One of the stars of this year’s edition of the Top Gear Live show that takes place at the NEC Birmingham from November 11 to 13, and at the ExCel London from November 24 to 27, will be the Red Dragon monster truck.
Hand-built by former European Monster Truck Champion, Rob Williams, this beast made its stage debut at the Top Gear Live event in South Africa last year.
The Red Dragon is based on the Ford F-350 Super Duty but power come courtesy of a bespoke 9.5-liter supercharged V8 engine from Chevrolet that delivers 1,308bhp and 1,040 lb-ft while burning through a gallon of methanol fuel every 50-60 yards (!).
The monster truck is equipped with two axles sourced from a 50-tonne crane crank that transfer power to the 6ft by 4ft giant wheels. Each tire and wheel set weighs in at a quarter of a tonne, with the Red Dragon tipping the scales at 4.5 tonnes in total.
Perhaps even more outrageous is the custom-built 600psi air cannon fitted on the truck bed. According to its maker, the cannon is capable of shooting any object weighing up to 650kilos (1,433 pounds) – including fridge freezers and…scooters.
Technical Specifications
Body: Fibre-glass mould of Ford 350 Super DutyHeight: 11ftLength: 20ftWidth: 12ftWeight: 4.5 tonnesEngine: Supercharged 9.5 litre custom ChevroletPower: 1308bhpTorque: 1040lbsYards per Gallon: 50-60 ypg
