My God has Red Bull come a long way from dishing out energy drinks from specially-built Mini Coopers. The brand has been involved with winter sports, skating, extreme sports, motorsports, and on and on. But most importantly for us car-people, the brand – and specifically Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Advanced Technologies – has become a legitimate engineering powerhouse headed by the legend Adrian Newey, the Chief Technical Officer who is developing this: The Red Bull RB17 — a production machine that can allegedly go toe-to-toe with legitimate F1 cars. Here’s a look at Red Bull’s first production car.
I’m here at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Red Bull just revealed the RB17, a 1,200 horsepower hybrid “hypercar” driving a sub-2000-pound two-seater carbon fiber chassis to speeds of up to 217 mph. Making all that power is a “semi-stressed” (i.e. it’s structural, though I’m not sure how it can be “semi” structural) naturally-aspirated 4.5-liter V10 sending 15,000 sweet, sweet revs into your ears from the middle of the car. That engine is bolted to a six-speed transmission automatic transmission with a fiber case and integrated electric motor.
Red Bull Advanced Technologies is still developing the car, and plans to offer it to 50 customers for 5.8 million pounds (or $7.5 million) who can use the RB17 for track-days only. So no, this will not be a car you can show off in front of the local Cars & Coffee — at least, not without a trailer.
Here’s how Red Bull describes the treatment those 50 lucky customers will get once they pull the trigger on this machine that promises F1 performance:
Each RB17 client is welcomed into the Red Bull family with a full customer journey, including a range of track events giving owners the opportunity to experience some of the world’s greatest circuits. One-of-a-kind driver development and tailoring of the car to suit individual driver’s needs is part of the unique experience. Each RB17 will be bespoke, with customers able to specify everything from the exterior paint colour to interior materials, and a whole host of smaller details
“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 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.”
Worth noting that, during the debut, this was my view as I desperately tried to get a peek of the car (a work of art); Adrian Newey (a genius); and Gordon Ramsay (who’s probably the Chief Motivational Officer behind this project, repeatedly yelling at the engineers to get their shit together!).
The jet fighter-style canopy leads into an F1-style nose section that then opens out into a Le Mans Hypercar-style front end, and while the wheels are closed as per a Hypercar, the front and rear pushrod suspension has been left open to the elements. The rear end meanwhile bears a striking resemblance to the Valkyrie, voluminous venturi tunnels and all.
This physique is a sculpture of substance with style almost a happy side effect. Although great attention was paid to the looks of the RB17, you won’t be surprised to read this is a shape dictated by a hunger for downforce. There are 1.7 tonnes of it in all, produced through a mix of airflow, wake management and ground effect from the chiselled surfaces and skirts. There’s active aero, too, incorporated into the front and rear wings and diffuser for achieving the optimum balance of downforce and drag at all times.
I’m glad it’s track only, since that’s where something like this belongs. I wish I could hear that motor in person.
It’s the manifestation of the X2014 into existence.
Ok but where does the giant Red Bull can go?
If it’s bespoke, I’m sure you could order yours with a muffler painted like a Red Bull can.
Perhaps…Seems a bit too subtle for this car.
“Again, back to Beau. He took this photo of Gordon Ramsay and CEO of Red Bull Advanced Technology, Christian Horner:”
Ummm, I don’t think that’s Christian Horner.
Also, pretty sure that’s a lambo.
Yeah, based on the webpage for RBAT’s leadership, it should be Rob Gray, the Technical Director.
Are they building this in house? Or outsourcing that to someone like Multimatic?
Hmm, much as I appreciate Newey’s genius I find myself caring I’m even less about this than I did the Tourbillion.
I mean I need a PC upgrade before I can play the next Forza so it’s not really relevant to me either.
COTD. And a reminder I’m too poor for modern graphics :/
No my friend, modern graphics are too bougie for you, not you too poor for them. They’re breaking Moore’s law, and loving it.
Those cars have basically two target demographics – people with fuck-you money, and people that believe they will make it big and have fuck-you money one day. I’ve aged out of the second category, and haven’t accrued enough contrition and misery on my past lives to be born into the first one.
And I’m not even sorry. Honest cars that haul people and stuff around deserve love too.
