Los Angeles-based supercar builder Czinger claims to have broken a Laguna Seca lap record with a prototype of its 21C. The time of 1:25:44 is said to have been set by driver Joel Miller, and eclipses the old track record of 1:27.62, set by Randy Pobst in a McLaren Senna.

​​​​​​​The time would seem to back up the ambitious specs laid out by the supercar startup. The strong hybrid electric is powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 and dual electric motors for an output of 1,331 horsepower. The entire car will weigh less than 2,800 pounds, putting 0-62 times at what the company says is just 1.9 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 268 mph.

The Czinger was engineered to be built via 3D-printing, allowing for dramatically shortened development times and cost savings. Advantages include being able to produce, say, a suspension arm without having to manufacture the tooling first. Still, each tandem-seater supercar takes 3,000 to 4,000 hours to make.

Only 80 units will be made, for a price of about $1.7 million. Included in that tally is a more track-oriented widebody version. The car was supposed to be shown to the public in 2020, first at its Geneva Motor Show debut, and then at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, but both of those events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the downtime, however, Czinger says they've been making incremental improvements to the car.

Production has been delayed, partially due to the chip shortage caused by the pandemic. After 21C production ends, Czinger says they're looking to offer three additional models. Some will utilize what they've learned in making the 21C for a lower-priced model.

The Laguna Seca lap record proves that the car has solid design behind it. We look forward to seeing what production looks like when it begins in 2022.