Take, for instance, the fate of two recent unveils in this ultra rarified space – the Rimac Nevera EV and the Bugatti Tourbillon.
To be fair, both are ultimate expressions of the automobile. The one powered purely by batteries and four electric motors produces 1,888 horsepower and retails for $2 million dollars. The one sporting a retro horseshoe grille, however, has a brand new 8.3-litre V16 under the hood that produces 986 horsepower. But, to compete with the likes of the new-age Nevera, it also has three electric motors and a battery pack that take the total output of its hybrid powertrain up to an EV-rivalling 1,775 horsepower. The Bugatti, however, will set you back an eyewatering $4.6 million.
The telling figure in this comparison, though, is this – of the 150 Neveras that Rimac planned to build, they’ve sold only 50, whereas all 250 Tourbillons that Bugatti aims to produce are already spoken for.
Matte Rimac, the Croatian innovator and entrepreneur – who ironically is the man behind both hyper-cars – feels that the issue lies in the fact that electric was cool when the Nevera was conceived about 7 years ago, but, with the mainstreaming of EVs, that cache has since disappeared. At least in the uber exclusive supercar space! Meanwhile, even though Bugatti had to concede to modernity in the form of three electric motors, the naturally aspirated V16 is very clearly the heart of the machine.
The other defining feature of the Bugatti comes from its name – Tourbillon – which celebrates the ultimate expression of mechanical watchmaking and craftsmanship. The clockfaces in the Tourbillon are literal works of art that truly live up to this name. After all, a Swiss watchmaker builds the actual gauges. And even the perspex that usually encases a traditional gauge cluster is replaced with sapphire crystal in this instance.
It's interesting to note that it’s the Tourbillon that’s flying the flag for all things analogue, since this is also a time when mechanical watchmaking is once again enjoying its moment in the sun – having long seen off the threat from quartz watches and even the more recent challenge from smart watches. Even in the world of haute horology, the Tourbillon doesn’t serve any real practical purpose – it did at the time of pocket watches – and yet it’s one of the most revered of watch complications. It’s exceedingly difficult to create, it is perhaps a fraction more accurate, but it is certainly more beautiful – and that’s the point. It’s not always about what has the most utility nor what’s most practical, but it’s about what has the most allure, the most romance, and what appeals to the heart as much as the head.
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Coming back to the ICE vs EV battle, this in no way takes away from the fact that electric propulsion actually works far better for in-city travel. It’s cleaner, quieter, and cheaper to run. But what it isn’t is soulful or fun – despite the insane instant speed. In fact, that’s it’s only party trick. What it’s lacking is personality.
As Samuel L. Jackson’s character says in the film Pulp Fiction, “personality goes a long way…”
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