An unfamiliar name is ready to raise the bar for track-based performance.
The Rodin Cars FZero still has a way to go before it’s ready to go into production, but it just reached an important milestone. The New Zealand-based manufacturer’s outrageous hypercar has begun track testing.
Development of the futuristic track beast is underway at Rodin’s production facility near the village of Mount Lyford on New Zealand’s South Island. The project has progressed enough that a prototype of the vehicle is now being tested out on the facility’s three purpose-built tracks. Rodin hasn’t shared any performance numbers but did post a video of a recent test run on its YouTube channel.
The clip confirms that the company has stuck with the ridiculous design that it showed in renderings released alongside the vehicle’s announcement last year. It also highlights the sonorous roar that comes from its V-10. The car doesn’t seem to be going all that fast in the video, so one can only imagine how much better it’ll sound when pushed to the max.
Rodin envisions the FZero as a rival to the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Mercedes-AMG One. As such, it has what the company has called a “revolutionary” twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-10 sitting in its engine bay. The mill, dubbed the RC.TEN, was designed in-house and is constructed from 3D-printed titanium and carbon-fiber composites. It’s connected to an electric motor and will pump out up to 1,000 hp and 516 ft lbs of torque and have a redline of 9,500 rpm. Thanks to all that power, Rodin projects that its second hypercar will be able to reach a top speed of 223 mph.
Just as noteworthy as the FZero’s V-10—which the company plans to sell as a crate engine—is its look. The ultra-aerodynamic hypercar bears a striking resemblance to the Batmobile from Tim Burton’s two Batman movies. The carbon-fiber body has bulbous fenders in the front and back, a bubble cockpit, and a giant rear wing. If that wasn’t enough, it’s finished in black and gold. Rodin hasn’t made any direct references to the Caped Crusader and his vehicle of choice, but it’s hard to imagine it didn’t provide at least some inspiration for the vehicle’s design.
Rodin has yet to announce a production timetable for the FZero, but based on the new video, there’s still work to be done before the hypercar is ready for its moment. We’re also waiting to find out how much it will cost, though Top Gear suggests that it could start around £1.8 million (around $2.25 million).