December the 8th, 2021 - Mate Rimac has done more to show the world that it is very much possible to succeed in Croatian entrepreneurship than anyone else. Perhaps Ivan Mrvos comes a close second, but for the automotive world which would never have given the country a second look, what he has done is truly historic.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Zoran Vitas writes, after a joint venture with Bugatti and the creation of the new Rimac Group, Mate Rimac and his dedicated team have a much harder job on their hands in Sveta Nedelja near Zagreb than they did before. When the German Manager Magazine announced that it was considering going public with an expected estimated value of five billion euros, a lot was written about that possibility.

It was even mentioned by Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and a member of the Finance and IT Management Board at Porsche AG. One day an IPO would make sense.

''Mate Rimac must first implement his company's operational plan, but he can count on our support,'' said the leader of the cult German company.

Mate Rimac explained back in November for Automobilwoche what the implementation of such an operational plan means. He was short and clear - profitability. That is, significantly improved profitability.

“At Bugatti Rimac, we're focused on profitability. We don't want to rush, but instead we want to give ourselves time to prepare everything thoroughly. This could be done in 5-10 years,'' said Mate Rimac about the brand with which, realistically, Volkswagen had some trouble.

"It would be easiest to take the Nevera, redesign it and call it Bugatti. But that is absolutely not what we're going to do,'' Rimac repeated. When Bugatti's last Chiron leaves the factory in Molsheim, it will be Bugatti's turn,'' which, as he said during Ursula von der Leyen's visit, makes the most sense.

“Porsche runs on carbon-neutral or even positive fuel because of the way it is produced. In the medium term, it would make the most sense for Bugatti to be a hybrid. It is true that Porsche wanted us to go to electricity immediately, but we said that we'd like to work with petrol engines for some time to come, with a new generator. But that's where I'll stop,'' said the head of Bugatti Rimac, stating that they have been working on the development of the new Bugatti in Croatia for a year now.

"We want to make a profitable company, but we won't recycle anything. We will not redesign the Chiron and thus make a new model, or just hybridise it, we're developing an entirely new product. And that product will still have an internal combustion engine. We're also looking at it in the long run knowing how Bugatti has known diversity throughout history that can be used not only to make hypercars. It's an opportunity to produce different and exciting cars that will be both electric and electrified. We'll have fully electric Bugattis in a decade,'' Mate Rimac said in conversation with the British Top Gear.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

December the 4th, 2021 - The Rimac Bugatti takeover is an absolutely historic event for the Republic of Croatia in terms of placing the country best known for tourism, football and little else on the global business map.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Zoran Vitas writes, it goes without saying that the Rimac Bugatti takeover is an enormous deal for Croatian business and entrepreneurship. Until just a few years ago, Mate Rimac himself wasn't sure of the fate of his company, and look at him now.

“I'm honoured to be able to lead a new company that joins the forces of the two brands and begin what will be a successful, revolutionary and exciting new chapter for all involved. I'm very curious to see the impact that Bugatti Rimac will have on the industry and I'm looking forward to developing innovative new hypercars and technologies. It's difficult to find a better combination than Rimac and Bugatti. What each side brings in terms of technical expertise, knowledge and history of car development is a perfect recipe. The agility and innovation of Rimac Automobili is the perfect complement to Bugatti's history in designing and manufacturing hypercars that set new standards. We've already started developing new models that we can't wait to present to the public when the time is right,'' said Mate Rimac about the creation of the new company.

It was an important part of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's presentation to French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Zagreb last week and today, Rimac is a Croatian model for the rest of the world. As he should be. His personal philosophy is - if you can't be the best at something, then don't do it. Working with Porsche is multi-layered and demanding, as well as very ambitious, as well as dynamic. 

The Rimac Bugatti takeover is something for the history books, and it is high time Croatia had something to add to those which lies outside of the bounds of sportsmanship and tourism.

For more on Croatian entrepreneurs and Croatian companies, check out our dedicated business section.

November the 28th, 2021 - Former Split councillor Martin Pauk, known for leaning quite far to the right of the political spectrum, has attempted to justify the recent attack on Mate Rimac's foreign employees by claiming that the entrepreneur is paying them less than what the average Croatian worker would earn and stating that that is why Croats are annoyed. The Livno-born businessman fired back with some facts, which are rather embarrassing for Pauk.

