When was the last time you looked at a quad bike and wondered what it would be like to put a 1,100 hp engine on one? The answer is probably ‘never’ to most of us but not for Viktor Engler, the genius behind this project, who dreamed about building a superquad from an early age.
The Engler FF’s badge is an S-shaped horse figure paying homage to America’s greatest thoroughbred racehorse, Secretariat, which is famous for completing the legendary U.S. Triple Crown, setting speed records in all three races.
While riding a racehorse is difficult but not uncommon, riding a 1,100 hp quad bike is pure insanity that you cannot help but admire. The world is full of supercars and superbikes, but quads seriously lacked any amount of ‘super’.
Engler aimed to turn that around by unveiling the first superquad at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. It was met with a raised eyebrow by many, but caught the attention of everyone.
Photo: ENGLER UK LTD
The carbon fiber body is entirely designed, developed, tested, and manufactured in-house by Engler and it only weighs a little above 100 kilograms (221 lbs.).
The manufacturer claims to have developed the lightweight aluminum chassis from scratch, but studying the dimensions reveals it might be at least inspired by the modular sport architecture of the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracan.
The two-seater is powered by a 5.2-liter Lamborghini V10 that stands at the heart of the two supercars mentioned above.
Photo: ENGLER UK LTD
It is taken to a new level of brutality by adding two turbochargers to the naturally aspirated engine, increasing its output to 1,100 hp (821 kW; 1,116 PS) which gives the Engler FF a power-to-weight ratio of 1:1 and allows it to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in just 2.5 seconds and reach an electronically-limited top speed of 350 kph (217 mph).
The braking system tasked with slowing down the superquad is made by Brembo and features six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers in the front and four-piston calipers to stop the rear wheels.
The front carbon-ceramic ventilated rotors measure 400x38 mm (15.72 inches) while the rear ones are smaller, at 380x38 mm (14.93 inches). This is a version of the same braking system that is used by Lamborghini on all Aventador models.
One of the finest features of this vehicle is the steering and adaptive air suspension, which were developed from the ground up and extensively tested by Engler. They implemented an Extreme Cornering System, which allows the rider to experience the feel of extreme cornering without being flung off the quad.
Developing the complex steering system of the world’s first superquad was a daunting task but the engineers managed to pull it off, offering a vehicle that combines the power of a supercar with the agility of a superbike.
The FF also features a titanium alloy exhaust system and 20-inch magnesium alloy wheels, which weigh 7.5 kg (16.5 lbs.) each at the front and 8.2kg (18 lbs.) at the rear.
Photo: ENGLER UK LTD
A digital instrument cluster is placed in front of the handlebars and the main interface, which is based on Audi’s MMI system, can be controlled remotely using a smartphone app. The headlights and rear lights are also borrowed from Audi, and feature the innovative Matrix lightning technology.
We are unsure about the future of this amazing machine but Engler revealed its production version at this year’s Salon Prive Concours d’Elegance. Whether they will be able to certify it for road use or it will be just a terrifying track weapon remains to be seen.
We are rooting for the Engler FF because the insanity of literally grabbing a 1,100 hp Lamborghini by the horns (or handlebars, to be exact) is a feat that deserves worldwide recognition and respect.
Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times. Full profile
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