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Thor 24 Peterbilt 359 Semi Truck Packs 24-Cylinder Detroit Diesel, 4,000 HP

The horse-drawn cart became obsolete when Karl Benz introduced internal combustion to trucks in 1895. Modern semi trailers appeared right after World War I, and Benz sealed the fate of the big rig by introducing diesel options in the 1920s.
Thor 24 Peterbilt 359 Semi Truck 48 photos
Photo: thor2471.com
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Making trucks and driving trucks are industries of utmost importance, and looking at the bigger picture, it’s these gentle giants that make the world go around. Those shipping containers arriving in ports are hauled to sorting hubs by semis, then a delivery man (or woman) ensures that your Chinese goods arrive at your doorstep by van.

The thing is, did you know there’s a semi tuning scene out there? I’m not talking about mere customization such as lights and paint, but proper tuning. Case in point, the Thor 24 in the photo gallery and video is nothing like the truck on which it’s based.

Caribou Industries founder and president Mike Harrah started the build with a 359 model from 1979, one of the most popular big rigs in North America. The top-of-the-line conventional highway truck now features two Detroit Diesel engines, connected by a splined crankshaft for a total of 24 cylinders and a lot of suck-squeeze-bang-blow.

Harrah, who also knows how to do stunts in helicopters, then equipped the V24 two-stroke Detroit Diesel with… wait for it… 12 superchargers. That’s one per every two cylinders, and the 27.9-liter mammoth stands eight feet tall. The goodies are delivered to the wheels with the help of an Allison HT740 transmission, and as the headline implies, total output stands at a mind-blowing 3,974 horsepower at 2,500 revolutions per minute.

Eight nitrous oxide bottles help the engine do its thing, and even though the big rig tips the scales at 32,000 pounds, Thor 24 can top 130 mph (210 km/h). Getting the truck to stop is a wholly different affair, which explains the four twelve-foot parachutes at the rear. Even more ridiculous is the intake manifold, weighing in at 1,000 pounds.

According to thor2471.com, Harrah spent seven years building the Thor 24 with the help of Tim Spinks, Paul Abram, and Steve Huff. Standing 44 feet long, the Peterbilt-based truck doesn't feature the original front fascia but an enormous chrome grille recalling the 1933 Ford coupe (or International Lonestar, whichever of the two floats your boat).

The cabin is a treat in itself, featuring more than 24 gauges and a 200-mile-per-hour speedometer. A broadsword shifter, Lamborghini-opening passenger door, and four 4- by 6-inch displays are also worthy of mention, along with a helicopter engine acting as an auxiliary generator for seven movie screens and a 1,500-watt audio system.

We’re also told that “the entire list of additional features and accessories can go on for ninety-nine and one-half days,” and the cost of this extreme build is estimated at $7 million.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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