TECNO/MCA W12 GT LPG - autogas on track

The Montecarlo Rascasse, because that's what that car was called, was a roadster with a mid-mounted V12 BMW engine (the one developed for the Rolls-Royce Phantom), which pumped an even 500 PS after Montecarlo's steroid treatment. True, there are tens if not hundreds of such obscure supercars around the world, but what made this particular one special was the factory-fitted autogas system, feeding the engine with a mixture of LPG and hydrogen. Oh, and the fact that only 15 examples were built, priced at 500 thousand euros each. But enough memories.

© Montecarlo AutomobileWe love all LPG-powered cars, but ones like this hold a special place in our hearts

The small manufacturer from Monaco has teamed up with TECNO of Italy to jointly develop a new vehicle. And of course it's also powered with LPG, because otherwise why would we be writing about it? The car, named in full TECNO/Montecarlo W12 GT LPG, was unveiled in mid-February 2017 during the first edition of the Salone Internazionale dell’Automobile di Monaco motor show. The new event aims to be more than just another automotive vanity fair, focusing on close interactions between visitors and cars on display as well as sustainable technologies. Although, typically for Monaco, exclusivity and excessive engine power also matter. After all, there's hardly a place in the world where there are more Ferraris, Bentleys and Bugattis per square mile than in the small principality.

The merger of Montecarlo Automobile and TECNO was announced in December 2016 at the Bologna Motor Show and we didn't have to wait long for the new company to launch a car under the new, combined brand. The W12 GT LPG is an autogas-powered racer, this time featuring – as the name suggests – a Volkswagen-sourced 12-cylinder W engine, made by combining two VR6 units on a common crankshaft, but side by side instead of in line in order to save space. As far as the LPG system is concerned, available details are very limited, but we do know that (as was the case with the Rascasse) it was co-developed with BRC (and BRC Racing Team helped tune the car in general). The W12 GT is similar to the Rascasse in yet another aspect – it too resembles supercars previously presented by more widely known manufacturers, this time in particular the Volkswagen W12 Nardò, which never made it to production. There is no word concerning a road-legal version of the car, but be sure we'll keep you informed as soon as we find out.