Technically Peaking

WHILE HYPERCARS ARE RIMAC’S HEADLINE ACT, IT'S THE TECH SMARTS OF THIS CROATIAN EV OUTLIER THAT HAVE ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION – AND MONEY – OF SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST-KNOWN CAR COMPANIES

- Toby Hagon

WHY IS PORSCHE pouring millions of dollars into a relatively unknown car maker in Croatia? It’s a question that recently drew us to the industrial outskirts of Zagreb, the capital of a nation best known for spotty dogs, medieval HBO blockbusters and stunning coastlines. It’s the home of Rimac, a company born from an old E30 BMW that failed to proceed and an admiration of Tesla (the man, not the company) with a generous smattering of YouTube viral magic to bubble things along.

Days before the 2019 Frankfurt motorshow, Porsche confirmed it had lifted its stake in Rimac to 15.5 percent, deputy chairman of the executive board Lutz Meschke cryptically saying: “We quickly realised that Porsche and Rimac can learn a lot from each other.”

The unassuming factory on the outskirts of Croatia’s capital almost goes unnoticed by Google. Nondescript warehouses are surrounded by the occasional plot of unkempt grass and weeds. But follow the signs around the back of an industrial estate and professionalism sneaks in, with R-badged flags waving in a gentle breeze. A deep blue hue surrounding the top of the blocky building contrasts the dull sky and glass panels peppered with pictures of cars, the only clue to something special within.

The car park is devoid of any such exotica. There’s a Euro-grey sea of Opels, Volkswagens, the occasional Mercedes-Benz; a couple of Teslas with charging cables snaking from them. Not a single Rimac, which must make it the only car factory where at least some of the machines conceived within aren’t dotting the car park.