As Index writes, former Split councillor Martin Pauk, known for his right-wing views, commented on the post of Croatian innovator and entrepreneur Mate Rimac, who announced on Facebook that his foreign colleagues faced racist abuse and were beaten up in Zagreb.

"Bravo Mate, you legend, you only import labour that will work for 50% of the pay a Croat would work for, and then you wonder why Croats feel cheated and exploited," he wrote. He added that the violence was an "unintended consequence", but then continued to justify the attack.

"After all, Mate, you're also from Bosnia and Herzegovina, so you know first hand that there can never be prosperity and peace in a multicultural society precisely because of the different principles and culture according to which different peoples live," former Split councillor Martin Pauk wrote, among other things, and for some odd reason.

"What is it? Are there no lads from Zagreb, Osijek or Split who have graduated from technical school and are qualified to work in your company? Ah, yes, of course there are at least 10-15 classes of people who have qualified for that in this generation alone, but they don't want to work for peanuts so that their boss could buy two million euro houses and half a million euro cars,'' he wrote further.

Rimac's response to the bizarre insults dished out by Pauk soon arrived...

Rimac: Oh you narrowminded man, you've never even laid eyes on the amount they earn in one year.

"What are you talking about, you narrowminded man? People who have worked at Tesla, Apple, Ferrari, Porsche, they work for me... You've never even seen the amount they earn in a year with me. In my companies (Rimac Grusa, Bugatti Rimac, P3 and Greyp) we employ over 1,600 people, of whom 80+ percent are Croats,'' Mate Rimac replied.

The obviously bored Pauk then attempted to enter into yet another discussion below Rimac's social media announcement, with one companion of Mate Rimac. Rimac answered him there as well.

"Martin, take a running jump with your right-wing crap from my profile,'' he wrote.

It's worth mentioning that the former Split councillor Martin Pauk has had his hardly commendable moments of media attention too, when he called on people to throw pork scratching at (primarily Muslim) migrants, statements that machine guns should be placed on the borders because of those same migrants, and justifications of violence against Serbs or other migrants. While he was a councilor, he participated in the online session by smoking and drinking in front of the camera, another move which showcases pure class (yes, that's sarcasm).

To follow more Croatian news, click here.

ZAGREB, 27 Nov, 2021 - Rimac Automobili owner Mate Rimac said on Facebook on Saturday that a group of young man physically attacked his foreign colleagues in the centre of Zagreb last night and police confirmed being notified about the attack.

"Is it possible that this happened in Zagreb?! I'm shocked and sad," Rimac said in a post.

He said he spoke to the victims and that they said they had seen a group of young men shouting "Go back to where you came from. What the f'uck are you doing in Croatia" as well as swearing.

"Our employees tried to avoid a conflict, they crossed the street and hurried, but the attackers caught up with them and started a physical showdown," wrote Rimac.

He said the group attacked five or six Rimac Automobili employees near the Croatian National Theatre, adding that one person had their nose broken and that another had a milder concussion.

Rimac said one of the things his company always underlined to the candidates they attracted from all over the world was that Croatia was a safe country where foreigners were not looked upon as second-rank citizens.

"This is a single incident by a group of uneducated idiots who, I hope, won't change the perception of the foreigners who came to build their lives in Croatia. I hope the police will do their job promptly and efficiently and that we will all realise how much the foreigners who come to live here contribute to the development of society and the economy," wrote Rimac.

Zagreb police told Hina they were notified about a physical clash between a number of persons around half past midnight. They could not confirm they were employees of a company because they did not have that information nor say how many persons were involved in the clash. A criminal investigation is under way.

For Croatia's latest news updates, CLICK HERE.

November 25, 2021 - As part of a busy schedule on his first official visit to Croatia, French President Emmanuel Macron met Mate Rimac in Zagreb, and was introduced to the recently merged Bugatti Rimac, a notorious union between France and Croatia.

After meeting President Milanović and signing the agreement for the sale of 12 Rafale fighter jets, the French president continued with the rest of the activities scheduled for his official visit to Croatia. Along with Andrej Plenković, Emmanuel Macron met Mate Rimac in Zagreb.

As Jutarnji List reports, shortly after 1 p.m., Rimac Group CEO Mate Rimac and Bugatti Rimac Chief Operating Officer Christophe Pichon presented two Nevera and Bugatti cars on the terrace of the Esplanade Hotel to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and President Emmanuel Macron.

