You're looking at the most powerful V12 engine ever to be fitted to a road car

This gorgeous mass of metal is the first finished example of the most powerful V12 ever to be fitted to a road car. 

Dubbed ‘Mjølner’ and capable of spinning to 9,800rpm, it belongs to the forthcoming Zenvo Aurora, featuring no less than four turbos and 6.6 litres of displacement. It produces a frankly ludicrous 1,250bhp on its own, and then gets a hybrid system for a bit of extra grunt too, with the whole package delivering an eye-watering 1,850bhp to the tarmac. 

"Sound and visceral drama is what Aurora will be all about," said Zenvo chairman Jens Sverdrup. "It is not every day a V12 engine is born, so it is very exciting to finally showcase Mjølner. The fact it is the world’s most powerful road car V12 engine was not something we set out to achieve, but is a result of us pushing what we know is possible. This is a hugely important milestone, and the next step will see – and hear – it come to life."

Mjølner - which was developed by Northampton-based Mahle Powertrain - won’t solely feature in the Aurora either. Zenvo says it’ll use various configurations of it in future models, which means we may just see even more power coaxed from this thing one day. Or perhaps there will be a lightweight Aurora RS with two of the turbos lopped off to save a few kilos. 

With the completion of engine number one, prototype testing will soon begin before full-scale production kicks off in 2026. We sincerely hope Zenvo delivers on the noise...