LeftLaneNews
Rivian preparing rally-like sports car

Rivian preparing rally-like sports car

It will be the brand's third model.

Rivian emerged from stealth mode when it unveiled a pair of concept cars at the 2018 Los Angeles auto show. Named R1T and R1S, respectively, they preview the brand's first two production models. It's not stopping there. The firm has announced its third model will boast rally car-like levels of off-road performance.

"The third vehicle will have a smaller wheelbase [than the R1S SUV] and will be the Rivian interpretation of a rally car with a lot of ground clearance," company founder RJ Scaringe told British magazine Autocar on the sidelines of the Los Angeles show. He added the model's performance will be "bananas."

That's the only information he gave, so we'll have to wait to learn more. Production of the R1T and the R1S is scheduled to start in about 2020 in a former Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois. The rally-like car won't arrive until the early 2020s.

Scaringe added that Rivian is open to selling the modular skateboard platform its cars are built on to other automakers as long as they're not using the underpinnings to build competing products. Since introducing the concepts in Los Angeles, the company has received several requests from car-makers and companies not currently in the automotive industry who want to launch their own line of vehicle.

Note: Rivian R1S concept pictured. Photo by Brian Williams.