NILU hypercar revives the style of muscle drift vehicles and F1 racers at monterey car week

Nilu27 unveils NILU hypercar at monterey car week 2024

The V12-powered NILU hypercar has been revealed to the public for the first time at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week 2024, which runs between August 9th and 18th. It is shown on August 15th on the ramp at Pebble Beach in Monterey, California, and again at the concept lawn of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 18th. Founded under Nilu27, the company spearheaded by Sasha and Inna Selipanov, the hypercar brings back the old-school American muscle drift cars as well as the designs of the F1 and Le Mans racers from the 1960s.

Traditional car elements become the well of inspiration for the founders. They also draw from classic Italian design houses and the Bauhaus ‘form follows function’ philosophy, as well as metal music during the process of making the NILU hypercar. Electric vehicles have no space within the NILU hypercar. It may have new forms of technologies, such as a carbon fiber monocoque with lightweight aluminum-alloy tubular subframes, but the overall design focuses more on bringing back manual buttons and a tactile feel to driving.

all images courtesy of Nilu27 LCC

Manual switches and buttons with haptic feedback

The steering wheel inside has no switches, buttons, or toggles. There are no driving modes, settings, or options. What’s in there is a seven-speed manual transmission, a pedal box, and door mirrors alongside analog controls, inputs, and feedback. The haptic feedback controls are machined from solid metal, so they’re cold to the touch. They vibrate as well when touched, so the driver knows they’re activated.

What may be considered non-traditional in the NILU hypercar is the use of the rear-view camera. It’s integrated into the rear-view mirror and displays what’s behind the car on a screen. In today’s driving, this setup can help drivers have a clear view of the area behind them to make it safer and easier for them to drive, reverse, or change lanes. Nilu27’s Sasha and Inna Selipanov work with Hartley Engines from New Zealand for their hypercar’s 6.5-liter V12 engine, or a component formed by 12 cylinders arranged in a V shape.

the V12-powered NILU hypercar has been revealed at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week 2024

Nilu27’s NILU hypercar has a V12 engine

The engine doesn’t use turbochargers or superchargers and relies on its own design and size to produce its 1,000 horsepower. The V12 engine is also designed to spin or rev quickly, comparable to an electric motor, so it can respond to the driver’s input as fast as possible. There’s a vibration or hum that it gives off, so the driver can feel the NILU hypercar’s hum as it speeds away.

Visitors to Monterey Car Week can also see the vehicle’s exhaust pipes, made using 3D printing. They’re printed from a metal called Inconel, which is known for being heat resistant. It’s not a coincidence that Nilu27 debuts its NILU Hypercar during Monterey Car Week at Pebble Beach since its first prototypes, along with the first models for the customers, are set to be manufactured by Aria Group, which is located in Irvine, California.

the vehicle has a carbon fiber monocoque with lightweight aluminum-alloy tubular subframes

The collaboration with Aria Group can allow Nilu27 to get started with production while they build their own facilities elsewhere. As of publishing the story, the design team is working on a version of the car that can be legally driven on public roads. There may be only 54 hypercars in this version, and four of those are up for custom designs. The NILU hypercar is set to be revealed on August 15th at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week 2024.

It is expected to drive through the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 18th, too. In November 2024, the hypercar is slated to show up in the mobile racing game, CSR Racing 2. Here, players can experience the car’s performance and design in the game. Although some companies are moving, or have moved, towards electric vehicles, Nilu27 believes their NILU hypercar’s classic design can keep it desirable for car enthusiasts.

gullwing doors for the NILU hypercar