Aspark’s New Prototype Just Obliterated the Rimac Nivera’s EV Speed Record

The Rimac Nevera has been knocked off its throne.

The Croatian hypercar is no longer the world’s fastest EV after the Aspark SP600 beat its top speed by nearly 15 mph. The new record holder isn’t a production model, but that doesn’t make the feat any less impressive.

An SP600 driven by Marc Bessing set the new mark this past Saturday, June 8, at the Automotive Testing Papenburg in track in Germany, the same location where the Rimac Nevera set the previous record in the fall of 2022. On its second run of the day, the EV reached an outrageous 272.6 mph, according to the certified Racelogic V-Box recording the attempt, comfortably beating the Nevera’s record of 258 mph. The difference between the two speeds was a not-insignificant 14.6 mph. That wasn’t the first time the SP600 beat the Nevera, either. On its first run, the EV reached speeds of 261.4 mph and 267.2 mph.

The SP600 bears a resemblance to Aspark’s first EV, the Owl, but it is actually a new model. The “production intent” prototype is a collaboration between the Japanese marque and Manifattura Automobile Torino (M.A.T.), the Italian-based outfit that builds the Owl. Aspark hasn’t released many details but revealed that the car, which has no side mirrors, underwent extensive virtual and physical testing, including time in a wind tunnel, to optimize aerodynamic performance. Bridgestone also designed a bespoke set of Potenza Race tires for the SP600 for its record-setting run.

Aspark may not have released any details about the SP600’s powertrain, but it’s likely a beast. The Owl, which at $4.2 million is one of the world’s five most expensive cars, has a quad-motor setup that generates a combined 1,985 hp and 1,475 ft lbs of torque. It can launch from zero to 60 mph in just 1.72 seconds and reach a top speed of 257 mph, though both those figures are claims that haven’t been backed up by independent testing.

The SP600 may be faster than the Nevera, but for the time being the latter remains the fastest production EV in the world. Its reign should last for a while, even if Aspark is serious about building and selling the SP600. Development of the Owl dates back to 2018, but deliveries have only begun within the last year.