Cramming a war-surplus, 12-cylinder PT boat engine into an Bentley 8 Litre chassis may not look like the most sensible program, but watching this thing shake and roar itself awake will hammer some sense back into you—with the force of pistons that occupy 3.5-liter cylinders. Allegedly owned by Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, this Packard-Bentley is identified as “Mavis,” and it’s suitably antisocial to be owned by that distinguished gentleman.
Nevertheless, it is Chris Williams who should get credit for the construction of Mavis. Whilst its constituent parts are vintage, the build isn’t as old as it appears. It was truly constructed in 2010, according to The Telegraph in a very entertaining road test (that sadly lends no credence to the Lemmy connection). The monster is supercharged, and the 24 exhaust outlets are courtesy of a dual-exhaust port design. Williams thinks it makes 1500 horsepower, but perhaps the most staggering number is in regards to fuel consumption: 4 gallons per minute at speed.
Of course, it goes like hell, but stopping and turning are yet another matter. Who cares? Just listen to it light off. What a beast.
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This story initially appeared on roadandtrack.com.
Motör Overkill: 42-Liter PT Boat Engine Stuffed Into an eight-Liter Bentley
