cars that money can buy

time-read
5 Minuten  |
May - June 2024
LUST for LIFE
Maxim US

LUST for LIFE

French photographer Philippe Shangti's world of lush, sometimes lurid seenes isn't always what it seems

time-read
3 Minuten  |
May - June 2024
A CENTURY of MOROCCAN STYLE
Maxim US

A CENTURY of MOROCCAN STYLE

The legendary La Mamounia in Marrakech unveils a multimillion-dollar renovation on the occasion of its 100th anniversary

time-read
5 Minuten  |
May - June 2024
SPRITZ & SPREZZATURA
Maxim US

SPRITZ & SPREZZATURA

Everything you need to know about the evolution of the spritz, which has gone beyond bitter into vibrant, refreshing and eclectic

time-read
4 Minuten  |
May - June 2024
APEX PREDATOR
Maxim US

APEX PREDATOR

Driving the new GT 63 supercar across the hills of Spain reveals Mercedes-AMG only made a great supercar better

time-read
4 Minuten  |
May - June 2024
HAPPIEST ANNIVERSARIES
Maxim US

HAPPIEST ANNIVERSARIES

When it comes to fine smokes, \"anniversario\" blends just keep getting better with time

time-read
4 Minuten  |
May - June 2024
THE RAZOR'S EDGE
Maxim US

THE RAZOR'S EDGE

Collectors are taking note of William Henry's nextlevel pocket knives, the ultimate in luxury cutting tools

time-read
3 Minuten  |
May - June 2024
LIGHTS, CAMERA ,ACTION!
Maxim US

LIGHTS, CAMERA ,ACTION!

A conversation with Emmy-winning cinematographer and director Keyan Safyari

time-read
2 Minuten  |
May - June 2024
ROLLIN' THUNDER
Maxim US

ROLLIN' THUNDER

Malaysia's Rollin Machine crafts a world-class tribute to the Royal Enfield Interceptor

time-read
4 Minuten  |
May - June 2024