Uncategorized : December 1, 2008

When the Cadillac 472ci came out in 1968, they were a giant in the world of displacement. While still a large motor, it has now been overshadowed.

The Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C Turbo 2 stroke diesel engine is the most powerful and most efficient Diesel motor in the world today. These engines were designed primarily for very large container ships that need ridiculous amounts of torque to move.

(Note the stairs leading into the crankcase!)

Let’s talk numbers here: How does 1,556,002 Cubic Inches sound? That’s equivalent to 25,480 liters. Take that Honda! The 14 cylinder version of the inline diesel motor produces 108,920 horsepower. Sure that sounds pretty astronomical, but not when compared to its astounding 5,608,312 ft/lbs of torque. Holy cow! You can forget about taking this baby to a 9k redline though — this motor tops out at a blistering 102rpm. You can also get rid of your hopes of a 50/50 weight distribution too because this motor weighs 2300 tons.

(Worlds Largest Piston)

I wouldn’t expect to hear about some crazy motor swap considering I’m sure it’s hard to find something else suitably sized. It’s interesting to see how far you can push the mechanical limits sometimes, and I hope that the (deep breath) Aioi Works of Japan’s Diesel United, Ltd. (whew..) keeps pushing the limits.