About 30 years ago, car enthusiasts, journalists and collectors were amazed by performance figures in the five hundred or even six hundred range. Icons like the McLaren F1 and the Bugatti EB110 have set new standards with engines that each produce around 610 hp. Then, in 2005, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 became the first production car to break the 1,000 hp barrier. Since then, it seems we've all become a bit engine-crazy, with hypercars with 1,000 and even 2,000 horsepower no longer being an exception. In most cases it is the electric revolution that is capable of delivering this power, but the all-new Giamaro Automobili Krafla promises an insane 2,157 horsepower from a quad-turbo V12!
Debating the “need” of such cars is pointless as the simplest answer is “no”. Actually, it's comparable to watches, because in life we honestly don't need a tourbillon or a watch with a perpetual calendar. But we still love them for their technical performance, their mechanical properties and their excellent workmanship. Think of it as an art object, but instead of hanging it on the wall, you can wear it on your wrist or enjoy it on the open road. In some ways it goes beyond the definition of a watch or a car. Pardon my rambling, but for me that's the way to look at cars like this brand new Giamaro Automobili Krafla.
Giamaro Automobiles
Giamaro Automobili is a brand new name on the hypercar playground, but the team behind it has vast experience in the industry. Founded by father-son duo Giacomo and Pierfrancesco Commendatore, Giamaro lives in Modena, Italy, also known as Supercar Valley. Although Giacomo's career hasn't always revolved around cars, he and his father were early financial backers of Pagani, the formidable hypercar brand named after company founder Horacio Pagani.
Giamaro embarks on a very ambitious journey on his own and now has a team of around 20 full-time employees, many of whom come from companies such as Pagani, Ferrari and Lamborghini. This includes development driver Loris Bicocchi, who refined many of the Zondas and Huayras from the Pagani atelier, but was also involved in the development of the Lamborghini Countach, the Bugatti EB110 and the Veyron and even worked for Koenigsegg.
Giamaro has set himself extremely high goals and built a hypercar that sets the standard without compromise in terms of performance. Although this is often met with criticism and skepticism, it seems that Giamaro is a few steps further in realizing his plans than most other “vaporwear” start-ups we see. They even have a working, running and driving prototype on the road right now! The production car is scheduled to be completed and delivered to customers in 2027, which sounds far away but is actually just over a year away.
Giamaro Krafla
Although the name might raise some eyebrows at first glance, it comes from a powerful volcano in Iceland and does its job perfectly when it comes to feeling powerful. The Krafla is Giamaro's first car and has been in development since 2021. It promises to be a very emotional, extreme car that makes no compromises, and based on the specs alone it definitely will be!
At the heart of the car is a newly developed powertrain, and it's certainly crazy! It is a pure combustion engine or ICE without any hybridization or electric drive. The 7.0 liter 120° V12 is equipped with four huge Garrte turbochargers to achieve a peak output of an incredible 2,157 horsepower! Think about it for a second; more than twice as much as the Bugatti Veyron! It even outperforms the Pininfarina Battista, which is currently Italy's most powerful production car with 1,900 hp.
Power is sent to the rear wheels exclusively via a 7-speed automatic transmission, so you'll need to be on your guard. Luckily, Giamaro also has some sense in his thinking, as the car comes with three keys, each of which unlocks a specific power level. The white key is designed for a base output of between 400 and 800 hp and is perfect for long-distance driving or orientation in cities etc. Then there is a black key that releases 1,670 hp, already an impressive number. But if you really want to accelerate, you need the red key, which releases the full 2,157 hp!
Giamaro has made extensive use of exotic materials such as carbon fiber to keep the weight down and with a curb weight of just 1,450kg they have seemingly succeeded! This also results in a power-to-weight ratio of an incredible 1.488 hp per ton or 1.49 hp per kilo. Put into perspective: The new Bugatti Tourbillon “only” achieves a power-to-weight ratio of 902 hp per ton! As far as performance goes, Giamaro is a bit of a secret so far, but given the numbers presented, the word “mental” probably applies!
The Krafla's exterior design is just as aggressive as the powertrain, with huge air intakes at the front and a massive diffuser at the rear. Of course there are butterfly doors that make getting in and out a spectacle. Air is fed to the engine through massive side intakes, and just behind the roof of the cockpit are more intakes, slots and air intakes. What seems to be missing is a huge rear wing, as you would expect from such a performance-oriented machine. No reason to be disappointed, because an active rear spoiler is integrated into the design.
Only 30 will be built, and Giamaro claims 20 of them have already been decided. The base price is frankly staggering and breathtaking 2,470,000 euros. Of course, each car is made individually for each customer, with extensive customization options both inside and out.
An all-road spin-off
In addition to the crazy Krafla, Giamaro also teases the idea of a hypercar with a stereo system called Albor. Conceptually, it is basically similar to the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato and the Porsche 911 Dakar. A super, or in Giamaro's case, a hypercar, with much higher ground clearance and off-road capability if you want to take it off the beaten path in the truest sense of the word.
The Albor is said to use the same carbon fiber monocoque construction and, more importantly, the same powertrain. This means that this one also gets a 7.0-liter quad-turbo V12 with 2,157 hp. Imagine plowing a field or racing down a dirt road with that much power! For now, it's just a tangible figment of the imagination, having built a non-working, full-size show car. I'm very excited to see how things turn out for the Albor, because on paper it actually sounds like a crazy, crazy machine!
For more information, visit Giamaro.com.
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