A Rebellion Against Modern Automotive Monotony
Some say the automotive landscape has become a little predictable. Every manufacturer scrambles toward electrification with identical claims of sustainability, while screens multiply across dashboards with reckless abandon. Against this dreary backdrop comes something genuinely refreshing – the NILU hypercar, a creation that boldly defies current industry trends.
Nilu27, founded by renowned sports car designer Sasha Selipanov, has finally revealed its first vehicle after months of tantalizing social media teasers. The self-titled NILU hypercar stands as a rebellious statement against the digitalised, electrified direction of modern supercars. Rather than following the herd, this machine celebrates raw mechanical engineering and the visceral joy of unfiltered driving.
Design philosophy
The NILU’s aesthetic philosophy draws from an eclectic range of influences – ’60s Formula 1 and Le Mans racers, classic Italian design houses, Bauhaus “form follows function” principles, American muscle cars, mathematics, and even avant-garde metal music. The result is what Selipanov describes as an “inevitable” design – simultaneously fresh yet somehow familiar.
This hypercar features tight cross sections and sinuous curves that create a functional, lean and aerodynamic exterior. The clean sculptural surfaces contrast dramatically with the exposed, mechanical intricacy of the engine bay. True to Bauhaus thinking, the design ruthlessly eliminates superfluous styling features to celebrate pure functional beauty.
Mechanical marvel
What sits at the heart of this beast makes most modern supercars seem rather timid. Nilu27 partnered with Hartley Engines in New Zealand to develop one of the most powerful naturally aspirated engines on the planet. The fully exposed 6.5-litre, 80-degree V12 produces over 1000 horsepower without any electrical assistance whatsoever.
The V12 features large bore and short stroke architecture that allows it to rev ferociously while providing tactile feedback through perfectly calibrated vibrations. Twelve individual throttle bodies ensure instant response when the driver demands it. Perhaps most striking is the engine’s unique “Hot V” configuration, where conventional exhaust and intake positions are swapped to improve packaging, heat extraction, and aesthetics.
This arrangement enabled the creation of the stunning “snakepit” 12-into-1 exhaust headers that serve as a distinctive visual highlight. The entire exhaust system has been 3D-printed in Inconel, allowing for intricate geometries that would be impossible to produce through conventional methods.
Analog driving experience
The NILU doesn’t simply look the business – it delivers a thoroughly analog driving experience increasingly rare in modern performance cars. The seven-speed CIMA manual transmission features an open-gate design, celebrating the mechanical precision of changing gears while adding a safety element with its reverse gear lock-out.
The steering wheel eschews the buttons, switches and toggles that plague modern performance cars. Its compact, perfectly round shape provides detailed steering feel and input precision. There are no driving modes to select, no settings to fiddle with – NILU controls are primary and intuitive, focusing entirely on the driving experience.
Chassis engineering
Beneath the sleek body lies a bespoke carbon fibre monocoque with lightweight aluminium-alloy tubular subframes. Selipanov deliberately chose tubular architecture over more fashionable composite subframes to improve access to drivetrain components while facilitating heat extraction and celebrating mechanical beauty.
The suspension system employs double wishbone, pushrod design with extremely long wishbones visible from the rear. This geometry contributes to exceptionally precise and compliant handling characteristics. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires provide massive grip, mounted on custom 10×20″ and 13×21″ centerlock wheels designed in-house and produced by AppTech in Italy.
For stopping power, carbon-ceramic braking equipment from Brembo includes GT | BM callipers with custom white finish and their highest performance CCM-R Plus rotors for outstanding fade resistance.
Production and future
The NILU hypercar represents Selipanov’s purest vision, one he’s been refining since 2006. Initial production will be extremely limited to just 15 units. Simultaneously, Nilu27 is developing a street-homologated version limited to 54 units, four of which will be unique, one-off designs.
“While the world moves toward electrification, and for very good reason, we firmly believe the timelessness of these cars will not only keep them relevant but they will continue to find a place in the collections of passionate car lovers,” explained Inna Selipanov, Co-Founder and COO.
The NILU hypercar will make its public debut on August 15 at Pebble Beach in Monterey, California, before appearing on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 18. For those unable to experience it in metal, virtual drivers can test the car in CSR Racing 2 from November.
What Nilu27 has created feels like a statement against the sanitisation of performance driving – a last hurrah for mechanical purity before automotive regulations potentially make such creations impossible. For lucky owners, the reward will be a driving experience utterly undiluted by computers and screens. And bloody good fun, too.