Found this on UK Rods n Sods forum, sorry if its a re-post... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring...istmas-road-test-Packard-engined-Bentley.html
Ah the days of iron men and wooden cars. I doubt I have the fortitude to attempt what the author of the article did, actually driving this beast. So "good show" to the UK "mates" and "cheers" for a safe 2011 should they continue to flog this car at speed.
Love to see that thing brought under control (i.e. proper brakes and steering) and then driven in anger. I wonder how much abuse that old Bentley drive-train could take.
Looks like something from a MadMax movie. Anybody know what that engine was originaqlly used for? My computor dosn't have sound, so if they mentioned it i didn't hear it. Engine looks odd, 12 cyl in-line? Must've been a boat motor. I recall that some prewar Rolls or Bentlys had about 1200hp and i think used the Merlin aircraft engine, a V12. Maybe a UK'r will chime in and post a pic of one of those. Could you imagine driving 1200hp on about a 5" wide tire with wet cobbled streets? That is a sick puppy that made those things, be a miracle if any of them have survived.
Wow,42 litre,1200hp,V12 MTB engine,awesome!,can you imagine what it must have been like racing those kind of machines back in the day? David
Hadn't seen that one - I did run across this one a while back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtKtwoqhJ6U I don't speak German, but it appears to be a 47 litre with chain drive.
packard built those big engines for PT boats. If the car builders had just used the tech developed during the war it's unimaginable how wicked the 60's hp wars would have been.