Brutus (car)
| Brutus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Also called | Brutus BMW |
| Production | 2006 |
| Assembly | Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Custom car |
| Body style | Open Wheeler |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Platform | 1907/1908 American LaFrance |
| Related | Heinkel He 111 Napier-Bentley Napier-Railton Packard-Bentley The Beast Meteor |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 46,899.9 cc (2,862.01 cu in) BMW VI V12 |
| Power output | 490–550 brake horsepower (500–560 PS; 370–410 kW) @ 1,530 rpm (Standard) 750 brake horsepower (760 PS; 560 kW) @ 1,700 rpm (Temporarily) 3,730 newton-metres (2,750 lb⋅ft) @ 1,000 rpm (Standard) 4,672 newton-metres (3,446 lb⋅ft) @ 800 rpm (Temporarily) |
| Transmission | 3-speed chain drive |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 4,500 millimetres (178 in) |
| Length | 5,370 millimetres (211.6 in) |
| Width | 1,611 millimetres (63.4 in) |
| Height | 1,420 millimetres (56 in) |
| Kerb weight | 2,537 kg (5,593 lb)[1] |
Brutus is an aero-engined car. It is powered by a water-cooled 47 L (2,900 cu in) BMW V12 aircraft engine, which produces between 490–550 hp (370–410 kW) @ 1530 rpm, but can produce a maximum of 750 hp (560 kW) @ 1700 rpm for shorts bursts of one minute, and is mated to a 1907/1908 American LaFrance chassis.[2][3][4][5]
Background
Brutus made an appearance on the British television program Top Gear on 4 March 2012, during the sixth episode of Season 18.[6][7][8] The Brutus was built in Germany shortly after World War II, when a 1908 American LaFrance car was fitted with a 46.9-liter (2,862 cu in) V12 BMW aircraft engine that dates to 1925. The car was created over several years at a workshop at the Auto & Technik Museum in Sinsheim, Germany, which still owns it. According to the Museum, the Brutus can produce 500 hp (370 kW) at 1,500 rpm, while its fuel efficiency averages 1 L/km (2.8 mpg‑imp).[9] Driving the car on Top Gear, presenter Jeremy Clarkson described the experience as akin to "doing a crossword while being eaten by a tiger".[7]
References
- ^ "V12 BMW plane engine from WW2; 47000cc engine. 2537kg weight; 748PS; Brutus - from the Technic Museum at Sinsheim, Germany - Car". 9GAG.
- ^ "More on the BMW Brutus". Top Gear. July 11, 2011.
- ^ "Fire Breathing BMW 46.0-liter V12-Powered Brutus Will Scare Even the Bravest Kids". Carscoops. March 11, 2011.
- ^ O'Carroll, Damien (August 22, 2021). "Meet Brutus, the most dangerous car in the world". Stuff.
- ^ Magazin, Sia (June 18, 2018). "The Brutus' Bomber BMW, With a 46-liter BMW V12 Engine".
- ^ "Top Gear, Series 18, Episode 6". BBC.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ a b "More from the Brutus and Bentley". TopGear.com. BBC. 6 March 2012. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "850bhp aero-engined Bentley for sale". TopGear.com. BBC. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ^ Mihalascu, Dan (10 March 2011). "Fire Breathing BMW 46.0-liter V12-Powered Brutus Will Scare Even the Bravest Kids". Carscoops. Retrieved 23 November 2014.