Tom Cat

A Supercharged V12. I mean, what’s not to like? Besides the fuel consumption. Think of the harmonious way they must work together, with the supercharger supporting low down before allowing the V12 to strut its stuff further up. Imagine the melodies created between the V12’s tenor and the whining supercharger. What a combination – hardly surprising it’s a rare thing these days but surely, back in the day…?

But no, the supercharged V12 has never been a ‘thing’. I assumed that in the 1930s everyone from Duesenberg to Bugatti was shoving a compressed 12 under a preposterously long bonnet before standing back, wiping their hands on an oily rag and doffing their collective cap at their mighty new creation.

But no, barring the very occasional one-off conversion, until now a supercharged V12 has only been attempted once in the history of road cars. Back in 1991, Lister twin supercharged a 7-litre V12 and put it in… a Jaguar XJ-S. Even in the racing world they’re no less rare: we have the 1938 D-type Auto Union on our score sheet and, well, not a whole lot else.