The streets of Miami are no stranger to supercars and exotics are everywhere, but few can get you to stop and do a double-take. This stunning Czinger 21C, delivered by the brand’s official dealer, Prestige Imports, accomplishes just that. Finished in a bespoke shade of “family yellow”, the bodywork and the brake calipers pop against the contrasting matte carbon components, aero elements, and the giant swan-neck wing. A highlight is the exposed carbon-fiber racing stripes, intricately woven into the paintwork.
The 21C, of course, is no ordinary seven-figure hypercar. Founded in 2019 by American entrepreneur Kevin Czinger and son Lukas Czinger in Los Angeles, California, Czinger Vehicles is a brand spun from Divergent Technologies, and the 21C marks the first true reinvention of automotive manufacturing since the early days of Henry Ford’s assembly line, more than a century ago. The 21C is a product of a $150 million investment in proprietary, AI-driven 3D printing systems, also known as additive manufacturing, capable of producing parts at the same speed as cast aluminium.
It enables design freedom and the ability to achieve even more complex shapes, all while reducing development time, lowering cost and weight, improving efficiency and performance. Czinger believes that this revolutionary manufacturing technique will spread to the wider automotive industry, something that we can already see on the McLaren W1, which utilizes the Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS) to manufacture key suspension components.
Coming back to the Czinger 21C, under the skin, the chassis is made up of an intricate web of lattice 3D-printed aluminium nodes, joined by carbon-fiber tubes, shaped by algorithms and software, only placing material where necessary. To draw an analogy, some of the shapes and forms on the 21C should remind you of renowned Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí’s work. Complex and organic, yes, but in this 21C’s case, evocative and also futuristic.
On board, you’re met with a center-mounted driver seat, with a tandem passenger seat, just like on a superbike, a byproduct of Kevin Czinger’s love for motorcycles. While the central-driving position is reminiscent of the legendary McLaren F1, Czinger designed the tight cockpit to echo the focus of two-up riding. Also, thanks to that tandem layout, the cockpit stays narrow, improving aerodynamic performance. On this particular example, subtle hints of the exterior’s vibrant family yellow can be seen on the center marker of the steering wheel and the stitching of the carbon-backed seats.
As for the specifications and performance, the 21C features a 2.88-liter flat-plane crank V8 behind the cabin, which revs to 11,000 rpm, sending 950 horsepower to the rear wheels. Twin-electric motors upfront add 300 horsepower, giving the 21C all-wheel drive, torque vectoring, and a combined 1,250 horsepower. Tipping the scales at 1,250 kg (2,756 pounds dry), you have a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio, a feat that only a handful of exotics (Venom GT, Valkyrie, Tuatara) have achieved even in the hypercar world.
The result is 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, 1/4 mile in 8.1 seconds, and a top speed of 253 mph. In the low-drag configuration, that figure goes up to 280 mph. The 21C holds the production car lap record at Laguna Seca, with a blistering time of 1:25.44, set in 2021. That same year, it also set a new production lap record at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA ) with a time of 2:11.33, further improving it to 2:10.7 in 2024.
Czinger only plans to build 80 examples, comprising all three variants: the standard 21C, the long-tail low-drag 21C VMAX, and the even more track-focused 21C Blackbird (now sold out). If you’re thinking there’s a reference to the SR-71, you’re spot on. If you are among the lucky with a build-slot, or have experienced a 21C first-hand, you’re part of a highly exclusive club and a movement that is redefining how supercars are built and will be built in the future. As for this particular car, it is undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching specs to leave the factory.
Source: Prestige Imports/Czinger Vehicles