By the way, Bugatti is a French company that recently moved to Zagreb, since they were taken over by the Croatian manufacturer of electric hypercars Mate Rimac.

''It is already somewhat common that the Croatian Government likes to show foreign guests what we are advanced in, so I am glad that they chose us. Especially because we have a lot of employees in France as well'', said Mate Rimac.

The French leader was greeted at the entrance to the Zagreb hotel by the Alkars of Sinj.

''This shows the cooperation between France and Croatia'', said Rimac.

''Bugatti has a 112-year history in Molsheim, France, and we make the fastest petrol cars there, and we make the fastest electric cars in the world here in Zagreb. So it made sense to connect the two'', he added.

Macron and Plenković toured Bugatti's Chiron, a car with more than 1,600 horsepower that is the fastest in the world with a speed of 490 kilometers, and Rimčev Nevera, the car with the fastest acceleration in the world.

President Macron will end his official visit to Croatia with a working lunch at the Esplanade hosted by Prime Minister Plenković, which will be attended by people from the public, economic, cultural, scientific, and sports life that connect Croatia and France.

The coach of all the coaches also arrived for lunch.

''I am not only happy to be here, but also proud and I think that all Croats should be proud because this is one of the greatest European politicians. I hope to talk to him about women'', said Miroslav Ciro Blazevic.

Zlatko Dalic did not want to comment on anything, so Ciro added: "That's because he is an athlete, not a politician."

After lunch, Macron travels to Rome, on official visits to Italy and the Vatican.

For more on politics, follow TCN's dedicated page.

November the 12th, 2021 - The Croatian Greyp bikes, the largest individual owner of which is much loved entrepreneur Mate Rimac, has seen continuous and steady growth, even in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Sergej Novosel Vuckovic writes, this Sveta Nedelja-based company has grown 110 percent in recent years, this year that growth will exceed 120 percent, and the Croatian Greyp bikes company working seriously on its first city model, the electric citybike, which should be on the roads of the cities and streets by early 2024.

This was revealed on the sidelines of the first inter-industry discussion on sustainable business, launched by Nestle in Croatia, by Vladimir Karmelic, the marketing manager of the Croatian Greyp bikes company. The new model should be predestined for city driving and be more affordable, according to Karmelic. Existing models are more for mountain and trekking activities.

"With the development of technology that is our primary focus, we can see that the next step for the bike is to have it be an everyday companion to the rider, it will have navigation that warns of pollution on the route, informs the rider where there is traffic and crowding in the city and recommends green routes,'' Karmelic stated when describing the future Greyp bike, a vehicle which is set to fit even more into the story of sustainability and the eco profile that the company believes so strongly in.

This year at the Croatian Greyp bikes company they can be very satisfied indeed with the irnumbers, they have sold, all over the world, 1500 of their most popular model, the G6, the older G12 was about sixty models sold, and the latest, presented this summer, the T5, has seen about 600 copies sold. Unlike the vast majority of companies, the pandemic has actually helped them due to increased demand, but, they admit, also slowed some things down because parts factories in Vietnam and Thailand ended up being closed.

Due to global disruptions in supply chains caused by that same public health crisis, they have experienced difficulties with the procurement of certain components, especially technological ones important for connectivity, which also affects the delivery of finished products. But unlike their competitors (including “regular” manufacturers), which have also experienced significant delays, Greyp bike customers are already aware that they'll have a wait of around two months on their hands after making their purchase.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

November 2, 2021 - Rimac Automobili today officially joins forces with Bugatti under the recently announced company Bugatti Rimac d.o.o., the company announced.

The new company joins the forces of Rimac and Bugatti, which together continue with breakthroughs in the automotive and technology industries. Establishing the new company, which unites the two brands, is supported by the sports car manufacturer Porsche AG and one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, as well as the current owner of Bugatti - Volkswagen AG, reports Index.hr.

"After a short but turbulent 10-year history of Rimac Automobili since its inception in the garage, we come to the next big step for the company - merging with Bugatti into the newly established company Bugatti Rimac, which becomes part of the Rimac Group," the statement said.

Rimac Group will be the largest shareholder of Bugatti Rimac with a 55 percent stake.

Mate Rimac will retain his stake in the Rimac Group at 35%, Porsche at 22%, Hyundai Motor Group at 11%, and other investors at 32%. The development and production of battery systems, powertrains, and other components for high-performance electric vehicles, for which Rimac is known and trusted by many car manufacturers, will be separated into a new unit - Rimac Technology, which will be 100% owned by the Rimac Group.

