Menu
Cancel

Browse over 9,000 car reviews

    guides

    adventureguide

    evguide

    familyguide

    tradieguide

    urbanguide

    0 Logout

    Browse over 9,000 car reviews

    17 August 2017

    Take your favourite engine and double it. What do you have? Too much.

    By James LisleJames Lisle
    "Yes officer, of course it's road legal. Why do you ask?" (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook)

    Fitting one giant engine into a car usually seems to satisfy the illogical imaginations of some, but this guy tried that out already. And it didn't really cut the mustard. For him, anyway.

    Built by Gary Kollofski out in Minnesota, this 1957 Chevrolet is powered by two 240kW (320hp) BMW 750iL M73 V12 engines.

    Totaling out at 656ci, or 10.7-litres for those who have already discovered fire, the (now-carburetted) engines have been locked together via a custom gear case so they can send their ‘many powers' to a heavy-duty tractor gearbox.

    • Though the '57 Chev hasn't hit the dyno, the original M73 V12 pushes out 240kW (320hp) and 490Nm. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook) Though the '57 Chev hasn't hit the dyno, the original M73 V12 pushes out 240kW (320hp) and 490Nm. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook)
    • The craftsmanship here is so beautiful, the extractors in particular. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook) The craftsmanship here is so beautiful, the extractors in particular. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook)
    • Mmmm.. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook) Mmmm.. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook)
    • Crank power comes in via the two side gears on the bottom, spinning the two top gears, then the main centre output gear for the transmission. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook) Crank power comes in via the two side gears on the bottom, spinning the two top gears, then the main centre output gear for the transmission. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook)
    • Gary has said that when the exhaust is finished it will have four 2.5-inch pipes running out the back. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook) Gary has said that when the exhaust is finished it will have four 2.5-inch pipes running out the back. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook)
    • The engine's capacity rolls out at 730ci (about 12-litres). (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook) The engine's capacity rolls out at 730ci (about 12-litres). (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook)
    • Gary's previous work was a 1955 Chev with a marine V12 under the hood. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook) Gary's previous work was a 1955 Chev with a marine V12 under the hood. (image credit: Holly Performance Products/Facebook)

    But despite all of the mental engineering going on, BMW too once went a little too far with one of their engines. Though in a German way.

    Honed as an almost BMW M7-sh thing, the BMW "Goldfisch V16" was originally conceived as a presentation to the suit-wearing BMW executives of the "design possibilities offered by the new engine series, with its small cylinder spacing and small cylinder clearance". Or at least that's what they told them.

    • The E32 brought out a huge amount of technological firsts from BMW: dual-zone climate control, xenon headlights, electronic dampers... (image credit: Autoforum.cz) The E32 brought out a huge amount of technological firsts from BMW: dual-zone climate control, xenon headlights, electronic dampers... (image credit: Autoforum.cz)
    • And a massive 6.6-litre V16 engine. (image credit: Autoforum.cz) And a massive 6.6-litre V16 engine. (image credit: Autoforum.cz)
    • Power output hovered around 300kW (408hp), while torque was rated as 613Nm - all of which were fed through a six-speed manual gearbox. (image credit: Autoforum.cz) Power output hovered around 300kW (408hp), while torque was rated as 613Nm - all of which were fed through a six-speed manual gearbox. (image credit: Autoforum.cz)
    • Not what you'd call "discreet", but the scoops and louvres were needed in order to make it work. (image credit: Autoforum.cz) Not what you'd call "discreet", but the scoops and louvres were needed in order to make it work. (image credit: Autoforum.cz)
    • Huge fans were needed to suck out the extra heat. (image credit: Autoforum.cz) Huge fans were needed to suck out the extra heat. (image credit: Autoforum.cz)
    • *Practical* (image credit: Autoforum.cz) *Practical* (image credit: Autoforum.cz)
    • It never went into production, but that doesn't mean it'll be forgotten. (image credit: Autoforum.cz) It never went into production, but that doesn't mean it'll be forgotten. (image credit: Autoforum.cz)

    In reality, it was kind of a 'meh, why not' idea that spawned between the engineering eggheads. Think of it as a way of BMW's engineers letting their hair down - it was even finished on Christmas.

    The donor 750i's M73 V12 engine (same as in Gary's '57 Chevy) was granted four extra cylinders and ended up being so long that the battery, radiator, and most of the electronic gubbins had to be relocated in the boot.

    That meant the ancillaries and cooling pipes had to run along the underside of the car up to the front - not good. It was also a thirsty engine that weighed a bit too, but at least it did developed its 300kW (408hp) smoothly and in near-silence. But hey, who cares about fuel consumption when you own a E32 7-series and, most likely, a Russian oil refinery, too.

    What do you think of BMW's M73 V12? Who did the better mods - BMW or Gary? Tell us what you think in the comments below

    Comments