To contend in the E2-SH category which this monster partakes in, the rules state the car must have “the appearance of a large-production road car, with at least two seats, and the same shaped windscreen as the road car.” Well, I suppose this Opel Kadett-inspired silhouette racer just checks those boxes, but to declare this beast has “the appearance of a large-production road car” requires a colorful imagination.

With a fiberglass body, a mid-mounted engine, and rocker-arm suspension, this Opel is more prototype than city car.

Part of that has to do with the DTM-esque flares, which would be too wide to occupy just one lane even on the widest of roads. However, they’re necessary to put the BMW S50’s power to the ground. The three-liter engine is mounted midship, and, reportedly spins to 10,000 rpm! That means a piston speed of 35 meters/second. If that happens to be true, that piston speed’s faster than that of the last generation of F1 motors. Who cares—just listen to that wail! Who needs coffee when you’ve got an exhaust note that can wake the dead?

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Whatever the engine speed, there’s no denying the grunt—or the nervousness of the chassis. Note the rear lockup at 0:50; it pays to be able to heel-toe. Thankfully, driver Alexander Hin has the hands to catch the twitchy Opel when it does break loose. With a Chevy V8 planned to take the place of the mid-mounted six, he might have to deal with plenty more twitching in the future.