[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ilton Classic & Supercar founder Lord Pembroke isn’t the kind of man to turn down a challenge – especially when it involves getting behind the wheel of his beloved Bugatti Veyron.
The Veyron has been the undisputed king of the supercar world for many a year, but a new electrical masterpiece from Croatia has set its sights on stealing the crown.
Mate Rimac’s Concept One – a stunning electric concept that has captured imaginations all over the globe for being the fastest-accelerating supercar in the world – wants to see off all before it to become a true pace icon, and Pembroke couldn’t resist taking his Veyron to Zagreb to see the marvel for itself.
The founder of the Wilton Classic & Supercar show – which re-launches this year as the UK’s most prestigious and exclusive annual supercar and classics gathering – took on Rimac in a series of road and track events, with the crowning glory of the drag race over a quarter of a mile settling the score once and for all.
Chief Test Driver for Rimac Automobili, Miroslav Zrnčević, got behind the wheel of the Concept_One against Pembroke and, naturally, got off to a flying start in freezing temperatures of -5 degrees Celsius.
The big question was whether or not the electric car could keep up the pace over the quarter-mile distance against the surging Veyron. And the answer has just been posted to Wilton Classic & Supercar’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCNxx1hqJCGaw-kJG2p2w5eg
The video includes Pembroke and Zrnčević chewing the fat after the epic drag race, while the WCS channel hosts the rest of Rimac and Pembroke’s gruelling battles. The drag race is the fourth instalment in the Veyron vs. Concept_One series, joining a hugely entertaining list of other battles:
- Bugatti Veyron unloaded at Rimac HQ
- Concept_One and Veyron storm the Adriatic Coast Road
- Concept_One and Veyron take to the track
- Veyron vs. Concept_One Drag Race
- Lord Pembroke explores the Rimac factory – coming soon
The Concept_One epitomises one of the central themes behind the completely new-look Wilton Classic & Supercar: the future of driving. The highly anticipated event on 3-4 June looks forward to brand new technologies that the whole of the automotive world will soon embrace and takes visitors on a journey of discovery.
Rimac’s creation will be on show at WCS 2017, together with some of the most iconic classics from around the world and other ferocious supercars – including Lord Pembroke’s Veyron.
The man himself, Pembroke, said: “It’s fair to say the Wilton team returned from Croatia having been blown away by the technology built into the Concept_One, and awed by the single-minded dedication of theman behind it. Now we can’t wait to share some of that Rimac magic at our new event.
“My Bugatti is astonishingly fast – especially when the four turbos spool up -but the real eye-opener is the instant hit of acceleration from standstill the Rimac delivers – the motors provide all their torque the moment you floor the accelerator. The other thing that really blew me away was the cornering. With individually controlled electric motors powering each wheel, the Rimac has the ultimate torque vectoring system.
“The Bugatti offers an all-embracing driving experience that I will never get bored of. The Concept_One also provides the ultimate performance but in a very different and interesting way. Horses for courses, really – what a fascinating comparison.”
Head to the official WCS YouTube channel to watch the full series and enjoy two of the fastest cars on the planet going head-to-head in a 10-second battle.
The fifth instalment of the Lord Pembroke and Mate Rimac series sees Pembroke head inside the Rimac factory and explore how the fastest-accelerating car in the world was put together.
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