Getting into the groundbreaking Czinger 21C hypercar requires a quick lesson in contortionism. After opening the long V-shaped door, turn around and sit on the sill logo. Then turn again and slide your legs into the pedal box, push your tailbone into the carbon-backed seat, and bring your head in last. Oh, and don’t forget: your passenger has to get in first, as he sits astride the driver in a 1+1 configuration that most closely resembles a full-fledged fighter jet.
The cockpit is the only way to accurately describe the 21C’s interior, but I got used to the middle seats surprisingly quickly – then again, I regularly drive a right-hand drive Japanese car on the streets of Los Angeles and once spent an entire day hurling a Formula 4 race car around a race track.
But the Czinger is far more exotic than a JDM import and even more radical to drive than this open-wheel race car, as this hybrid pumps out up to 1,250 horsepower from a tiny 2.88-liter twin-turbocharged V8 derived from motorcycle engines to reach a screaming 11,000 rpm redline, then is paired with two front electric motors rated at 268 horsepower each to make it To generate four-wheel drive traction.
I needed every ounce of traction as I fast-tracked my way through the canyons of Malibu, even on roads I, as they say, know like the back of my hand. Fortunately, the 21C offers excellent interior visibility over the dramatic fenders. And despite the crazy AI-designed and 3D printed components visible everywhere, from the instrument surround to the suspension to the textured pedals, the switchgear never seems as complex as that of an aircraft.
Press the stop-start button on the right, select the driving modes on the left and adjust the climate control on the right. Then I spent most of the time driving with the paddle shifters, which, like on a motorcycle, switch into reverse even below the neutral position. I needed a front axle lift fairly regularly, which I could access via a button on the race car’s tiny steering wheel, because this low-drag V-Max car cruises low enough to reach a top speed of 253 mph. And I never went into Track Plus mode to lower the chassis another 30 millimeters, except to pose for photos.
I never got close to that top speed, but my tailbone felt about six inches off the ground the entire time. The suspension is of course focused on performance, but in road mode the dampers still remain compliant enough to absorb bumps and ruts without sending shock through the stiff chassis. Road mode also prioritizes the electric motors and then switches on the combustion engine when the driver presses the accelerator deeply enough or when the electric vehicle’s range from just 4.2 kilowatt hours of lithium-ion batteries becomes too low.
Shift into Sport and the engine runs at a deep, jerky idle the entire time. The throttle modulation felt pretty standard at first, but once I stubbed my right toe a little harder, the 21C combines the immediate pressure of an electric vehicle with the screeching wail of a superbike and rockets down the road almost fast enough to knock the air out of its lungs, with so much power available at any rpm that the ECU orders traction control intervention on almost all but the smoothest roads.
Traction control makes this whole exercise in technological innovation possible simply because there is so much potential in the chassis, which Czinger designed as an early example of the iterative design algorithms pioneered by sister company Divergent. The lightweight and rigid components from the engine mount to the subframes and even the wheel hubs that integrate brake calipers and fluid lines into one solid unit all resemble HR Giger’s haunting stage design designs Foreigner.
I’ve known about this potentially world-changing technology for years and really wonder how a start-up hypercar maker could prioritize driving performance while demonstrating such obviously avant-garde innovations. The brake pedal, to give just one example, took me right back to the F4 car of the time, as the solid fluid routing relies less on hoses that normally swell under pressure – instead, the firmness that greeted my left foot (this car seems capable of two-foot driving) really approached race car levels of responsiveness.
But even when slowing down, the pedal required a lot of muscle effort. And the 21C wants to go at breakneck speeds all the time, it’s only when I get to 50, 60 and 70 mph that I calm down and become happier. As I brake later and later and cut the steering wheel deep into the corners, the incredible spider web effect of the centralized mass, 1+1 layout, 3D printed engineering and all-wheel drive comes into its own, creating an implanted feel that even my most aggressive driving simply couldn’t unsettle.
However, the 21C appreciates gentler inputs, particularly during trail braking, as I learned at the end of my ride. If only, regeneration of the front axle can also help regulate traction. And aside from the heavy steering that requires a lot of effort, I would never guess that this hypercar weighs 3,668 pounds. I noticed a steering wheel shake at low speeds, something I’ve experienced before on some other high-performance electric vehicles. I suspect that the electro-hydraulic steering system actually has to fight the EV motors a bit when crawling – now the 21C’s gigantic 265mm front and 325mm Michelin tires provide a lot more mechanical grip.
These tires sit beneath the exaggerated fenders, further contributing to the aerodynamics of a 252 mph tactical missile. The design alone commands more attention than anything I’ve ever driven – bar none – simply an unusual vision of a future that’s hard to imagine for the average person.
I would take my 21C in the beautiful visible blue carbon fabric and also prefer black leather everywhere on the inside instead of the blue Alcantara of my test car? If only to enhance the appeal and perception of quality to match the high-tech chassis and powertrain of this $2.7 million hypercar.
While most supercar and hypercar manufacturers today aim to leverage modern technology to expand the margin between performance and everyday usability, Czinger has no such fantasies about the 21C because nothing comes close to comparing it. While the ride quality never crosses the line into discomfort, at least in Road and Sport modes, this car simply demands attention in any driving scenario, whether you’re weaving in traffic, cruising on the highway, racing through canyons, or racing around a race track.
For example, I never felt completely natural driving with one hand because I never forgot that I was behind the wheel of a technological masterpiece. Aside from prototype race cars and the best superbikes in the world, this is easily the toughest vehicle I’ve ever driven. The mind simply recoils from imagining the raw G-forces this car could exert on the human body when driven to its limits on a race track where the 21C continually sets production car lap records across America.
However, if you’re flexible enough to get in – and I was in the back seat, where I fit in just fine given my 6’4″ frame – the Czinger is also surprisingly comfortable, although it lacks refinement in some areas, including the hilarious start-up music and an incongruously dated instrument cluster configuration.
However, living with some quirks always comes with cutting-edge technology and should be expected with such an absolutely unique supercar that is truly unlike anything else on the road.
Images: Michael Van Runkle
