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The Ford Mustang GTD. The Aston Martin Valkyrie. There are plenty of track-ready performance cars out there for well-to-do racers. However, it’s not every day that you find a limited-release Red Bull racecar that mega-wealthy fans can buy to channel the brand’s F1-dominating tenure. Enter the razor-sharp Red Bull RB17, Adrian Newey’s F1-adjacent consumer-ready hypercar.

Red Bull is selling its first consumer-ready track car: the 1,000-horsepower, $6.5 million RB17

What do you get when Adrian Newey, Global Chief Technology Officer for Red Bull Racing, gets creative leeway to build a track-ready hypercar? You get the Red Bull RB17, a multi-million-dollar, limited-run racing car with a four-digit power output. Imagine a long, wide, low-slung racer to rival the Light Cycles from Tron.

“It was 2010 or so. Sony PlayStation approached me and asked if I’d be interested in designing a ‘no-rules’ sort of Formula 1 car.” That design became the X1, and Newey told Top Gear it was always in his mind. Fast forward over a decade, and Newey is showcasing his Red Bull RB17, a purpose-built hypercar. 

Red Bull will limit the RB17 to just 50 units. Consequently, the track-ready hypercar will start at around £5 million (about $6.5 million). The RB17 will be quite exclusive, indeed. Further, the consumer-focused F1-adjacent car is targeting around 1,000 horsepower courtesy of a Cosworth-made 4.5L V10, an electric motor, and a 15,000 RPM redline. 

Oh, and the name? Well, the global pandemic put an indefinite pin in the RB17 F1 car, leaving the moniker without a mount. So, to make it right, Newey’s creation gets the name. However, don’t think you’ll be able to slap a license plate on the RB17 and call it a day. Still, an X post by Joe Pompliano confirmed that Red Bull’s “first-ever road car” is track-only until you convert it for road use.

Better yet, weight is just somewhere just under 900 kg (about 1,984 lbs). As such, the RB17 has a ballistic power-to-weight ratio. Therein lies another of the RB17’s party tricks. Like a feather-weight Formula 1 racecar, the RB17 requires mass quantities of downforce to deliver peak track performance. 

And mass quantities of downforce it has. Newey and the team behind the Red Bull hypercar claim that its target is somewhere around 1,700 kg (roughly 3,748 lbs) of downforce at 150 mph. Remember when Newey mentioned the “no-rules” aspect of the PlayStation X1 car? Well, the same can be said of the RB17’s underside. 

While F1 cars are subject to miles of red tape and regulations, Newey’s private-market monster can grip the ground with fewer rules (or no rules) holding it back. See? The RB17’s looks aren’t just dramatic for appearance’s sake, despite its striking aesthetic. “Cars at this level should be art pieces,” Newey said of the RB17’s almost Hot Wheels-esque proportions.

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Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).