Approximately 30 years ago, car enthusiasts, journalists and collectors were baffled by power figures in the five-hundreds, or six-hundreds, even. Icons like the McLaren F1 and Bugatti EB110 pushed the output envelope with engines producing about 610 horsepower each. Then, in 2005, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 became the first production car to break the 1,000-horsepower barrier. Since then, it seems that we’ve all gone a bit power-mad, as hypercars with 1,000 and even 2,000 horsepower are no exception anymore. In most cases, it’s the EV revolution that is able to provide such power, but the all-new Giamaro Automobili Krafla promises an insane 2,157 horsepower from a quad-turbo V12!

The debate for the ‘need’ for such cars is futile, as the simplest answer is ‘No!’. It’s akin to watches, really, as in life we also don’t need a Tourbillon or Perpetual Calendar watch if we’re honest. But we love them nonetheless, for their technical prowess, mechanical nature and stupendous levels of finishing. Think of it as a fine art object, but instead of hanging it on the wall, you can wear it on the wrist or enjoy it on open roads. In a way, it transcends the definition of a watch or car. Forgive my ramblings, but to me, this is the way to look at cars such as this all-new Giamaro Automobili Krafla.

Giamaro Automobili

Giamaro Automobili is a brand-new name on the hypercar playground, but the team behind it is very experienced in the industry. Founded by father-and-son duo Giacomo and Pierfrancesco Commendatore, Giamaro resides in Modena, Italy, also known as Supercar Valley. While Giacomo’s career hasn’t always revolved around cars, he and his father were very early financial backers of Pagani, the evocative hypercar brand named after company founder Horacio Pagani.

Setting out on a very ambitious journey on their own, Giamaro now has a team of about 20 full-time employees, many of whom come from the likes of Pagani, Ferrari and Lamborghini. This includes development driver Loris Bicocchi, who has honed many of the Zondas and Huayras that came out of the Pagani atelier, but also played a role in the development of the Lamborghini Countach, the Bugatti EB110, the Veyron and even worked for Koenigsegg.

Giamaro has set its goals extremely high, aiming to build a hypercar that’s an uncompromised benchmark in performance. While that’s often met with criticism and scepticism, it seems Giamaro is a few steps further into realising their plans than most other ‘vaporwear’ start-ups we see. They even have a working, running and driving prototype on the road at the moment! The production car is set to be finished and delivered to clients in 2027, which sounds far away, but is basically just over a year out.

The Giamaro Krafla

While the name might raise a few eyebrows at first, it comes from a mighty Volcano in Iceland, so in terms of providing a sense of power, it does the job perfectly. The Krafla is the first car by Giamaro and has been in development since 2021. It promises to be a very visceral, extreme car that is without compromise, and purely based on the specs, it definitely will be!

At the heart of the car is a newly developed drivetrain, and it’s a crazy one for sure! It’s a pure internal combustion engine, or ICE, with no hybridisation or EV power whatsoever. The 7.0-litre 120° V12 is fitted with four massive Garrte turbochargers to hit a peak output of an insane 2,157 horsepower! Just think about that for a second; more than twice as much as the Bugatti Veyron! It even surpasses the Pininfarina Battista, which is currently Italy’s most powerful production car with 1,900bhp on tap.

Power is sent to the rear wheels only through a 7-speed automatic gearbox, so you would have to keep your wits about you. Luckily, Giamaro also thinks sensibly in a way, as you get three keys with the car, each unlocking a specific level of power. The white key is for a base power level between 400 and 800 horsepower, perfect for long-distance cruising or finding your way through towns and such. Then there’s a black key, which will free 1,670 horsepower, already a mighty impressive number. But if you really want to go all out, you need the red key, which unleashes the full 2,157 bhp!

Giamaro has extensively used exotic materials such as carbon fibre to keep the weight down, and with a kerb weight of just 1,450kgs, they have seemingly succeeded in doing so! That also gives it a power-to-weight ratio of a bonkers 1.488 hp per metric tonne, or 1.49 hp per kilo. Putting it in perspective, the new Bugatti Tourbillon ‘only’ achieves a power-to-weight ratio of 902 hp per metric tonne! In terms of performance, Giamaro is a bit hush-hush so far, but given the figures provided, the word ‘mental’ probably fits the bill!

The Krafla’s exterior styling is as aggressive as the drivetrain, with huge air intakes up front and a massive diffuser around the back. Of course, you get butterfly doors to make getting in and out a spectacle. Air is fed into the engine through massive side intakes, and just behind the roof of the cockpit are more intakes, slashes and scoops. What seems missing is a huge rear wing, something you would expect on such a performance-oriented machine. No need to be disappointed, though, as there’s an active rear spoiler integrated into the design.

Only 30 will be built, and Giamaro claims 20 of those have already been spoken for. The base price is a frankly eye-watering, heart-stopping EUR 2,470,000. Naturally, each car will be tailor-made for each client, with vast customisation options both inside and out.

An all-roading spin-off

Next to the bonkers Krafla, Giamaro is also teasing the idea of a hypercar-on-sterois named Albor. It’s basically similar in concept to the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato and Porsche 911 Dakar. A super-, or in Giamaro’s case, a hypercar with a much higher ground clearance and off-road capabilities, should you want to take it off the beaten path, literally.

The Albor is said to use the same carbon fibre monocoque construction, and more importantly, the same drivetrain. That means this too gets a 7.0-litre quad-turbo V12 with 2,157 horsepower. Imagine ploughing through a field or blasting down a dirt road with that much power! For now, it’s a tangible figment of the imagination only, as a non-working full-size showcar has been built. I am very curious to see how things will develop for the Albor, as on paper it does sound like a mad, mad machine!

For more information, please visit Giamaro.com.

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