Devel Sixteen
Dubai-based Devel is reportedly a far cry from producing the 5,007-horsepower Devel Sixteen supercar, and a notable engineering company is no longer working with the company.
Road & Track reported on Tuesday that a source claimed the car is indefinitely stuck in development. Since the project’s inception, the Garella-family’s Manufattura Automobili Torino (MAT) has worked with Devel to develop and engineer the supercar that allegedly will reach speeds over 300 mph. However, there’s a lot of work in front of the team without MAT at its side.
The Devel quad-turbo V-16 makes over 5,000 horsepower
The engine Devel has touted and showcased in the past, a 12.3-liter V-16, reportedly lacks a cooling system to handle road use. The engine was originally developed for drag racing, and regular driving scenarios are proving difficult. Even worse, the team hasn’t quite figured out how to keep the car on the ground at speeds above 300 mph. When MAT left the project, the source said the car still showed every intention of literally flying away.
MAT’s exit from the Devel project comes as the company begins producing modern Ferrari-based Lancia Stratos models. The reborn Italian sports car will sit on the bones of a Ferrari 430 Scuderia and MAT will build 25 examples at $617,000 per car.
Devel has been working on its Sixteen supercar for five years now. The company first showed off a hastily built prototype before debuting a production-spec Sixteen last year. Devel also said other versions of the Sixteen were in development, including “base” models powered by V-8 engines. The first is to boast a mere 2,000 hp, while a more hardcore version cranks out 3,000 hp. We haven’t heard or seen anything of the V-8 engine cars, though.
The source added the Sixteen project hasn’t been scrapped altogether, but the car has been put on hold until further notice.