A New V12 Roars Back with a Thunderous Anti-EV Sound

The Nilu27 Hypercar: A Back-to-Basics Approach

Nilu27’s long-awaited new hypercar has a Hot V configuration. Hartley Engines in New Zealand is behind the 1,070 hp powertrain. Just 15 track cars come first, then 54 street-legal examples follow.

Two years ago, the newly established hypercar manufacturer Nilu27 unveiled its answer to models such as the Pagani Utopia and the GMA T.50. Badged simply the Nilu, it’s a back-to-basics, lightweight hypercar from the mind of Sasha Selipanov, the former Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Koenigsegg designer. Rather than lean on the industry’s usual playbook, he built the car around a set of choices that most manufacturers spent the last decade running away from.

That contrarian streak shows up in the powertrain. In developing the car, Selipanov didn’t tap a world-famous engine builder such as Cosworth to supply it, but instead went with a twelve-cylinder from a New Zealand firm known as Hartley Engines. The unit recently fired up for the first time, and calling the result exciting would sell it short.

A Powerful Engine with a Unique Design

It’s a 6.5-liter, naturally aspirated V12 that revs to 11,000 rpm and has already topped its promised 1,070 hp in early dyno testing. Unlike some other exotic twelves out there, such as the Cosworth unit supplied to the T.50, Hartley’s engine uses a Hot V layout, with the exhaust headers sitting between the cylinder heads to help both performance and packaging. It also runs an 80-degree bank angle, and the Nilu’s fully exposed engine bay lets heat escape more effectively.

A Driver-Focused Hypercar

“This is the moment theory became reality,” Selipanov noted. “By firing up this stunning V12 we didn’t only prove our engineering capabilities, we delivered the soul of the NILU. As most of the automotive world embraces digital and electric sterility, we’ve doubled down on the raw, visceral drama of high RPM, naturally aspirated internal combustion. The Nilu27/Hartley V12 will make our hypercar truly timeless.”

A Manual Transmission for Enthusiasts

Making the Nilu hypercar all the more desirable is the fact it will be mated exclusively to a seven-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels. With the first round of testing complete, the engine will soon leave New Zealand and head to Nilu27’s production facility in Germany, where it will be installed in the company’s first driving prototype. It’s also been confirmed that the two companies will finalize a joint venture to create other high-performance, road-certified engines.

Production Plans and Limited Availability

Initial plans call for the Nilu to launch as just 15 track-only units, after which the company shifts its attention to a street-legal version capped at 54 examples.

Photos Nilu27