It has been a while since the Czinger 21C debuted back in February of 2020, but the level of performance provided by the car hasn’t gotten any less impressive. The makers of the 3D-printed hybrid hypercar are ready to show off their latest creation, which pays tribute to the 21C’s initial inspiration. Meet the Czinger 21C Blackbird Edition, named after the legendary Lockheed SR-71.
The Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird” is one of the most famous military aircraft ever created, starting its service life with the United States Armed Forces back in 1966. The imposing reconnaissance aircraft is an utter technological marvel, remaining the fastest air-breathing aircraft in the world for nearly 60 consecutive years, despite its retirement back in 1999. While the special edition Czinger isn’t going to be breaking Mach 3 any time soon, the car certainly embraces the SR-71’s advancement material usage. The cars are designed using the brand’s proprietary Human-AI system, with an extensive focus placed on additive manufacturing. This 3D-printing approach is the work of the automaker’s parent company Divergent, who manufactures the 21C chassis and components in-house. This allows the company to take advantage of their own lightweight alloy, as well as materials like carbon fiber. Every 21C model features an inline seating set-up in a nod to the original Blackbird.
In order to make this particular tribute more obvious, the 21C Blackbird gets a few unique visual touches. The paint is a bespoke Jet Black hue, which is a fun play on the name. There’s a ton of exposed carbon throughout, which works in tandem with an SR-71 livery. The wheel has also been revised, with spokes reminiscent of the plane’s silhouette. Out back, you’ll notice a reworked exhaust setup, which has been modified to look like the afterburners on the back of the Blackbird. Output jumps by 100 hp as well, now sitting at a ridiculous 1350 hp. That level of performance is the result of the brand’s bespoke 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8, which is mated to a set of electric motors mounted up front.
The airplane inspiration continues inside the cabin, which features bespoke Blackbird finishes. The seats themselves have been styled to look like the glow of an afterburner, while additional titanium components are a nod to the SR-71. The tight cabin doesn't hurt the comparisons either, though there are noticeably fewer buttons to deal with in this road-going Blackbird. There’s also a suite of custom badging inside and out.
There’s no denying that this thing is gonna be fast. Czinger and crew have already proven that the 21C can smash lap records on command, ripping off legendary runs at both Laguna Seca and Circuit of the Americas. To that end, it would be pretty cool to have another Blackbird out there securing speed records. These special editions might ultimately be as rare as the military jet, however. Czinger only plans to build 80 21C models across all of its special edition projects. With the standard car and the V Max already garnering plenty of attention over the years, it will be interesting to see how many allocations this nameplate receives.
Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.
