Sasha Selipanov isn’t a household name, but he is a very talented guy: he was chief of design at Koenigsegg, responsible for cars like the Gemera, and worked at Bugatti also. Now he has ventured out with his wife Inna Selipanov, creating a brand called Nilu27, and his first car is a hypercar. For the moment it is called the Nilu27 hypercar. But any concerns about the forgettable name can be forgiven when you consider the spec: it has a 1,070hp, 6.5-litre V12, a seven-speed manual gearbox, and it looks like this.
Moreover, this is not some social media vapourware that’ll be internet dust come the autumn. A real-life Nilu27 will be shown at an exclusive event tomorrow before Monterey Car Week next week, ready to make Ferraris look a tad ordinary and divert the gaze of anyone walking past. It won’t be a styling buck either, there will be an engine in it - and what an engine is is.
Built by Hartley Engines in New Zealand, it’s an 80-degree, 6.5-litre, hot-v V12. Typically the hot v is used for turbo engines, as switching conventional exhaust and intake positions helps with heat extraction and lag, but here it’s about the packaging advantages. It means the stunning 12-into-1 Inconel exhaust headers can feature, most notably, and if ever an engine configuration was worth doing, seeing that setup alone makes the hot-v seem more than worthwhile.
Hartley says it’s a real revver, big bore and short stroke, with a dozen individual throttle bodies and 1,070hp to call on. The team behind it is said to have been inspired by old V12 F1 cars, and there could hardly be a better place to start. Hartley Engines’ founder Nelson Hartley said: “With Sasha’s wishlist for Nilu, we finally found the perfect project to dedicate our time and were able to adapt our development into his hot v configuration, designing the engine around his chassis layout. Make no mistake; this is not an OEM engine from another manufacturer converted to the hot v; this is a bespoke, large bore, short stroke monster. It’s got aggressive cams, aggressive port flow, lightweight components and exotic materials. We want to get a cold sweat every time the V12 starts and revs. It’s fair to say, we’re very excited!" With a seven-speed manual, let’s not forget.
Everything else reads like a wishlist of hypercar hardware. There’s a Brembo braking system, its CCM-R Plus discs clamped by GT | BM calipers, double wishbone pushrod suspension for ‘exceptionally precise and compliant handling’, and wheels designed to help keep unsprung mass as light as possible. The Michelin Cup 2R tyres are 265-section at the front on a 20-inch wheel, 325-section with a 21 at the back. Which aren’t enormous given the Nilu27’s power; no wonder they’re promising a thrilling drive.
Interestingly, the Nilu is built from a carbon monocoque with aluminium alloy subframes; these have been chosen for improved access to the powertrain and better heat extraction. Apparently even getting in and out is easy because the sill is low, and the driver will be able to see out of the back thanks to a rear-view camera - they really have thought of it all. That’s said to be the only screen in an unashamedly focused cabin, without even buttons on the wheel or much in the way of controls because of the belief that ‘performance driving requires full concentration with zero distractions.’
For the moment, that performance driving will only be on track, with 15 Nilus to be made for circuit use only. But 54 more road-homologated examples are going to follow, they say, with four boasting ‘unique designs that will further evolve the design language.’ Could well be argued that it doesn’t need much more evolving for the moment, the Nilu27 hypercar combining some familiar traits - a bit of Pagani there, some Lamborghini here, no surprise to see a pinch of Koenigsegg as well - to make for something fresh and exciting. Quite how a front end like this will be road-legal isn’t clear, but they’ve made it this far - some indicators shouldn’t be too much of a hurdle. The first cars will be built by Aria Group in Irvine, California, as Nilu27 gets its own production facility onstream.
Sasha Selipanov: “My path in the industry has never been about following rules and sticking to norms. “I was never afraid to follow my intuition or chase my dreams. Breaking conventions is simply a byproduct. The same is true for Nilu: a hypercar that discards current trends and conventions in pursuit of an elevated automotive experience.” Don’t be surprised if a few billionaires fancy a bit of that for themselves come next week.
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