If you've spent the last few years believing that the pinnacle of automotive evolution is the quiet hum of a two-ton electric crossover that parks itself outside a shopping mall, please sit down. Maybe pour yourself a glass of something strong. What you're looking at is not a car. This is the Red Bull RB17. It's a mechanical middleman to all emissions regulations, pedestrian safety systems and logic in general. It's the legendary Adrian Newey's last act at Red Bull before he left for Aston Martin, and it looks like he wanted to go out with a bang. Literally. It's a track-only monster that promises Formula 1 lap times, but without the need for a team of twenty engineers to crank the engine. Well, almost.
Let's start with the basics, because in a world where vacuum cleaners sound the same as cars, this is what matters most. Behind the driver's back Red Bull RB17 not a battery pack that weighs as much as a small village hums. There the atmospheric roars 4.5-liter V10 engine, created by the wizards at Cosworth.
The numbers are simply absurd. The engine revs to a stratospheric 15,000 rpm. For context: your civilian car will probably explode at 6,500. This engine alone produces 1,000 horsepower (745 kW). But since we live in the 21st century and Adrian Newey doesn't like "turbo holes", it is assisted by an electric motor with an additional 200 horsepower (149 kW).
Total power? 1,200 horsepower (895 kW). Weight? Less than 900 kilograms (1,984 lbs).
Let me translate that into language that everyone can understand: this vehicle has a better power-to-weight ratio than most fighter jets. The electric motor isn't there to save the polar ice; it's there to fill the torque when shifting gears and ensure that the acceleration never, ever stops. And yes, it also serves as a reverse gear, because a real transmission doesn't have time for such banal things as "reverse."
“This isn't a car you sit in. This is a car you put on and hope it doesn't chew you up.”
Red Bull RB17 aerodynamics: When the air becomes a slave
Adrian Newey sees air differently than we mortals. We breathe it, he bends it to his will. The RB17 isn't just shaped; it's sculpted by the wind. At 240 km/h (150 mph), the car generates an incredible 1,700 kilograms (3,747 lbs) of downforce.
What does this mean in practice? It means that at high speeds the car has almost twice its own body weight pressing against the ground. Active aerodynamic systems – including front and rear wings and a diffuser that could sleep a small family overnight – work in tandem with active suspension. This system not only smooths out bumps, but actively manages the vehicle’s ride height to keep the aerodynamic platform stable. Newey has essentially taken the banned technology from the Williams F1 of the early 90s and cranked it up to 11.
Top speed is over 350 km/h (217 mph). No official 0-100 km/h figures have been released, probably because they're irrelevant. The only thing that matters about this car is how quickly it can rearrange your internal organs in corners. We're talking about lateral accelerations that border on what astronauts experience.
The interior and lifestyle of billionaires
You might imagine the interior to be spartan. And you would be right. However, it is Red Bull RB17 surprisingly… thoughtful. The cabin is wider than that of the Aston Martin Valkyrie (another Newey baby), meaning two adults can actually sit inside without having to get intimate.
The seats are integrated directly into the carbon monocoque chassis to save weight. Instead of moving the seat, you move the pedals and steering wheel. The steering wheel itself looks like a NASA-designed game console controller—replete with buttons for traction control, ABS, and engine operation.
A purchase RB17 It's not just buying a car. It's a ticket to the most exclusive club in the world. Red Bull gives each of 50 customers promise a complete maintenance programYou won't be taking it to the local mechanic for service. Red Bull will be organising private "track-day" events at the world's most prestigious racetracks, where you can drive your toy in the company of other eccentrics, with the support of engineers who have probably worked with Max Verstappen.
The car is designed to Le Mans Prototype (LMH) safety standards. This means that if you run out of talent – and with 1,200 horsepower, that happens quickly – you have the best possible chance of survival.
Conclusion: The swan song of the analog age
The price? Around 6 million euros ($6.5 million). Production begins in 2027. All 50 examples have, of course, already been sold.
Red Bull RB17 It's not a rational purchase. It doesn't have a golf club rack, it doesn't have a touch screen with Android Auto and it probably won't run over a speeding cop without catastrophic damage. But that's beside the point. In an age that's hurtling toward a sterile, silent, autonomous future, the RB17 is a magnificent, loud, and utterly uncontrollable monument to human capability and passion for speed.
Is it positive? Absolutely. Because it proves that despite all the restrictions and rules, there are still people like him. Adrian Newey, who dare to dream the impossible. And as long as there are cars like this, the world is not completely boring. This is a machine that may kill you, but you will die with the biggest smile on your face and the most beautiful V10 symphony in the world. And that, my dears, is worth every penny.
