World’s Most Powerful V12 Road Car Engine Isn’t From Who You’d Expect

Designed to power a new supercar that’s currently known as Aurora, the V12 uses four turbochargers and a hybrid system

Danish supercar builder Zenvo isn’t exactly a household name, but it’s been quietly working on something loud. The project, called Aurora, has been in development for a while now, long enough that we’ve known about the V12 under the hood for nearly two years.

The team says it’s still aiming for an output of 1,850 horsepower (1,379 kW), and now we’re getting a clearer picture of how they plan to reach that figure. The result: the most powerful V12 ever fitted to a production road car.

More: Zenvo Is Working On A Smaller And “More Affordable” $2 Million Hypercar

The powerplant, appropriately named Mjølner after Thor’s hammer, combines four turbochargers with a hybrid system. It revs to 9,800 RPM and uses Mahle Jet Ignition technology to keep emissions in check. Zenvo claims it’s made street drivability a priority, which might seem like an odd concern for a car making this much power, but here we are. Even without the hybrid components, the engine produces 1,250 hp (932 kW), which should feel adequately excessive for most of us.

Zenvo, however, doesn’t really do “adequate.” And to make things even more absurd, it’s dropping this engine into the lightest car it’s ever produced. Why? According to Jens Sverdrup, Chairman at Zenvo Automotive, it’s all about the experience.

“A key part of the Aurora program is around delivering an emotional connection for drivers and passengers, designed to stimulate the senses,” Sverdrup explains. “Sound and visceral drama is what Aurora will be all about, and the engine is a vital element in this, which we will turn up to 11. At Zenvo, we are a team of passionate, genuine ‘car guys’, and it is not every day that a V12 engine is born, so it is very proud moment and very exciting to finally showcase Mjølner.”

“The fact that it is the world’s most powerful road car 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, and it has been designed to deliver at every level, which shows the progress we continue to make.”

Taking a look at the packaging, this engine looks like a work of art. The turbos are relatively small and tightly crammed between the two banks of cylinders in a “hot V” configuration. The heat shielding to keep everything running right covers much of the pumping atop the engine. It’ll certainly be capable of eliciting emotion when it arrives in the Aurora.

According to Zenvo, the first Aurora has already been built and is currently undergoing testing. If we’re lucky, we’ll hear it soon.