Runge
In an era where every new car seems to come with battery packs and software updates, one small American brand has decided to go completely the other way. According to Carscoops, Minnesota-based Runge Cars is developing a mid-engine supercar powered by a 5.3-liter air-cooled flat-eight engine – and it’s as gloriously unhinged as it sounds.
The car, known as the Runge R3, will be built around a brand-new engine called the “Hetzer.” It’s a hand-crafted, naturally aspirated, dual-overhead-cam flat-eight that reportedly revs to 9,000 rpm and produces around 600 horsepower. And yes, it’s completely air-cooled – no radiators, no coolant lines, no hybrid assistance, just eight cylinders howling behind the driver like it’s 1965 again.
Runge isn’t a big automaker with corporate investors and glossy marketing. It’s a boutique shop best known for its hand-formed aluminum cars inspired by 1950s racers. The R3, however, is a serious leap into the world of supercars, and its specs are wild. We’re talking about an estimated weight of just 780 kilograms (around 1,700 pounds), giving it a power-to-weight ratio that puts it in hypercar territory.
The company says the R3 will offer a “visceral, analog driving experience,” which is a polite way of saying no traction control, no digital drive modes, and probably no cup holders either. It’s meant to be pure and mechanical, appealing to the kind of person who thinks modern cars have gotten too polite. In fact, the Hetzer engine is reportedly compact enough to fit in older Porsche 911 chassis – a fun thought for anyone wanting to annoy purists at Cars and Coffee.
Runge’s timing is oddly perfect. While everyone else in the industry is chasing electrification, this small outfit is building something defiantly mechanical – a car that celebrates noise, heat, and motion instead of quiet efficiency. There’s no word on price yet, but “if you have to ask” likely applies.
It’s hard not to root for a company doing something so reckless in the best way possible. The R3 won’t save the planet, but it might save a few gearheads from losing faith in the internal combustion engine.