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The Engler Desat Is A Bizarre V10 Four-Wheeler

Engler Desat SuperQuad claims 1100 horsepower and 217 mph, no seatbelts.
Image of the front of the Engler Desat showing its Audi R8 headlights and handlebar steering system.

What if you tuned the 5.2-liter V10 from the Audi R8/Lamborghini Huracan up to 1100 horsepower then got rid of the roof and interior to replace it with a homebrewed handlebar steering system and lightweight carbon body? Well you'd be Slovakia's Engler Automotive and you'd be responsible for the world's first "SuperQuad." The SQ makes its debut at the UK's Salon Privé concours event this weekend.

(Dubious) Numbers
As stated above, the Audi-sourced V10 in the back of the Desat is claimed to produce 1100 horsepower; 460 more than it does in Lamborghini's Huracan STO. We'd love to know how this has been done but details are scarce. Paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, possibly the one from the R8, the V10 can send the 2425 lb. SuperQuad to 60 in 2.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 217 mph, assuming the rider can hang on.

Big power and lowered weight thanks to doing away with glass and seats and safety gain the Desat entry to the rarified "1:1 club" with a 1 hp/1 kg power to weight ratio. Says Engler.

Image showing the front wheel and handlebars of the Engler Desat SuperQuad

It's unclear exactly how much Audi lurks beneath the carbon clothing, but the SuperQuad retains the R8's wheelbase, headlights and taillights so we're betting there's a heavily modified R8 Spyder under there.

If all this seems like the product of a 10-year old's imagination it's for good reason as "Victor Engler, the founder of Engler Automotive Limited, has dreamed about building his own vehicle since the age of ten and from the very beginning his vision has always been clear." We're willing to bet that not much has changed since those initial designs.

"The vision was to be unique and to engineer something that has a new and exciting driving experience... Placing the rider at the centre of the vehicle, the Desat delivers the tacticity and visceral involvement of a superbike with the raw speed and drama of a hypercar."

Also, the Quad's logo is inspired by Secretariat and Engler's website gives a pretty in-depth bio on the champion racehorse:

"A massive, powerful winner, famous for his spectacular 1973 U.S. Triple Crown wins, the first in 25 years, setting speed records in all three races, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, which are all yet to be beaten! Thanks to "Big Red", we were inspired never to give up. We aim to follow his proud legacy, to do all we can to pursue greatness, we want nothing short of the very best and to make our mark on automotive history. Secretariat."

Thanks, Secretariat, and thank you, Engler Automotive. We'd love to try out the SuperQuad some time.

Read More: Audi RS Q E-Tron E2 Revealed Ahead Of Dakar 2023

Images by Engler Automotive licensed by CC BY 2.0.

James Walker is an Automotive Journalist at Torque News focusing on Lucid Motors. If it's got wheels he's interested, and he's looking forward to seeing what kind of cars the EV revolution brings us. Whether it's fast, slow, new, or old, James wants to have a look around it and share it in print and on video, ideally with some twisty roads involved. You can connect with James on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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