The departure of Adrian Newey from Red Bull Racing marked the end of one of the most successful eras in motorsport history. However, before the designer moved on to his next project, he worked on one last physical manifestation of his unrestricted engineering ideas. The RB17 hypercar is not a Formula 1 car, but it is built using the same principles that have won multiple world championships. It serves as a final bridge between the racing team and the commercial arm of Red Bull Advanced Technologies.
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Aerodynamics that are out of syllabus
In Formula 1, designers are constantly restricted by thousands of pages of technical regulations. The RB17 project allowed Newey to ignore those boundaries. The car utilizes “ground effect” technology, which pulls the vehicle toward the track surface to increase grip. This is the same concept found in modern F1 cars, but on the RB17, it is taken to an extreme level.
The car features active aerodynamic parts, such as wings and diffusers that move in real time to balance the air pressure. This allows the car to remain stable at high speeds while providing enough downforce to corner at levels usually reserved for professional racing drivers. Newey has noted that the car is designed to be accessible. While it has the performance of a top tier race car, the settings can be adjusted so that a regular enthusiast can learn to drive it safely. This focus on “user friendly” speed is a hallmark of Newey’s later design philosophy.
Air manipulator on the outside, roaring monster on the inside
While Newey is famous for his work with air, the RB17 is built around a massive power source. It features a naturally aspirated V10 engine that produces over 1,000 horsepower. Choosing a V10 instead of a modern turbocharged V6 or a hybrid system was a deliberate choice to prioritize sound and emotional connection. The engine can rev up to 15,000 RPM, a figure that is almost unheard of in vehicles sold to the public.
To make the car manageable, an electric motor provides an additional 200 horsepower. This motor helps with low speed driving and fills in the power gaps while the engine is climbing toward its high rev limit. The entire chassis is made of carbon fiber, keeping the total weight of the car under 900 kilograms. This power to weight ratio means the RB17 is capable of lap times that would rival a Formula 1 car on most international circuits.
How does one go about owning one of the RB17 iterations?
Buying an RB17 is not like buying a standard luxury car. Red Bull has created a specialized program for the owners. Because the car is so fast, owners will receive specialized training from Red Bull’s own test drivers. They will also be invited to exclusive track days at some of the world’s most famous racing circuits.
The car is strictly for track use, meaning it cannot be driven on public roads. This allowed the engineers to prioritize performance over things like bumper heights or headlight shapes required by law. Each car is custom built to the owner’s specifications, including the seat shape and the pedal positions, ensuring a perfect fit for the person behind the wheel.
The Red Bull RB17 is limited to a production run of only 50 units. The starting price for this hypercar is approximately 5 million British pounds, which is roughly 6.3 million US dollars.
Most of the 50 units were sold to private collectors and long term Red Bull partners before the car was even shown to the public. Production is scheduled to begin in 2026, with the first customers expected to receive their vehicles toward the middle of that year. The car was most recently displayed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed to showcase its engine sound and aerodynamic profile to the general public.
