Packard-Bentley
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Assembly | Hand-built |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | Single-seater (Monoposto) |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Napier Bentley, Napier-Railton |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 42 l (2,563.00 cu in) Packard V-12 Marine Engine |
| Dimensions | |
| Curb weight | 2.4 Tons |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Napier Bentley |
The Packard-Bentley "Mavis" is a vintage racing car built by VSCC member Chris Williams.[1] It is powered by a 42 litre Packard 4M-2500 V-12, developing 1,500 bhp (1,100 kW), from a World War 2 PT boat.[2]
The car debuted at the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power in July 2010, and is planned to become a regular appearance at VSCC events alongside Williams' other Bentley special, the Napier Bentley. When interviewed about it, Williams claimed the car has been light-heartedly criticised as the "biggest automotive waste of time, money and engineering expertise ever built".
The car is based on a 1930 Bentley 8-litre chassis, although it is highly modified. The car also has 24 exhaust pipes, however it only has 12 cylinders, contrary to some rumours; this is because the engine is a twin-port design. The steering column is offset and angled to allow it to clear the huge engine block, and the fake torpedoes strapped to the side of the car are actually oil tanks.
With the matt-black paint and v-shaped grille, the large size of the car means it drew much attention at its first event. With the amount of torque produced by the engine (2,000 foot-pounds (2,700 N·m)), the rear tyres can be made to create large volumes of smoke upon launch, whilst the 24 exhaust stubs emit clouds of smoke and streamers of flame. Unsurprisingly, the car is a very popular spectator attraction, both static and whilst being driven.
References
- ↑ Andrew English (20 December 2010). "Christmas road test: Packard-engined Bentley". Daily Telegraph.
- ↑ Andrew English (20 December 2010). "Packard V12 4M-2500 engine in detail". Daily Telegraph.