The Most High-Revving Engine Ever Featured In A Production Vehicle

Engines with high redlined allow them to produce more power by maintaining peak output over a broader range. This makes them deal with spirited driving and track use. Generally, engines with high redlines are often more responsive, have a shorter stroke, and are built of lightweight materials which help achieve the feat. In the V8 era of Formula 1, for example, the Ferrari engines could rev up to a staggering 20,000 rpm!

However, high-revving engines demand advanced engineering, making them expensive to develop and maintain. Additionally, they generally offer their peak performance high up in the rev range, meaning they lack low-end torque, making them largely impractical for daily use.

Some hypercars are not generally designed for daily use but rather built for purpose, that employ high-revving engines for on-track performance. As automakers chase 0-60 mph times, quarter-mile times, and top speed records for road cars, we attempted to find and highlight the highest-revving engine ever used in a production car in history.

The GMA T.50 V12 engine reaches an impressive maximum of 12,100 RPM.

GMA T.50 V12发动机规格

Origin: Gordon Murray Automotive

Gordon Murray, the designer of the McLaren F1, revealed the GMA T.50, a spiritual successor to the fastest naturally aspirated production car ever. Like the F1, the T.50 uses a naturally aspirated V12 engine that produces around 654 hp and 344 lb-ft of torque. Its lightweight construction means the engine only weighs 392 lbs. The V12 was developed in collaboration with British engineering company–Cosworth, who also helped build the V12 for the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the V16 engine for the new Bugatti Tourbillon.

This 3.9-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine in the GMA T.50 revs to a staggering 12,100 rpm, which makes it the highest-revving engine ever used on a production car. The engine runs an extremely high 14:1 compression ratio and features individual throttle bodies. Furthermore, a throttle response time of just 28 milliseconds is the fastest of any road car engine in the world.

The V12 is mated to a mechanical 6-speed manual Xtrac gearbox, with the gearing tailored for top speed, rather than acceleration. Despite that, the T.50 claims it can reach 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, and a top speed of 226 mph. GMA also has a track version called the T.50s Niki Lauda, which offers an aggressive aerodynamic package, while offering more engine performance – 725 hp and 358 lb-ft of torque. The track-focused T.50s Niki Lauda spec car drops weight by 295 lbs, giving the car a weight of under 900kg (1984 lbs). The enhanced aero-package helps the T.50s Niki Lauda generate up to 2,645-3,306 lbs of downforce. Gordon Murray will sell each T.50s Niki Lauda spec car for an estimated $3.9 million.

The Caparo T1 features a V10 engine that can reach an impressive 12,000 RPM.

Caparo T1发动机规格