Techrules has been one of the biggest, flashiest stories of the past two Geneva Motor Shows, and as Geneva 2018 approaches, the company is positioning itself to being front and center yet again by premiering a track version of last year's Ren turbine range-extender supercar. The new Ren RS maintains the potent turbine-extended electric powertrain and radical fighter jet inspiration of the street car but loses two passenger seats, drops some weight and gains lap-optimizing aero tech.
With its triple-bubble canopy and cutting edge six-motor, turbine-extender powertrain, the Techrules Ren was among the most compelling exotic car highlights of Geneva 2017. While showing that version, the company also mentioned a single-seat track variant and a two-seat coupe. This year, we'll get to see what the single-seater is all about.
Prior to showing the Ren, Techrules revealed a track and road-going concept duo at Geneva 2016, and the track car was the clear highlight of the two. We'll see if the new track car again upstages its street counterpart.
Techrules is saving the nuts-and-bolts specifics for the world debut, but it does promise a lighter, performance-focused version of the Ren. The bird's eye view makes clear a large rear wing, plenty of aero work down low, and enhanced venting. The Italian motorsport specialists at L.M. Gianetti, who previously helped Techrules with the Ren's chassis and suspension systems, lent their expertise in readying the Ren RS for the track.
Thanks to the loss of the two passenger berths of the 1+2 street car configuration, the Ren RS has a narrow central cockpit. As with the road car, the driver enters after opening a fighter jet-like canopy. Fabrizio and Giorgetto Giugiaro once again handled the styling, and we can't wait to see every angle of their single-seat vision.
The Ren RS relies on either a four- or six-motor powertrain layout. The six-motor powertrain has two motors up front and four in back, combining for up to 1,287 hp (960 kW) and powering the car to a flat three-second 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint and 205-mph (330-km/h) top speed. Both powertrain layouts rely on a turbine-driven generator to rapidly charge the 28-kWh battery pack, increasing max range to 727-mi (1,170 km) per 80-liter tank of diesel fuel.
Beyond just debuting flashy show cars in Geneva, Techrules is busy building strategic partnerships inside and outside of China to enhance its engineering, production and distribution capabilities, while also exploring other automotive and non-automotive uses for its turbine technology. It plans to launch the production Ren within the next two years.
New Atlas just booked its tickets to Geneva and will be on the floor covering all the action. We'll bring you more details about the Ren RS and other Techrules announcements as they become available.
In the meantime, you can take a full look back at the awesome Techrules Ren from last year's show in our gallery and compare it to the Ren RS preview photo.
Source: Techrules