I’d much rather the world have 250 more Miatas than 1 of these.
I misread that and thought you meant YOU wanted 250 Miatas.
Which, of course, makes perfect sense – I just re-read it because I thought the grammar sounded funny.
Grammar was never my strong suit, haha.
Minor assist David, “If you are rich enough, you can get yourself killed in something this beautiful.” That’s how they should market it.
Building death traps for billionaires is praxis.
1700 kgs of downforce is actually much lower than I expected for this hypercar track focused thing.
Assume it has a mass of 900 kg (F1 limit is basically 800). Assume tires are capable of mu=1.2. That means this thing is capable of 3.5G turns at high speed. Still well short of the F1 ~6G high speed limit. Of course, this thing should generate better aero at lower speeds, so maybe it can catch up there.
But realistically, it is same ballpark maximum acceleration as a McMurty Speirling (which has been demo’s over 3G).
If this plays with more racy tires around mu=1.5 or above, we might see a real difference peaking around 4G.
Depending on the track surface our Lemons cars get 1.45-1.50 G’s and that’s on 200 treadware tires. (Hankook Ventus RS4 and Federal RS-595Pro to be specific)
Christian Horner?
I think the important question is: why are so many dudes at this event wearing a backpack?
Photography. Camera + Lenses = heavy, lots of photographers go backpack for that reason.
oohhhhh wow that is so obvious now, thank you
Nice to see RB carrying on the high revving NA engine. It’ll sound great in a TikTok.
What’s the over/under on when the first one gets crashed? I’m giving it a week.
Will this be the raging success that the Jaguar XJ220 was?
I’m not seeing any cupholders
Can holders.
It just seems a little short sighted of a beverage company not to include a place to hold their carbonated vomit swill
Indeed…
That that price it better come with a case of custom-flavor RB in titanium cans.
I wonder who makes the engine? I doubt it’s bespoke, because even if they sell all 50 of them at $7.5 million, I don’t know if that’s enough to develop it from scratch.
Sounds like an old F1 V10, maybe the Judd version?
Cosworth.
We need Lewin to check and see if the radiator is full of Red Bull.
Does it require sugar and caffeine to reach maximum performance? Why were there no backwards baseball caps at a Redbull event?
So if Beau was in front getting good pictures of the car, who was in front getting good pictures of Beau getting good pictures of the car?
Look at you, poking a bunch of holes in the narrative…
Not I!
It’s kinda pretty, but these days I ask myself two questions about any new car:
If the answer to both questions is “No,” I have a hard time caring about it.
Since when does Red Bull play by anyone’s rules?
Hmm, would Pepsi go well with a Redbull?
Why is their logo on the car White Bulls and not Red?
Can I use redbull in the radiator?
Beautiful car, I wonder if someone is going to try enter this into Lemans or do we think Red Bull is going to use this as a kick off point for their Lemans entry?
I am curious however, how many customers is Hennessy going to have to scam so he can afford one of these to rebadge and try claim he built it?
It would be funnier if they entered it in Lemons.
Funnier: enter in LeMons.
Funniest: fails tech inspection.
LeMons rule book 3.5 (Roll Cage Regulations) is very specific about the steel tube structure required before hitting the track. I’m sure RB17 has robust driver protection with a carbon-fiber tub or what not, but that doesn’t meet the letter of the rules. Trying to imagine what an added-on steel cage would look like on this thing is an endless parade of hilarious mental images.
I can’t imagine Gordon Ramsey doing anything other than erupting into a torrent of spittle and colorful expletives if he ever consumed so much as a sip of Red Bull.
Bonkers car though! Any chance this could be the next Garage 56 entry at Le Mans?
It would have to be something like that, there’s no class for this car at Le Mans or Daytona or whatever.
Disappointed at first to see that it doesn’t give you wings.
There’s active aero, too, incorporated into the front and rear wings
Ah, never mind.
Frankly I was still expecting more wings.
“Production” is apparently a very loose term.
In fairness, Ford made less than 10 GT40 MkIIIs in 1966, and it couldn’t even sell all of them!
Production car is usually classified as more than 25, so they’re literally doubling he requirement!
Good pics, Beau!
laugh it up!