Dalluha Coach & Motor Works presents the…
2003 Norðwagen Loki GS 6x4
Same name, same idea, same market, same layout, another order of magnitude of madness.
Why mess with success? To gain more of it, of course. Compared to the period between 1963 and 1983, when major technological advances encouraged and enabled a revision of mechanical layout, the following twenty years brought no fewer advances, but now they enhanced the established recipe, rather than inspiring a new one.
Tire, gearbox, valvetrain, suspension, electronic and other areas of progress all contributed, but by far the most important advances were in materials engineering - a raft of lightweight replacement materials, chiefly for steel, allowed for an abrupt reversal of the otherwise continuing global trend towards bloat. Most notable of those, offered only on Loki’s GS, GTS, GTR, and some R trims, was full carbon fiber monocoque construction. Despite a significantly larger body, an additional driveline, and overall weight gain from more passenger amenities, the 2003 Loki GS 6x4 weighs only 63kg more than the 1963 GS 12, ringing up at a downright svelte 856kg.
The fancy materials didn’t end there, however. Cylinder heads now had five sodium-cooled valves and were made of Alusil, while engine blocks were cast in magnesium, crankshafts machined from forged billet steel, and connecting rods forged from titanium alloy. Compared to the 1983 GS 6x4 motor, already sophisticated and athletic for its day, the 2003 model’s 6P031-42E-S520…
…made 30% more power, 520hp compared to 400
…displaced 11% more, 4.2L vs. 3.8
…yet weighed 15% less, 142 vs 168kg
…and furthermore was some 11% more reliable.
Over 500hp powering something weighing well under a ton might be prima facie grounds for a psychiatric intervention, but caution is advised - if this patient becomes a flight risk, the prospect of catching them would itself invite questions of sanity…
For indeed, that way madness lies.
