he Rhino RR01 starts at $40,000 as a kit car but requires assembly and doesn't include an engineOptional Audi R8-derived V10 and Porsche PDK transmission add another $42,831 to the total costMade in Lithuania, it's the country's first "supercar" and comes with aluminum T6 monocoque construction Right, this is either brilliant or completely mental, and I'm not entirely sure which. Because a company in Lithuania – Lithuania! – has decided to build what they're calling a supercar that you have to assemble yourself. It's like IKEA furniture, except instead of getting a wonky bookshelf that requires three hours and a nervous breakdown to construct, you get a proper sports car with an Audi V10 and Porsche transmission. The Rhino RR01 represents one of those wonderfully mad projects that could only exist in the modern automotive world, where a small Baltic nation decides to take on Ferrari and McLaren using recycled German parts and a business model that requires customers to become their own automotive engineers. It costs $40,000, which sounds brilliant until you realize that's just for the kit – no engine, no assembly, no guarantee you won't end up with something that looks like it was built by particularly ambitious teenagers. But here's the thing: when fully equipped with the optional Audi V10 and Porsche PDK transmission, you're looking at over $120,000, which puts you squarely in proper supercar territory. At that point, you have to ask whether building your own supercar is a brilliant way to save money or an expensive way to discover that some things are better left to professionals. Rhino RR01 kit specifications and components The RR01 isn't just some fiberglass body shell slapped onto an existing chassis – this is proper engineering from a country not particularly known for automotive excellence. The aluminum T6 monocoque construction provides genuine structural integrity, while the fully adjustable suspension suggests that someone in Lithuania actually understands what makes cars handle properly. The optional Audi V10 comes from an older R8 and receives what Rhino describes as a complete breakdown and refresh, with nearly every component being repaired or replaced. This isn't just pulling an engine from a scrapyard and hoping for the best – this is proper remanufacturing that should result in something approaching new-car reliability. The Porsche PDK seven-speed dual-clutch automatic also gets similar treatment, which means you're getting genuinely sophisticated transmission technology rather than some agricultural manual box. The combination of Audi power and Porsche gear changes represents the sort of German engineering excellence that money usually can't buy at this price point. The aerodynamic package includes a manually adjustable rear wing, large rear diffuser, and front air intake that looks suspiciously like what you'd find on a Porsche GT3. Whether these components actually work or just look the part remains to be seen, but at least someone in Lithuania understands that supercars need to look like they could slice through air. Rhino RR01 pricing and value proposition The base price of $40,023 seems almost too good to be true, until you start adding the options that transform this from an interesting kit into a proper supercar. The fully rebuilt Audi V10 and Porsche PDK transmission cost another $42,831, while various upgrade packages can add thousands more for things like big brakes, carbon fiber, and interior improvements. By the time you've specified the RR01 properly, you're looking at over $120,000, which puts you in the territory where you could buy a used Audi R8, Porsche 911 Turbo, or even a Ferrari 360. This raises the fundamental question of whether building your own supercar makes financial sense when you could buy something built by people with decades of experience. However, the RR01 offers something those alternatives don't: uniqueness. When was the last time you saw another RR01 at the local coffee shop? When every car park contains multiple examples of whatever supercar you're considering, there's something appealing about driving something that literally no one else has. The kit car approach also means you can customize the RR01 in ways that traditional manufacturers would never allow. Want a different engine? The RR01 is reportedly configured to accept various powerplants, so you could theoretically install anything from a Coyote V8 to whatever mad powerplant strikes your fancy. Rhino company background and future Rhino was founded just two years ago in Lithuania, which makes them either refreshingly ambitious or completely delusional. Building a supercar company from scratch is difficult enough when you're in Germany or Italy; doing it in a country better known for basketball than automotive excellence requires either genuine brilliance or magnificent delusion. The fact that they've focused on just one model suggests a level of self-awareness that's often missing from ambitious startup car companies. Rather than trying to build an entire range of vehicles, they've concentrated on getting one car right, which is exactly what you'd want from a small company with limited resources. The RR01 nomenclature suggests they're planning additional models – presumably an RR02 and so forth – but for now, they're sensibly focusing on establishing their reputation with a single, well-executed product. This approach has worked for other small manufacturers who understood that doing one thing brilliantly is better than doing many things adequately. Whether Rhino can build a sustainable business around Lithuanian-built kit cars remains to be seen, but the RR01 suggests they understand what enthusiasts want: genuine performance at accessible prices, wrapped in styling that looks properly expensive. The challenge will be execution and building a reputation for quality in a market where customers are understandably skeptical of new manufacturers. The interior features racing seats from Tillett, a Formula One-inspired steering wheel with integrated screen, and proper amenities like Apple CarPlay and air conditioning. This suggests Rhino understands that even kit car buyers don't want to sacrifice all comfort for the sake of authenticity. The RR01 represents something important in the modern automotive landscape: proof that small companies can still create interesting cars using clever engineering and recycled components from major manufacturers. Whether it represents genuine value or an expensive way to learn automotive assembly skills depends largely on your perspective and mechanical aptitude. For someone with the skills and patience to assemble a complex kit car, the RR01 offers a path to supercar ownership that doesn't require supercar wealth. For everyone else, it serves as a reminder that sometimes the most interesting automotive projects come from the most unexpected places.
