5000-HP Devel Sixteen Seems Real in New Video

From Road & Track

Here at Road & Track, we've been following the saga of the Devel Sixteen since 2015. A Dubai-based automotive startup with plans to build a 320-mph supercar powered by a quad-turbo, 12.3-liter V16 engine, Devel's ambitions seem to stretch beyond what's feasible.

But somehow, the company seems to be moving toward building an actual car.

The latest evidence is this, a tantalizingly short video of a Devel Sixteen prototype accelerating down what looks like a desert highway, possibly in the United Arab Emirates. The video caption seems intended to both manage expectations and whet appetites: It claims this run is at low boost and just 20 percent throttle. Still, the mystery machine seems to accelerate decisively through one rather tall gear:

Of course, seven seconds of footage of one running prototype doesn't prove in itself that Devel can build the vehicle they've promised. But with engineering by Paolo Garella and a powerplant designed by drag racing engine builder Steve Morris Engines, it seems Devel has the expertise and the power needed to reach its goal. Now it just has to figure out everything else.

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