This Turbocharged 12-Rotor Engine Revs to 9,000 RPM With a Noise That Rips Space-Time

It sounds more like an old-school radial aircraft engine than anything that should power an automobile of any kind. The post This Turbocharged 12-Rotor Engine Revs to 9,000 RPM With a Noise That Rips Space-Time appeared first on The Drive.

Feb 1, 2025 - 01:10

This Turbocharged 12-Rotor Engine Revs to 9,000 RPM With a Noise That Rips Space-Time

While Rob Dahm’s garage is no stranger to monstrous rotary engines, including four-rotor units cranking out more than 1,000 horsepower, this one is mind-bending. Here we have a massive, triple-turbocharged, 12-rotor engine that revs to 9,000 rpm and produces the most outrageous noise I’ve ever heard from an internal combustion power plant.

Dahm originally wanted to bring this monstrosity to SEMA 2025 but couldn’t get it ready in time. Since then, he and his team have continued their work through quite a few ups and downs, and it’s finally ready for the dyno.

Beyond that, who knows what this engine could possibly fit into; it’s enormous. While much of its complex turbo plumbing looks suited for dyno testing, and it can probably be tightened up somewhat to fit in an engine bay (a big one), the dimensions of the 12-rotor lump itself are staggering. It’s one of the largest engines I’ve ever seen. Throw in all of the piping, and it resembles something that should power a Victorian-era steam train, not a car.

It doesn’t sound fit for a car, either; it makes a noise more akin to something powering a WWII-era aircraft. The way it starts, with its long crank and sudden explosion of life, and that lumpy idle is reminiscent of an old-school radial engine. Actually, forget planes—this 12-rotor nuke sounds so violent, it belongs in Doom Guy’s chariot into hell. When it revs, it seems to bend physics.

And yet, at the same time, watching it get assembled three-rotor block by three-rotor block is oddly calming. It’s also remarkable to see some of the more delicate-looking parts holding the whole contraption together, when you consider the titanic power it makes. Dahm assures us that this engine will be put into something, and like everyone else, we can’t wait to find out what.