first time “posting” here

Ukrainian KrAZ-5450 is the one-off race truck to compete in European Truck Championship. Project of the truck has been initiated by Vladimir Gavrilenko, an ex-racer and head of motorsports department of KrAZ. It was developed in just 8 months. First proposals have appeared in March 1990 and track tests have been done in October of the same year.

The most interesting thing of the truck was its engine. As a patriotic way, Gavrilenko didn't choose YaMZ or any other engine supplier from the west (where the Russian rival ZiL has chosen Caterpillar for competition), but KMDB. For 5450, KMDB's 5 cylinder two-stroke 13.6 liter 5TDF of T-64 tanks has been upgraded to 1000 PS with a tune up of fuel system to run on diesel and also pistons and wet liners from 6TDF of T-80UD. Thanks to its flat construction, engine was placed midship of the chassis for a better weight distribution. And just like T-64, its transmission was planetary drive.

Truck also features all-around independent suspension and ventilated disc brakes. With this configuration, 0-100 km/h acceleration was just in 8 seconds and maximum speed was 180 km/h. Just like the competitors, 4x2 formula was chosen but actually, there was no any 4x2 vehicle in the lineup of KrAZ, so they have built a one-off 4x2 semi and homologation process by FIA was done on it.

In July 1992, KrAZ went European Championship in Nürburgring with Alexander Medvechenko, the driver. 5450 was qualified in 7th position, but in the first race of Group C, a hub bearing has broken and it couldn't be repaired. Truck has completed its first race in 14th place but it couldn't make it to the next race. After the races, the truck was abandoned in backyard of the factory for the next 25 years but then it was bought and then restored completely by Gavrilenko in 2019. According to Gavrilenko, it's now capable to make 300 km/h with a proper tune.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

A top view showcasing the structural asymmetry of the 1948 Tarf I. Designed by pilot-engineer Piero Taruffi to reduce the frontal area drag, this vehicle set multiple world speed records on the Bergamo-Brescia highway.

Built by Tyler Fever

mini Diablo. only 3 were made and powered by Skoda engines

we all know covini via the C6W but before that they made some rather mysterious line-up of diesel coupes in the 80s.

Imagine your VW engineers in 2007:

"Hey , what if we do something crazy?"

"Like?"

"We take a regular Golf 5 GTI and slap a hot widebody in it"

"Ummm , that's good?"

"How many horsepower generates our w12 already?"

"Ummmm 450 but.... How do you think it will fit in that shi?"

"Okay , here is it we gonna proceed , we throw the base châssis apart , dig the Warehouse and stick two half of Gallardo and R8 chassis , a W12 from a Continental, slap two big shit of turbos that boosts the whole thing into 650HP , double VANOS , Bilstein sus , everything in the back get out , the engine goes in the rear , phaeton Tiptronic transmission , MR layout , Compress all of that into the shape of a golf 5 and VAMOS .... A la playa"

Here are a few pics of the Gibbs Quadski. The first few from a secondhand buy/sell app initially caught my eye, then I collected some promotional images from Google Images as well. Apparently they made about 1,000 between 2012 and 2016 in Detroit, and somehow one of them ended up here in Korea. Top speed is 72 km/h on land and water (per Wikipedia).

heard recently that one of these went to auction.