"Bugatti Rimac combines the uniqueness of two automotive and technology pioneers. Rimac Automobili's entrepreneurial approach and technical expertise, and innovations in high-performance electric vehicles, together with Bugatti's 112-year legacy in design and engineering and the production of some of the world's most famous hypercars, are now combined. Porsche will act as a strategic partner and appoint two members of the Supervisory Board: Oliver Blume, President of Porsche AG, and Lutz Meschke, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Porsche AG.

Mate Rimac's previous leadership and strategic direction, which led to Rimac Automobili becoming a significant player in the high-performance electric car industry, highlights him as an ideal candidate to lead the new company as CEO. As CEO of the Rimac Group, Mate Rimac will lead both Bugatti Rimac and the new division, Rimac Technology."

The global headquarters of Bugatti Rimac is located in the current headquarters of Rimac Automobil in Sveta Nedelja, on the outskirts of Zagreb. Still, in time it will move to the recently announced Rimac Campus, also to be home to Rimac Technology, worth more than 200 million euros, on 200,000 m2, under construction in Sveta Nedelja. 

Joint research and development of future Rimac Automobili and Bugatti hypercars will ultimately occur at the Rimac Campus - which is scheduled to open in 2023. As part of the new company, Bugatti Rimac will start operating with 435 employees, of which 300 will be based in Sveta Nedelja and 135 in Molsheim, France.

In addition, 180 people at the Bugatti Engineering site in Wolfsburg will support the new company, which will be integrated into the Bugatti Rimac office in Germany. Rimac Technology will have over 900 employees. Rimac Group will thus consist of more than 1300 workers at various locations.

Bugatti Rimac's new Board of Directors appoints Christophe Piochon as Chief Operating Officer (COO). He previously served as General Manager at Bugatti and guarantees the continuation of operations at the Molsheim plant. Larissa Fleischer becomes CFO. Previously, she was the head of control at Porsche in digitalization and the development of new business models. In addition, Emilio Scervo has been appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and previously held the same position at Rimac Automobiles, where he joined after a prosperous career as technical director at Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes AMG, and Ferrari.

Rimac Automobili and Bugatti will continue to operate as separate brands and manufacturers, retaining their production facilities in Zagreb and Molsheim and distribution channels.

Rimac Technology will continue to innovate, developing vehicle systems and technologies for many global car manufacturers, with the application of the technology in future Bugatti and Rimac models as well.

Commenting on the first day of Bugatti Rimac's business, Mate Rimac, CEO, says:

“I am honored to be leading this new fusion of automotive minds and begin what will no doubt be a successful, revolutionary and exciting new chapter for everyone involved. I am also extremely curious to oversee the profound impact Bugatti Rimac will have on the industry, and I look forward to developing innovative new hypercars and technologies.”

“It’s difficult to find a better match than Rimac and Bugatti. What each party brings to the table in terms of technical expertise, know-how and automotive history makes for an electrifying recipe. Rimac’s fast-paced operations and electrification skills are the perfect complement to Bugatti’s exceptional heritage and craftmanship. Stay tuned for some truly extraordinary projects in the future.”

“I am convinced that we have found the right mix of experience and know-how, innovative strength and team spirit for the management,” says Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and member of the board for Finance and IT at Porsche AG. “That’s why I’m very optimistic. And because the project is very close to my heart, I will continue to accompany it closely and passionately in the future.”

Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Board of Management at Porsche, names this merger as “the perfect solution” for everyone involved: “Together, we are creating a high-performance automotive company. We have succeeded in positioning the traditional Bugatti brand with its charisma for the future in a way that creates value. Bugatti embodies fascination and passion, and Rimac has great innovative strength and tech expertise.” 

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

October the 10th, 2021 - Things are going full steam ahead at the construction site of the brand new Rimac Campus in Kerestinec, with works moving quickly and anticipations running high.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the village of Kerestinec, which lies just west of Zagreb, is the site of the up and coming new Rimac Campus which Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac decided on building not so long ago.

This massive project which will also become the new headquarters of the much loved Croatian company Rimac Automobili plans to have a kindergarten, organic food production, and even accommodation capsules instead of a classic hotel. It should all be over by 2023.

