3D-Printed Hypercar Could Change The Game With Its Rather Hands-Off Process
This 3D-printed hypercar has taken a revolutionary turn for manufacturing.
The ‘21C’, from Los Angeles-based Czinger Vehicles, is a sports car that doesn’t take the traditional route in production. Instead, it adopts a hybrid method for its creation where the main components of the carbon-fibered car are constructed by artificial intelligence. It is then brought to life with a 3D printer.
Co-founder Lukas Czinger created an assembly system that does not require fixed tools while the vehicle is being built. This essentially means that the robot can move from developing, for example, the engine to the car’s rear without being recast with different appliances to create each part of the body.
A polymer team also worked to develop an adhesive that can stick each separate piece together and have it bond within two seconds.
Under the hood is a twin-turbo V8 engine to power its rear wheels and two electric motors control its front tires.
In terms of specs for the car, it can go from zero to 62 miles per hour in just 1.29 seconds and can reach a top speed of 253 miles per hour.
Just a year ago, at the Circuit of the Americas, it surpassed the McLaren Senna by two seconds.
Though, such innovative production methods and supercar abilities don’t come without a price tag to match. The 21C is currently priced at US$2 million and can go up to US$2.5 million depending on the customer’s preferences.
According to Robb Report, even though the production mechanics are currently exclusive, the company would eventually like to change the landscape of engineering and manufacturing by bringing the technology to the car industry for anyone to use.
Recently, it has partnered with Broadwalk Auto Group to start production of 80 of the 21C cars in Texas by the last quarter of 2023.
[via Robb Report and The Dallas Morning News, cover image via Czinger]
