Originally a manufacturer of energy drinks, Red Bull has been in the motorsport landscape for a long time. The Austrian firm joined F1 in 2005 after taking over Jaguar.
But Red Bull Racing does not want to be satisfied with sport and officially announces to launch itself in the automobile. It won’t be a constructor in the traditional sense, as Red Bull Advanced Technologies will be developing a hypercar.
The name of this project uses the brand’s Formula 1 nomenclature and will be called RB17. Only 50 copies will leave the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes. The unit price will start at 5 million pounds, or approximately 5.8 million euros.
The development of the model will take place in the premises, and in particular the simulator, of Red Bull Racing. We already know that it will be a hybrid hypercar. It will notably offer ground effect and will be based on a carbon composite chassis.
More than 1100 horsepower for the Red Bull RB17
The power unit will be based on a V8 and will develop more than 1100 horsepower. It is not yet known who will develop this engine, Red Bull having opened its Powertrains department recently.
However, Porsche could also partner with the team in F1, and thus provide the engine for the RB17. This would explain the choice of the hybrid V8, which Porsche masters. This architecture has no connection with F1 engines, which have been V6s since 2014.
It is the engineer of F1, Adrian Newey, who created this project. A Formula 1 designer for more than 30 years, he has worked for Red Bull for 15 years. He also oversaw the creation of the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
“The RB17 distills everything we know about creating a world-winning F1 into a two-seater car that delivers extreme levels of performance”Newey said. “Driven by our passion for performance, the RB17 pushes design and technological boundaries. »
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