Mechanical Excess - Progress in the supercar world usually follows a predictable rhythm: more electrification, smarter software, and increasingly complex hybrid systems. Yet every so often, a project appears that seems to ignore the rulebook entirely and instead celebrates the raw drama of internal combustion. That is precisely the spirit behind the ambitious machine being developed by
Automobili Rodrigues.
The young Italian manufacturer has introduced a bold hyper-grand tourer concept called the Berlinetta Veloce,
and at the center of the conversation sits an engine so unusual that even the “standard” option already sounds outrageous: a naturally aspirated V12 producing 900 horsepower.
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| The Automobili Rodrigues Berlinetta Veloce is a bold hyper-grand tourer from the young Italian manufacturer, featuring a naturally aspirated 900hp V12 that already serves as its “standard” engine. (Picture from: SupercarBlondie) |
For most performance cars,
a 900hp V12 would be the headline feature. Here, it is merely the starting point.
Buyers who want something even more unconventional can choose an experimental powerplant known as the Triangolare 18. The name hints at its unusual architecture—
“triangolare” means triangular in Italian—
suggesting a creative cylinder arrangement rarely seen in automotive engineering.
This massive 9.0-liter engine is designed with forced induction from both turbocharging and supercharging,
and it reportedly abandons traditional valvetrain components altogether.
The result is an extraordinary torque figure of around 1,954 lb-ft, a number so large that it makes the engines of legendary performance cars feel comparatively modest.
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| The Automobili Rodrigues Berlinetta Veloce features a dramatic coach-built GT silhouette with sculpted bodywork, long proportions, and a cabin blending classic craftsmanship with modern performance ergonomics. (Picture from: HotCars) |
What makes the project even more intriguing is the philosophy surrounding it. Rather than pursuing electrification or hybrid assistance, the Berlinetta Veloce doubles down on mechanical intensity. Even more surprising, the car is expected to offer a manual transmission, a rarity in the hypercar world where dual-clutch gearboxes dominate. Visually, the design reflects the same philosophy: a dramatic
coach-built grand tourer silhouette with sculpted bodywork, long
proportions, and a cabin expected to combine traditional craftsmanship
with modern performance ergonomics.
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| The Automobili Rodrigues Berlinetta Veloce goes far beyond its 900hp V12 base engine by offering the experimental 9.0-liter Triangolare 18—an unusual triangular-layout 18-cylinder with twin forced induction producing about 1,954 lb-ft of torque. (Picture from: SupercarBlondie) |
Production is planned to be extremely limited,
and depending on configuration, each car could command a price somewhere between five and ten million dollars. Still, the announcement arrives in an era where spectacular digital concepts appear almost weekly. The automotive industry has always had its share of ambitious ideas that never moved beyond renderings, but the barrier to unveiling a futuristic concept is now lower than ever.
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| The
Automobili Rodrigues Berlinetta Veloce features a dramatic coach-built
GT silhouette with sculpted bodywork, long proportions, and a cabin
blending classic craftsmanship with modern performance ergonomics. (Picture from: SupercarBlondie) |
As of early 2026,
Automobili Rodrigues has revealed
the Berlinetta Veloce primarily as a design study with astonishing specifications attached.
Enthusiasts around the world are already fascinated by the possibility of an 18-cylinder hypercar with a manual gearbox—
but the real moment everyone is waiting for is the first time that Triangolare 18 engine fires up and proves that this wild idea can exist beyond the screen.
*** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AUTOMOBILI RODRIGUES | SUPERCARBLONDIE | HOTCARS ]Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
