When one goes about designing a car, they have to consider aerodynamics and any of those other features that improve performance.
But there’s one thing that trumps the rest. It is, in Sasha Selipanov’s mind, the “holy shit” moment.
“This is an important parameter of designing a hypercar,” he said. “The first emotion should be ‘holy shit.’ Everything else comes later.”
When Nilu27 co-founders Sasha and Inna Selipanov pulled off the cover to their company’s first vehicle, the self-titled Nilu hypercar on stage at the 18th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Thursday, Aug. 15, it was an immediate success.
“Holy shit!” someone yelled from the crowd gathered around the stage.
The V12-powered, 1,070-horsepower vehicle will initially be available in a limited run with production capped at 15 units. The prototype vehicles and first batch of customer cars will be assembled by Aria Group in Irvine, allowing Nilu27 to ramp-up its own facilities overseas.
Sasha Selipanov said the seven-speed manual transmission Nilu is a return to the analog-based vehicles of yore, forgoing the electrification in modern vehicles he noted has dulled and overcomplicated the driving experience. No “driving modes” can be switched on here, and the steering wheel, pedal box, headrest, door mirrors and other adjustments are accessed by manual levers and switches.
Selipanov has worked in the car design industry for 20 years, including stints at Bugatti, Lamborghini, Koenigsegg and Genesis. He told the Weekly that the Pebble Beach locale is “probably the most iconic backdrop for a car unveiling in the world,” as golfers swung their clubs nearby and others smoked cigars as they checked out the vehicle.
“It’s so iconic here,” he says. “This is the stuff of magazine covers. For us to be here is an honor.”
The Nilu event was part of a series of unveilings at Pebble Beach on Aug. 15, which included the 2025 BMW M5 and the British electric vehicle RBW.