Walk into a Dodge, Chevrolet, or Ford dealership, plunk down the cash, and you can drive away with 500, 600, 700, or even 800 hp. Whether you fancy corner carving or straight-line acceleration, today’s hot rods give you amazing performance, and they do so without sacrificing driveability. In most cases, you get reasonable economy and can check the option box for every creature comfort imaginable—right down to heated and air-conditioned seats.
But long before any new performance model makes it to the showroom, engineers develop an idea, build prototypes, test theories, and sometimes even hit the track to see if the bird will fly. Even when the engineering proves to be sound, however, no project is ever guaranteed a green light.
One such project that’s worth mentioning is the insane…