''The new complex will be a base for research, development and production, and will enable the company to grow from the production of prototypes and projects in small series to large-scale production of high-performance electric powertrains and battery systems for many global automotive companies.

The new location, based on the idea of ​​creating the best possible working environment for our employees from all over the world, is located just a few kilometres from the current headquarters of Rimac Automobili (also in Sveta Nedelja) and is located on a plot which spans 200,000 m2, while the area built on will reach about 100,000 m2.

The new Rimac Campus is expected to be completed by 2023,'' they stated from the company. They added that Mate Rimac wanted the new headquarters of his company to embody not only the character of the brand but also the character of the employees.

''The architects of this project drew their inspiration for the design of the new Rimac Campus from several sources, including the shape and movement of Rimac's own hypercar - the famous C_Two, as well as the speed itself,'' they described from Rimac Automobili.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Made in Croatia section.

September 29, 2021 - The entrepreneurial beacon of Sveta Nedelja lit up the Entrepreneurial Mindset 2021 conference in Zagreb yesterday, as Mate Rimac and Mayor Dario Zurovec gave a tantalising view of Croatia 2.0.

It is two years since the introduction of a new conference to the busy Zagreb congress calendar. Poduzetnicki Mindset - Entrepreneurial Mindset - brought together some of the top entrepreneurial names in Croatia to share their stories, visions, and failures. In the front row of the audience where not the usual politicians who left after the opening speeches, but students and high-school kids with entrepreneurial aspirations, looking to learn from the very best in Croatia. 

It was one of those rare days in Croatia day to day life (Croatia, the tourist destination is another animal) which dripped in positivity and hope. Attendees left feeling inspired, with so many success stories despite the realities of operating within the bureaucratic confines of the Croatian business reality.

The most high-profile speaker back in 2019 was Mate Rimac, whose entertaining presentation focused in part on how Slovakia built up an entire automotive industry, which today exports more than Croatia's total exports. You can read a report of his presentation in Lessons from Slovakia: Mate Rimac on Croatian Car Industry Potential.  

A lot has happened in the Rimac story since then, including plenty of good news for the Croatian automotive industry, as high-profile investments from the likes of Porsche and Hyundai culminated with the acquisition of Bugatti. 

Rimac was back at Entrepreneurial Mindset 2021 yesterday, one of a number of star speakers, who also included Silvio Kutic, co-founder of Croatia's very own first unicorn - Infobip. A full recap of an illuminating day can be found here. You can also watch the entire conference on the YouTube video below.

Rimac shared the stage this year with Mayor of Sveta Nedelja, Dario Zurovec, who has been trailblazing in pioneering ways of his own since entering the political scene as Mayor of Sveta Nedelja in 2016. Having won just 22% of the first-round vote in 2016 before going on to win in the second round, Dario Zurovec win a landslide victory in 2021 with a stunning 64.5% of the vote. 

And no wonder. His business-friendly approach was paying early dividends, even without the Rimac factor. In an age of emigration, unemployment and depopulation, the population of the small town outside Zagreb has grown 10% since 2011, there are 20% more jobs since 2017, full transparency in local administration, free bus travel for all was introduced last year, and local taxes slashes to encourage more businesses to move to the town. It is little surprise that Sveta Nedelja has been voted the best medium-sized town for the economy three years in a row, or one of the top 5 places to live in Croatia. 

Mate Rimac and Dario Zurovec took part in a discussion moderated by Hrvoje Balen called The Leadership Ecosystem - Building Blocks of a Sustainable Future. It was, for me at least, the highlight of a very stimulating day. 

The presence of Zurovec at the conference at all was telling of his political mindset. Apart from one MEP, he was the only politician who was present. His declaration that politicians should be there to serve the people sounded a little strange in the Croatian context, and the disconnect between entrepreneurs and the state has been one of the ongoing themes of the conference presentations over the last three years, although several speakers declared that things were slowly getting better. 

Rimac and Zurovec are clearly glad to have found each other. Friends for some time, Rimac revealed that he has been talking about building his campus even before he became mayor. The campus was one thing, the expanding business another, both of which provide challenges for the local administration to provide the necessary infrastructure and services to meet this increased demand. 

Rimac explained that there are now no less than 45 different nationalities working with him in Sveta Nedelja. With the population growth and with more families making the move, there is a growing demand for more schools and kindergartens which now take up a significant part of the Sveta Nedelja budget.  Rimac currently employs 1,500 people, the vast majority in Sveta Nedelja, but the campus will bring an additional 2,500 people. 

