5 wild race cars I want to drive before I die. What’s on your list?

Photograph courtesy Dakar Rally

Ever wanted to take a semi-truck off-roading? (No, just me?)

That’s precisely why I want to get behind the wheel of the massive trucks seen climbing the dunes of the grueling Dakar Rally–or, as in this clip that first introduced me to these wild machines, the Goodwood hillclimb.

Capable of upward of 1000 horsepower and weighing in at over 3 tons, these trucks are no doubt a handful to drive at speed over any terrain, but I think I’d enjoy the challenge.

Autocross, anyone?

Fiat S76 Record "Beast of Turin"

Photograph by David S. Wallens

Loud, oddly proportioned and thrillingly dangerous at pretty much any speed. No, I’m not talking about myself, I’m talking about the Fiat S76 Record, more famously known as the Beast of Turin.

A quick look at the specs explains why prewar racers are among my favorite cars from history: a massive 28-liter inline-four engine that’s only good for around 300 horsepower.

Although that kind of power output seems pretty low by today’s standards, it was plenty to chase land-speed records and achieve a top speed well over 100 mph–in the 1910s.

I can’t guarantee I’d have the gumption to get the car up to even half of that kind of speed, though I’d certainly appreciate the chance to try for myself.

No. 28 Cummins Diesel Special

Photograph courtesy Cummins

What made the 1952 Indy 500 more notable than other year? Pole position was won by a race car powered not by gasoline, but by diesel–the first such car to do so in the history of the Indy 500.

While the car ultimately retired around lap 70 of the race, its impact on motorsports was felt for years to come. (It worked well enough for Audi’s Le Mans efforts, anyway.)

That’s all fine and dandy, of course, but having an old-school, low-slung Indy racer start up and sound like a heavy-duty truck scratches an itch in my brain I didn’t know I needed scratched.

Do you think it pulls like a truck, too?

Hyundai RMR JE09/PM580

Photograph courtesy Hyundai

Picture a Le Mans-style prototype race car, but built for racing on the then-dirt roads of Pikes Peak instead of asphalt, and you get a decent understanding of what the JE09 is.

Long before Hyundai’s adoption of the letter N for its high-performance products, Kiwi racer Rhys Millen (son of legendary racer Rod Millen) was fielding some pretty wild machines with help from the Korean carmaker–including the JE09.

While the tube-frame chassis and carbon-fiber body didn’t come from Hyundai, its powerplant did: Starting with the humble 3.8-liter V6 from the Sonata, the engine was stroked to 4.1 liters and then turbocharged for good measure. In total, power output exceeded 700 horsepower, and all that oomph was sent to all four wheels.

Rhys arrived with the JE09 at the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to usurp the Unlimited class record time of 10:01.408, set by Nobuhiro Tajima in 2007 in a specially-built Suzuki XL7. However, he only managed a time of 11:06.208, which landed him third in class finish.

The JE09 would return the following year (the first year the course would be fully paved), at which time it was renamed the PM580. Rhys would manage an improved time of 10:09.242–fast enough to secure a second-place finish in the Unlimited class.

Williams FW07D

Photograph by Joecompan/courtesy Wikipedia

The Tyrrell P34 might get all the love for making a six-wheeled Formula 1 car, but Williams made one, too–except the two extra wheels were out back.

While the Tyrrell was focused on generating more downforce, the FW07D was focused on creating more traction.

A rear tire lost traction? No worries, you still have three more putting power to the ground.

Despite building and testing a functional six-wheeled car, as well as both Ferrari and March constructing their own six-wheelers, the FW07D (and its follow-up, the FW08B) never officially raced in Formula 1.