Czinger 21C Spyder Debuts the First Fully Additive Brake System

Czinger's 21C Spyder Puts a Fully Additive Brake System on the Road

Czinger Vehicles has put the first fully additive brake assembly into production. The new BrakeNode, debuting on the 21C Spyder, combines the brake caliper, suspension upright, and hydraulic fluid passages into a single topology-optimized structure printed in aluminum.

Czinger claims a 30% reduction in unsprung mass and stiffness compared to a conventional brake setup, with stopping distances shortened by as much as 15%. Hollow load-bearing sections make up 37% of the part's material, and internal channels replace the exposed brake lines typical of a standard installation.

The company pressure-tested BrakeNode to 500 bar, roughly eight times the maximum load the brake system sees in normal driving. Front calipers use titanium pistons borrowed from Formula 1, which Czinger says keep brake fluid about 15% cooler than stainless-steel pistons. Rear calipers use aluminum pistons to save weight.

The system clamps carbon-ceramic rotors measuring 16.1 inches up front and 15.3 inches at the rear. Those rotors come standard on the 21C Spyder and will also be available as a retrofit for existing 21C HDF and VMax owners.

Additive manufacturing is already central to the 21C platform. Czinger said 23% of the Spyder was produced using AM processes developed by its sister company, Divergent Technologies. The MegaNode part folds the steering rack, motor housings, front suspension, and crash structure into a single piece, cutting weight by 25% compared to building those components separately. The gearbox casing is also additively manufactured and topology-optimized, which Czinger claims is a first for a production car.

The 21C Spyder starts at $2.75 million. Only 30 units will be hand-assembled at Czinger's Area 21 facility in Los Angeles. The car uses a removable carbon-fiber roof and a 1,250-hp hybrid powertrain.