THE STORY OF THAT GREEN BMW
When 18-year-old Mate Rimac bought a worn-out 1984 BMW 323i for entering local drag races and drift competitions, he had no idea that it would make him famous and become the germ of a huge technology business. It was just for fun.
When the engine blew, he entertained ideas of replacing it with a BMW V8, but a lack of funds, an interest in electronics and a keen awareness of the exploits of Croatiaborn electrical pioneer Nikola Tesla encouraged him to try fitting an electric motor from a forklift instead.
“Twelve years ago, electric cars were a joke, made for people who don’t like cars,” says Rimac. “People called our car a washing machine.”
But it was fast and got faster. With the help of friends, Rimac built seven iterations, eventually setting a series of FIA and Guinness speed records.
He says: “We had garage explosions and fires, and I reckon I suffered 100 serious electric shocks while we built that car. The forklift motor was supposed to deliver five horsepower, but it can push 500 if you don’t do it for very long. I soon learned how long I could push the accelerator without it blowing up.”
The BMW remains famous in Rimac Automobili history, but a plan to rebuild it is on hold.
“One of the guys crashed it years ago,” explains Rimac, “and so far we haven’t had time to fix it.”