The gifted designer behind vehicles such because the Bugatti Chiron and Koenigsegg Gemera has revealed his personal hypercar, the Nilu.
The person in query is Sasha Selipanov, who lately began the design consultancy Hardline27 based mostly in Los Angeles, in addition to his personal hypercar model Nilu27, which he co-founded together with his spouse Inna. The Nilu is simply the primary mannequin from the model.
Selipanov spent a lot of his profession on the Volkswagen Group, the place he was liable for a number of designs, together with not solely the Bugatti Chiron but additionally the Lamborghini Huracán. He then headed to Genesis, briefly, the place he was concerned in designs for the Essentia and Mint ideas. He then turned head of design at Koenigsegg, the place he helped pen the Gemera and CC850 hypercars. Now it is his personal hypercars he is designing.
The Nilu is uncooked, V-12-powered monitor automotive (a highway automotive can also be deliberate) that goals to ship an unfiltered driving expertise by skipping trendy conveniences, whereas making use of the Bauhaus philosophy of type following perform for its design. The consequence resembles a basic Le Mans endurance racer designed for the trendy period.
Nilu hypercar
Beneath the flowing physique panels is a bespoke carbon-fiber monocoque passenger cell with aluminum-alloy tubular subframes entrance and rear. Selipanov mentioned he selected to skip composite subframes in favor of the extra skeletal tubular setup to enhance entry to key parts of the powertrain, in addition to to help cooling.
The powertrain is a 6.5-liter V-12 developed by gifted New Zealand engine builder Hartley Engines, and paired with a 7-speed guide transmission. Remaining specs might be introduced at a later date, however the powertrain is focused to ship greater than 1,000 hp and will sound like an old-school Formulation 1 engine. Selipano mentioned he desires the Nilu to be the world’s strongest naturally aspirated automotive devoid of electrification.
Due to the engine’s so-called Scorching-V design, the place the exhaust system sits on prime between the cylinder banks, the engine isn’t solely comparatively compact, it additionally options 12-into-1 exhaust headers that Selipanov has chosen to go away totally uncovered within the Nilu. He calls the characteristic the Snake Pit.
Entry to the cabin is by way of gullwing doorways, and inside sits two low-mounted sports activities seats and an H-pattern shifter with an uncovered mechanism. There are not any digital screens in sight, aside from the digital rearview mirror. Elsewhere, the Nilu options conventional dials and billet-machined controls. Even the steering wheel is totally devoid of any controls, making certain no distraction for the motive force from the duty of driving.
Nilu hypercar
Nilu hypercar
Nilu hypercar
The Nilu might be proven privately to potential patrons at an occasion in Los Angeles on Thursday earlier than a proper debut throughout subsequent week’s 2024 Monterey Automobile Week. Nilu27 has confirmed automotive might be proven on Aug. 15 on the ramp at Pebble Seashore earlier than hitting the idea garden on Aug. 18 on the Pebble Seashore Concours d’Magnificence.
Nilu27 plans to construct simply 15 examples, a minimum of initially. The primary vehicles might be constructed by California’s Aria Group, which offered its personal hypercar design in 2017. Nilu27 ultimately plans to determine its personal manufacturing facility at an undisclosed location abroad.
A future road-going model can also be within the works, to be restricted to 54 items. 4 of these vehicles can have distinctive designs that the corporate mentioned will additional evolve the design language.
Pricing hasn’t been introduced for any of the hypercars.
