Awesome, Defined: The 10-Liter, Radial-Engined Goggomobil

"Awesome" is overused to the point of meaninglessness. Until now. We guarantee you'll be filled with some serious awe at this spectacle of unbelievable mechanical prowess. Your jaw will drop at this — the 10,220cc, radial-engined 360 HP Goggomobil.

The Russian-built, 10220cc Vedeneyev M14P radial engine was originally commissioned in the 1930's for airplanes and over the years power rose from 360 HP to a stout 460 HP when electronic injection was added. The Goggomobil was a German-built micro-car, like many ulta-compacts which sprouted up during the post-war era. Its most powerful iteration produced all of 20 HP. The two were never intended to go together, but a German mad man named Uwe Wulf has married radial monster to microcar for what is easily one of the most technically impressive and plain old-fashioned spectacular small car/big engine transplants we've ever seen.

The process began with a fully stripped-down and heavily reinforced Goggomobil, to which the 9-cylinder radial producing 360 HP and 666 lb-ft of torque was lowered and installed just behind where the front seats go. The controls, fuel system, air pressure ignition system, rear differential and fully independent suspension was then installed or fabricated and the body lowered onto the creation. This is the point where this project deviates from most. You don't exactly hit the parts catalog and order transmission to fit an M14P, and neither did Uwe. He built his own. From scratch.

Watching him fabricate the parts for the custom built two speed transmission, assemble the whole thing meticulously and then afterward take it for a test drive makes us question how much one person is capable of. This is brilliance and insanity on a much higher level than we've seen in a very long time, perhaps ever. Rarely does something deserve the term, but we think "epic" applies here. Our hats are off to you sir, for putting us mortals in our places. (Thanks for the tip Esteban)

[Deutche-Werke.de]

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