Sunday, December 22, 2024

Red Bull launch final Adrian Newey-inspired car, the highly-anticipated RB17

Must read

Red Bull have pulled the covers off the RB17, the hypercar led by chief technical officer Adrian Newey that will be his final design project with the team.

The £5million machine will be unveiled to the world at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Sussex, with a huge amount of anticipation having been placed in the car as Newey places many of his Formula 1 innovations into a road car.

Red Bull unveil Adrian Newey-designed RB17

Only 50 of the cars will be produced in total, set to retail at £5million each, but the demand is such that many are believed to have already been pre-ordered.

The combination of a 1,200 horsepower engine, a 1,000bhp naturally aspirated V10 and 200bhp electric motor, is said by the team to be capable of top speeds above 350kph (217mph) in a car that weighs less than 900 kilograms, with the engine red-lining at 15,000rpm.

Red Bull say every RB17 will be “bespoke” for each buyer, with paint colour, interior design and finer details all part of the choices available to each person who buys an RB17 model – with Newey having said previously that, in the hands of a professional driver, he hopes the car will be capable of Formula 1 level lap times.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “We are excited to reveal the RB17 at Goodwood Festival of Speed, a project that is one of the most authentic and exciting that Red Bull Advanced Technologies has embarked upon to date.

A side view of the Red Bull RB17.

“With 20 years of legacy in the world of F1 to draw from, and as a performance centred organisation, it only made sense for us to design our own Hypercar from the ground up.

More about Red Bull and the RB17 hypercar

👉 Red Bull RB17: The £5million hypercar that now has Adrian Newey’s full focus

👉 Adrian Newey reveals banned F1 innovations on ‘mind-blowing’ RB17 hypercar

“Combining technical innovation, achievement and emotional appeal, the RB17 is a landmark car.

“I’m very proud of the team and am delighted to see it make its world debut. We expect the RB17 to be a future classic.”

Newey added: “I had been mulling around the idea to take on the challenge to design our very own Hypercar, from concept to delivery, for many years and it has been a magnificent project and journey.

“For it to finally be the day we pull the covers off and see the birth of the RB17, is truly remarkable.

The Red Bull RB17 hypercar is unveiled.

The Red Bull RB17 hypercar is unveiled.

“The RB17 Hypercar embraces everything we stand for: undeniable power, speed and beauty.

“It is very adaptable in its abilities, and we made sure to design it as a two seater so that the thrill of driving at F1 speeds can be enjoyed with a friend or partner.”

Rob Gray, Red Bull Advanced Technologies technical director said: “The RB17 is an amazing project that we are privileged to work on, and has allowed Red Bull Advanced Technologies to showcase our engineering, design, and technical capabilities and solutions.

“We cannot wait to see the finished cars being enjoyed to the full on a racetrack by racing and automotive enthusiasts alike.”

Read next: From a Mini Cooper to a Lotus 24: One Texas legend’s first F1 experience at the Nurburgring

Latest article