The Lamborghini Huracan, the Bugatti Chiron, the Koenigsegg Gemera and the gorgeous CC850 all have something in common. Can you guess what it is? They all have been designed by Sasha Selipanov. After his past accolades, Sasha has decided to leave Koenigsegg (bold move) and start his own company, Nilu27. A peculiar name, you might think, but Nilu is an abbreviation of Sasha’s children (Nica and Lucia), while the 27 is an ode to Gille Villeneuve’s racing number. The company's first car is just called the Nilu, and it looks quite frankly bonkers. Let’s start with a brief history about the man behind the latest hypercar on the block, before we get into all its intricate details. 

Sasha Selipanov started off working with the Volkswagen Group contributing to multiple projects from VW, Audi, Lamborghini and Bugatti. One of his most notable design successes was the Lamborghini Huracan which was unveiled in 2013. He became the Head of Exterior Design for Bugatti later on, and he went on to design the beautiful Chiron, which was previewed by the Vision Gran Turismo.

Next up were his exploits at Genesis as Head of Advanced Design, which evolved into the Essentia and Mint concept cars. His influence is still seen with the current Genesis range, including the Magma performance models. He then took on one of the most sought after positions in the automotive market: Head of Design at Koenigsegg Automotive. His endeavours at the Swedish manufacturer have formed the Gemera and the stunning CC850. Now, he finds himself as the Founder and CEO of Nilu27, who have just unveiled the Nilu, a naturally aspirated V12 powered work of art on four wheels. 

The ethos behind creating the Nilu was Sasha’s pursuit of simplistic driving pleasure, which he says have been hindered by the addition of excessive technology and screens in modern hypercars. In an interview with Top Gear, Sasha said that adding more technology was not necessarily adding more emotion for the driver and that he much preferred bare bones, borderline race cars. The Nilu is just that, boasting a full carbon fibre tub, an aluminium subframe and double wishbone pushrod suspension. Strong carbon brakes come courtesy of Brembo. Even with everything put together, the Nilu weighs around 1,200 kg - that’s lighter than a new F66 Mini.

The exterior shape of the Nilu strikes me the most, with smooth and precise lines on the front of the car, resembling some of Sasha’s previous work. The C-shaped running light is straight from an early design study of the Chiron, while the single central wiper blade is common on most Koenigseggs. A highlight for me is the NACA duct, inspired by one of Sasha’s favourite designs: the Lamborghini Countach. The glass canopy also reminds me of the McLaren Senna or the legendary Mclaren F1, although the split window design may not be ideal for fast food drive throughs.

The rear of the Nilu is definitely more complicated, with almost no body panels hiding the engine and the diffuser being held in place by two struts attached to the rear chassis. The engine and the exhaust take priority, although I am unsure how much of this extreme cooling solution will be allowed by the road safety regulators. The only thing I'd change would be the rear lights, integrating them better into the bodywork as opposed to having them stand out as much as they currently do.

And now for the engine, which I think should be placed next to the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. The 6.5 litre naturally aspirated V12 has been built by Hartley engines. The New Zealand based company owned by Nelson Hartley, the brother of three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Brendon Hartley, vows that the engine is completely bespoke for the Nilu.

The powertrain has been inspired by the F1 engines of the 80s, and features a hot-V configuration, which is commonly seen on turbocharged engines and sees the intakes on the outside of the block while the exhausts stem from the inside of the V. While the torque figure is relatively low at 465 lb ft (630 Nm), the engine produces 1070 bhp and revs up to an astronomical 11,000 RPM…

To transfer this power to the rear wheels, the Nilu seeks professional aid from a seven speed manual gearbox made by CIMA, the same company that provided the ‘boxes for the angelic Pagani Zonda and the Koenigsegg CC850. 

The interior is not Sasha’s work but that of Etienne Salome, who was also responsible for the cabin design of the Bugatti Chiron, and we all know how much praise that interior gets for its timeless style. Sticking to that theme, there are no screens inside the Nilu, other than for a reversing camera. The analog driver’s cluster is dominated by four circular dials.

Two large dials are placed on the outside of the steering wheel’s circumference to prevent the rim blocking your view. They are centre staged and have complex mechanisms inside them, just like a watch, and they also glow red on this particular car, as if the cabin was lacking enough drama. The driver’s pedals and dash move back and forth, and the steering wheel has been inspired and modelled on Jean Alesi’s F1 wheel, adding more evidence of motorsport inspiration manifesting in the Nilu.

One drawback of letting your imagination run wild is the increasing difficulty in abiding by some pesky road regulations, as the Nilu is not homologated for road use just yet, however there are plans for a road legal one in the future. The prototype variant you see in the pictures is limited to just 15 units priced at £2.9 million. The road legal Nilu could be priced closer to £2.2 million, and 54 units - or double 27 - will be made, of which four will be one-off specials. The official unveiling of the car will be on the 15th of August at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance where it will immediately share the stage with cars from brands that Sasha Selipanov formerly worked for. I have no doubt that, as with his previous designs, the Nilu hypercar will steal the spotlight.