"This campus is a great asset, the largest private investment that has taken place in this part of Croatia, if not beyond," said Zurovec. "And I see only pluses here. The best protection against unemployment is to have a place to work. Some 20 years ago, opposite that campus, there was a company where my father worked, unfortunately, during privatisation, the company went bankrupt, and my goal was always to return to that part of entrepreneurial activity. I am glad that I had the good fortune to come across Mato Rimac and that positive energy that he wanted to invest something. That is courage."

Accommodation, schools, facilities will need to be found for this new influx of people, which brings with it both challenges and opportunities to develop parts of the town to meet that new demand. With a dynamic private sector and a progressive local administration, the development of the building blocks of an ecosytem for a sustainable future are very much in place in Sveta Nedelja. Visionary leadership from the public and private sector working in harmony for the people and the development of the economy does not sound too revolutionary a concept. But it is sadly a rarity in Croatia today. The Sveta Nedelja bubble will be an exciting one to watch.  

It would be easy to dismiss the story as being 100% due to the Rimac Factor, but a closer look at what is happening in Sveta Nedelja shows that there are plenty of other businesses contributing to the success story and evolving ecosystem. I was surprised to learn, for example, that Rimac was not even the biggest show in town - at least for now - with another Sveta Nedelja business turning over more than 250,000 million euro a year (Read more in Meet Sveta Nedelja's Biggest Company, a Success Story Born in Syria).

Zurovec pointed out that in Sveta Nedelja they approach each investment individually and thus remove obstacles in the process. He said that more than 920 businesses are now operating in the town.

The Croatian entrepreneurial class has much to contribute to the Croatian economy, and the removal of barriers and bureaucracy will only increase that contribution. Few towns will have a superstar like Mate Rimac, or a true public servant such as Dario Zurovec, let alone both, but the more entrepreeneurs and politicians can find each other on this path, the quicker the ecosystem of a sustainable future can take hold. 

An inspiring day.   

September 20, 2021 - Fancy owning a Rimac Nevera, but a few dollars short of the asking price? Help create the budget version, powered by LEGO.

When I was growing up back in the 15th century, LEGO was king. Simple blocks to build, a chance for childish creativity. I would play for hours. 

There were no distractions of gadgets or the Internet back in those days, and the simple LEGO pieces, which all came in standard sizes, were popular with kids everywhere. 

About 10 years ago, I was looking for gifts for my nephews on a trip back to the UK. I was heartened to hear that they were into LEGO, with a special interest in Star Trek and Star Wars. I was admiring their creativity in my head - just how would you build the Starship Enterprise from those simple blocks - until I went into the story. LEGO had clearly moved on, and I left a few minutes later with some custom-made inter-galactic LEGO sets.  

And not only is LEGO still thriving, but it is also evolving. One of its coolest features is to encourage innovation in new models. The company encourages its customers to design new products using LEGO pieces, and if there is enough interest (10,000 votes), then the company will consider putting the design into mainstream production.  

This initiative takes some serious planning and dedication for those with a passion, and TCN has featured a couple of designs before. But could this be the ultimate cool LEGO gift for your nephew or niece, a gift to inspire for the future. Meet the proposed LEGO version of the Rimac Nevera!

It is all the brainchild of a fan called platon_dr who tells us a little more about the proposed LEGO version on the official LEGO website: 

The model itself consists of 2127 parts, has an opening boot, doors and several compartments in the interior.

There is no frunk, just in like the real car, all the space in the front is used for making the car faster, than any car before had ever been.

The interior is very accurately copied, there are several opening compartments, the butterfly doors open just like the real ones, except they’re a bit smaller. 

 I must confess that my first reaction to seeing the Rimac Nevera was 'wow!' But platon_dr had another reaction:

The second I saw the car, I thought to myself “this would be a pain to build out of LEGO” and then I took it as a challenge. It would make a great set as LEGO also has to move on into the electric car future.

(The real thing - photo by Rimac Automobili)

Want to help make the budget Rimac Nevera a reality? You can voice your support for the idea here. 

Alternatively, go for a spin with one of the first buyers of the Rimac Nevera, Formula One legend Nico Rosberg.

For more Croatian innovation, check out the TCN Made in Croatia section.