Nilu27 hypercar: a 1,000bhp, naturally-aspirated V12-powered plaything for (rich) traditionalists

Anyone for an all-new V12-powered, manually-driven, fantastically mad-looking hypercar? This is the Nilu, by the newly formed Nilu27. It’s the brainchild of Sasha Selipanov - a designer who’s worked for the likes of Bugatti, Koenigsegg and a few other relatively small marques - and it wants to show two fingers to digitalisation and electrification.

Sitting in a mid-mounted position is a 6.5-litre, naturally aspirated hot-V design made in partnership with New Zealand’s Hartley Engines that’ll rev at close to 12,000rpm. It can actually run to over 15,000, though a lower redline was ultimately chosen to find the right compromise between performance and reliability.

Here’s what Nelson Harley, the founder of Hartley Engines, said of it: “This is not an OEM engine from another manufacturer; this is a bespoke, large bore, short stroke monster. It’s got aggressive cams, aggressive port flow, lightweight components and exotic materials. We want to get a cold sweat every time the V12 starts and revs.”

We’ve also been told that Nilu27 is not “a number’s brand” by Selipanov, and the car will be dictated by experience and emotion instead. Funny, that, because a targeted output of over 1,000bhp and a curb weight of circa 1,200kg seems pretty numbers-based. Want more good news? You’ll be channelling that power through a seven-speed, open-gate, longitudinally-mounted manual gearbox. The ASMR will be strong, alright.

Bits surrounding that engine include a double wishbone and pushrod suspension, a carbon monocoque design with aluminium-alloy tubular subframes and a custom-built tub. But all that seems pretty normal in a jumped-up, ambitious hypercar, right? Let’s instead focus on the real draw here: design.

That carbon-clad exterior is packed with tight angles and small crevices, creating a taut physique. The exposed mechanical rear end also looks like a non-botched version of those million-horsepower drag-strip Huracáns you see floating about in North America, but helps massively with cooling.

You’ll also spot the 12-into-1 exhaust headers in all their glory with this exposed setup, which culminates in the high, centrally-positioned triple Inconel exhaust tips. Along the flanks sits a set of 20/21in AppTech centre-lock wheels and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes - supposedly made of the brand’s best bits - cloaked by a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres.

Entry to the cabin is granted by a set of gull-wing doors, and it looks to be a… somewhat tight space. The seats are set in a fixed, sunken position, with inspiration taken from late Sixties Le Mans prototypes like the Ferrari 330 P4.

The only ‘computerised’ screen as such is the digital rear-view mirror - everything else remains about as traditional as an open bag of chips with lots of vinegar and curry sauce. You don’t even get any driver mode toggles or heavy customisation with the mechanical setup.

Here are a few more words on what Selipanov wants from his car: “What is the point of the RB17 unless customers are planning on training their neck muscles every day of the week? The average customer is nowhere near the realm of physical performance to be able to operate that sort of vehicle. We want to make a car that can thrill and use your senses but is ultimately accessible and enjoyable by the above-average level of talent we see among hypercar drivers.

“I’ve been in a several-million-pound Le Mans Hypercar before, being driven by a professional driver. But that same afternoon, I got into a stripped-down Lotus Exige with plexiglass, slick tyres and straight-cut gears, and even without the idea of finance involved, it impressed me so much - from being strapped in with a five-point harness to the fire extinguisher and lack of interior.

“We, of course, won’t be going quite that bare-boned, but we are much closer to that experience than a more refined, cathedral of cars like those from Bugatti. That’s not what we want; we want a raw, old-school, no-nonsense automotive experience.”

Just 15 track-only launch editions of the Nilu will be made before 54 street-legal units will be commissioned thereafter - all at an as yet unconfirmed price. With the public debut set to happen next week at Pebble Beach, we expect the car’s production in California will begin shortly after.

Reckon this is the sort of futuristic design but analogue experience people will crave more of moving forward?