After years of rumors and teasers, Red Bull has finally unveiled its first-ever customer track car, the RB17, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed . The two-seater mid-engine hypercar makes over 1,200 horsepower thanks to an electrically assisted 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V-10 capable of revving to an astounding 15,000 rpm.
It weighs under 1,984 pounds, with Red Bull promising Formula 1 car levels of track performance. Talk about extreme. That incredible weight figure comes down to the RB17's carbon fiber two-seater monocoque, which uses the engine as a stressed member of the chassis.
Power gets to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox and a hydraulically locking active limited-slip differential. There is no reverse gear; Backing up is handled by the electric motor mounted in the drivetrain. That electric motor alone produces 200 of the total 1,200 horses, with the V-10 supplying the other 1,000 hp.
Keeping all that power in check is standard traction control, with anti-lock brakes present to keep drivers from locking up under heavy braking zones. Top speed is over 217 mph. As expected with a car developed with Red Bull engineering genius Adrian Newey, there are impressive aerodynamics at work with the RB17.
Red Bull says the car produces up to 3,747 pounds of downforce, or nearly double its own weight. There are wheel wake management systems incorporated into the body to smooth the airflow around the tires. The front and rear wings also get active elements for .