1972 Beetle with a 3-Cylinder Radial Engine

Radial Motion and Bespoke Engineering began in 2017 designing a three-cylinder radial engine for airplanes. What sets these apart from older designs is a simpler and more compact crank journal and an individual camshaft for each cylinder. More details can be found on their FAQ page. Eventually they realized the motor could be adapted to work in a vehicle. This would also be a safer and easier way to test the engine’s performance and reliability. Thus the “Zombug” was born after swapping their first-generation 1.6 L three-cylinder in a 1972 VW Super Beetle. The air-cooled motor produced 120 horsepower. After competing in the 2019 Adelaide Rally, they upgraded to their 2.0 L three-cylinder. This model is liquid-cooled and produces 150 horsepower. It also performed well in the 2020 Adelaide Rally. Radial Motion’s engine is street legal in South Australia comes with an adapter to fit VW five-bolt pattern. A custom adapter can be made to fit other transmissions. Or you can send your vehicle to them and they will install the motor.

Source: Radial Motion and Radial Motion FB page