Unleashing the Beast: 1,200-HP V12 ‘Super Quad’ Speedster Reaches Dizzying Speeds
Some days, the only antidote to my existential crisis is the reckless abandon of a motorcycle. But let’s be real, that’s just a gateway to something even more extreme, like a V10-powered quad with over 1,000 horsepower. I mean, who needs sanity when you can have a vehicle that’ll likely kill you in a survivable way?
Enter Engler, a company that claims to be the pioneer of a new kind of machine: the “super quad.” It’s like someone looked at the Dodge Tomahawk and thought, “You know what? That’s just the starting point. We need more wheels, more power, and more ways to put yourself in harm’s way.” And then they gazed upon their 1,100-hp, V10 creation and thought, “This still isn’t extreme enough.”
The company’s first super quad was the Desat, powered by the 5.2-liter V10 from a Lamborghini or an Audi R8 (the latter, given its suspiciously R8-shaped headlights and taillights). With a mere 2,425 pounds to haul around, the Desat could accelerate from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds and hit 217 mph. All in a package smaller than a Honda Civic, with only the handlebars and your thigh muscles to keep you from flying off.
Now, Engler is upping the ante with the Engler V12, which boasts up to 1,200 horsepower and 885 lb-ft of torque. It’s said to be paired with an ultra-light eight-speed dual-clutch automatic that weighs less than 66 pounds – allegedly the lightest transmission ever fitted to a road car. How it holds up to the power of that V12, I have no idea. It’s not like the V12 model is any lighter than the V10 Desat, after all.
The Engler V12 does have some impressive specs, though: a carbon fiber monocoque, 3D-printed titanium accessories, and lightweight chromoly-titanium tubular subframes. However, it still weighs a whopping 2,645 pounds. That’s nothing, really, considering the power on tap. We’d go wild for a quarter of that in a Toyota GR86. I’m just surprised it’s not lighter.
The real question is: what’s it like to ride this behemoth? The answer is that it’s a supercar-motorcycle hybrid, with the stability and stopping power of a supercar and the open-air experience of a motorcycle. It probably handles like an oversized BAC Mono, with its forged aluminum and titanium double-wishbone suspension, electronic damping, and forged 20-inch magnesium wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber.
But let’s be real, the Engler V12 is also a ticking time bomb. If you thought high-siding a bike was bad, imagine doing it at the cornering speeds a four-wheeled vehicle on Cup 2s is capable of. It won’t end well. Plus, you’ll look like a deeply unfashionable cross between a Lamborghini Huracan driver and an ATV rider at a street takeover. Then again, none of us look elegant when we’re getting our fix. The only difference is that it’s a crime to do it while poor, and if you can afford a 1,200-hp quad, you sure ain’t.
