Electricity or Ethanol: What really powers the world's quickest car?
Rimac Nevera and Dodge Demon 170 both claim the record
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Rimac Nevera took all the marbles this week.
The $2.2 million Croatian electric "hypercar" laid claim to an astonishing 23 production car performance records that it set in one day.
But at least one of them is up for debate.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 1,914 horsepower Nevera accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 1.74 seconds, which beat a previous mark of 1.79 seconds set by the Pinninfarina Battista last year.
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The Rimac Nevera was tested at a facility in Germany. (Rimac)
It's not that much of a surprise, since the Battista uses the same chassis and powertrain as the Nevera but is designed to be more luxurious.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, something else happened in between those to events.
The Nevera (top) is an all-wheel-drive electric car, and the Challenger SRT Demon 170 a V8-powered rear-wheel-drive car. (Rimac/Dodge)
This March, Dodge unveiled the Challenger SRT Demon 170, which will be the last V8-powered muscle car it ever builds before launching an all-electric model next year.
The $100,361 coupe's supercharged engine is rated at 900 horsepower when running on gasoline, but filling up the tank with E85 boosts that to 1,025 horsepower, thanks to the higher octane of the ethanol blend.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Demon 170 accelerates so aggressively that it pops a wheelie. (Dodge)
Using the good stuff, Dodge said the Demon 170 was able to sprint to 60 mph in 1.66 seconds, a figure certified by the NHRA. So, that's the record, right? Well . . . .
Dodge set its mark on a drag strip that had traction compound at the starting line to help with acceleration, while the German test track used by Nevera was bare asphalt. Rimac also engaged the services of two companies to record the car's performance, neither of which was the NHRA.
Rimac claims the Nevera set 23 records. (Rimac)
Ultimately, there is no single automobile recordkeeping authority, which makes this a bit of a gray area. Even Guinness World Records doesn't currently have one listed for 0-60 mph, according to a spokesperson, so we went straight to the horses' mouths to find out what they had to say about this horsepower race.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Nevera is rated at 1,914 horsepower. (Rimac)
"We can’t comment on another company’s claim, but we can confirm the Rimac Nevera achieved a 0-60 mph time of 1.74 seconds on an unprepared surface with road-legal Michelin Cup 2 R tires, verified by two third parties – Dewesoft and Racelogic," Rimac said in a statement given to Fox News Digital. "We believe our record is a significant achievement for a road car, and applaud any other car company working on pushing the limits."
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The Demon 170 also used road-legal tires, but they were Mickey Thompson drag radials, which are nearly slick and primarily designed to optimize acceleration, while the Nevera's Michelin's provide more all-around performance.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis raised a different point about the Nevera's record, but was also complimentary of its achievement.
The Demon 170 makes 1,025 horsepower when running on E85 and was revealed at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway drag strip. (Dodge)
"I'm not sure a car that costs $2.2M is a ‘production car’ . . . but, there is no taking away from the incredible engineering -- congratulations," Kuniskis told Fox News Digital.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}What's less disputable is the Nevera's claimed quarter-mile acceleration time of 8.25 seconds, which beat the Demon 170s 8.9-second run by a wide margin.