Ah, here we are at what tends to be the most fun part of any vehicle review — and the R1S is certainly no exception. Its performance — both on-road and off-road — is the sort of thing that medieval bards would have traveled the land to sing effusively about, accompanied by, you know, lutes. (Toss a coin to your witcher, O Silicon Valley of plenty...) Like a well-designed trebuchet in those times, it’s a wonder to behold.
Let’s begin with the on-road experience. One of the first things Rivian’s reps encouraged me to do behind the wheel was find a relatively clear, straight stretch of road, bring the vehicle to a stop and, well, punch it. So I did exactly that...and this 7,000-pound beast took off like it had been launched from the aforementioned trebuchet.
The rush vaguely reminded me of test-driving a Tesla several years ago, but even more of cranking the throttle on a Zero SR/F because it was just so…damn…smooth. In the promised three seconds, I was humming along at 60 miles per hour, and it took just a skosh more pedal pressure to jump to 80 mph. Off to a good start, to say the least.
I then got to co-drive an R1S from Windham to Monticello, a 70-plus mile drive on mostly winding, two-lane roads. It also happened to be raining the morning of the drive, an additional variable that the R1S did not sweat. The vehicle features nine different drive modes, plus highway assist and adaptive cruise control, so it’s ready for just about anything.
For most of the drive, the rain was mere drizzle, so I did what any self-respecting driver would in such circumstances: slip it in Sport mode and zip through the twisties. Largely driving with one-foot, I found the R1S to be surprisingly nimble, responsive and fun. Sport mode automatically adjusts the ride height, suspension, power delivery and throttle mapping for optimal on-road performance, and you can feel it.
Without a doubt, the biggest on-road takeaway was that it felt more like a streamlined sports car than an SUV, despite being 200 inches long and 87 inches wide with the mirrors out.
Later on, we did run into what was pretty much a downpour, but the R1S was hardly troubled. Beyond the windshield wipers whipping back and forth at full blast, the handling itself felt super stable and reliable. Much more challenging terrain was, after all, yet to come.