By: Double Apex
Have you ever heard of an automaker called Rodin? No, neither had we. As it turns out the company is busy creating the most extreme hypercar ever, called the Rodin FZero. The company announced that the radical model will go into production soon.
Click here to read about a similar offering from Aston Martin, called the Valkyrie and you can learn more about the F1-powered Mercedes-AMG Project One at this link.
“The Rodin FZero is the physical representation of the ultimate heights in vehicle performance. Without the restrictions of building to a set of rules, we are able to make the car lighter, more powerful, and produce significantly more downforce,” said David Dicker, founder of Rodin Cars.
“The only real restrictions we face are the laws of physics, and we have even pushed those to the absolute limit. We look forward to bringing the most intense driving experience conceivable to tracks around the world.”
FZero was first revealed to the world last year. Now, the New Zealand-designed-and-manufactured hypercar has entered the test and development phase.
The closed-cockpit FZero hypercar promises outrageous levels of performance. It will challenge established track-only hypercars from Aston Martin, Gordon Murray Automotive and Mercedes-AMG. The primary focus of the FZero is to deliver a driving experience like no other.
V10 Power, featherweight
The Rodin FZero will powered by a compact 4.0-litre V10. This engine, known as the RC.TEN, is said to weigh 132kg. It is reportedly the lightest and most compact V10 ever built. The engine will be capable of revving to 10,000rpm. The ICE is aided by twin turbochargers for a peak of 755kW. Rodin says the FZero will have a top speed of 360km/h.
Rodin says the car will weigh an incredible 698kg. The extensive use of carbon-fibre helps to keep the mass down. There is also a titanium gearbox casing, carbon ceramic brake discs with titanium calipers, and magnesium rims to lower its mass.
Rodin says the car will produce 4,000 kg of downforce. This will essentially allow the FZero to corner at extremely high speeds. Interestingly, there are no active aerodynamic devices at play. Drivers have a full suite of electronic aids at hand should they require.
As you can see from the pics, the Rodin FZero is an outlandish looking creation, like a runaway from a science-fiction racing movie. The appearance lies somewhere between single-seat racecar and fighter jet. Incidentally, there is just a single seat, so the only way to experience this car will be from behind the wheel.
You can see and listen to the FZero in action below as the car took its first laps around the company’s test track.
* This article originally appeared on Double Apex and is used with their permission.