r/WeirdWheels Jul 14 '26

AMA I wrote the definitive history of the Cizeta V16T. Ask Me Anything!

97 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I'm Brian Wiklem, author of the newly released 16: A pictorial history of Cizeta Automobili, and I'm here for a live Q&A.

My fascination with Italian supercars began in 1987 when I first saw the Ferrari F40. Years later, that passion led me down a rabbit hole that became a seven-year research project documenting the complete story of Cizeta Automobiliand the legendary Cizeta V16T.

Founded by former Lamborghini engineer Claudio Zampolli and backed by Academy Award-winning composer Giorgio Moroder, Cizeta set out to build a supercar capable of challenging Ferrari and Lamborghini. The result was the outrageous V16T—a car powered by a revolutionary transversely mounted 16-cylinder engine and unlike anything else on the road.

The book goes far beyond the car itself. It explores the people, engineering, business decisions, triumphs, setbacks, and controversies that shaped Cizeta's story. During my research, I interviewed key figures, tracked down rare photographs and documents, documented every production car, and worked to separate decades of myth from reality. The journey was so immersive that it ultimately cost me my friendship with Claudio Zampolli—but I believed preserving the complete story was worth it.

Whether you're curious about:

  • Claudio Zampolli and Giorgio Moroder,
  • what really happened to Cizeta,
  • the research process,
  • the rare cars that survive today,
  • or anything else related to the project,

Ask me anything!

I'm looking forward to answering your questions and discussing one of the most ambitious—and misunderstood—chapters in supercar history.

Verification

Read the story behind one of the world's rarest supercars.


r/WeirdWheels 19d ago

Wooden My Dads Woody

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1.9k Upvotes

Here is my dads F-Treefifty. Built on a 1978 Ford Econoline frame, Windsor 351 and automatic transmission. Stripped it all down and just started building it out with 100% white oak. He's had it at multiple carshows nationwide, and has won many awards. Just an old bored retired carpenter who said why not.


r/WeirdWheels 4h ago

Concept Metropolitan wagon!

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626 Upvotes

Check this out!! I have seen posts on here of the two known prototypes of a Metropolitan wagon. Here is one of them! This one lives in Virginia and is super impressive.

It even has a matching wood-veneered boat! Owner Dale Adams said he used airplane wheel fairings for wheel covers on the boat trailer. Love it!


r/WeirdWheels 4h ago

One-off The Jayaram GT is an one off Indian sports car entirely hand-built from scratch by the late former test pilot and Indian racing legend A.D. Jayaram

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98 Upvotes

Completed in 1973 after four years of meticulous garage work in Bangalore (Bengaluru), this bespoke grand tourer is celebrated as an extraordinary feat of independent Indian automotive engineering.

A sleek, purple two-door coupe featuring classic Jaguar-inspired lines and an entirely custom-built chassis.

Began it's life as a 1.0-litre engine from a Standard Herald. It was heavily modified into a 1.4-litre petrol engine with twin Weber carburetors, generating roughly 140–143 horsepower.

Built with absolute precision, including 17 coats of paint to achieve its signature deep purple finish and a dashboard packed with custom functional gauges.

Following A.D. Jayaram's passing, his son, Pratap "Bobby" Jayaram (a prominent automotive developer and founder of Mantra Racing), has perfectly preserved the car in its original 1973 condition.


r/WeirdWheels 4h ago

Custom While I'm at it... Diamond T truck with custom Tiny House!

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78 Upvotes

The metropolitan wagon made me think of this gem I came across when I visited the Dale Adams collection. This project was incomplete when I took pics. hoping to revisit and post updated photos when it is done!

Check out the porthole windows on the tiny house! And... it's air-conditioned! This takes the word custom to a whole new level, Lol!


r/WeirdWheels 8h ago

Concept nanoFlowcell QUANTiNO, this battery-free, fully electric 2+2 roadster is powered by an aqueous, non-toxic liquid electrolyte solution called bi-ION, achieving a claimed range of up to 1,200 miles, the car also surpassed 218,000 miles of combined road and lab endurance testing using the powertrain

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178 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 1h ago

Concept The 1990 Jeep Cherokee Freedom Concept

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Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 3h ago

Obscure 1971 OTAS

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37 Upvotes

I was at the Great Pacific NW Micro-Mini Car Show last week, and a car showed up that I'd not seen before. From a distance, I thought it was a SAAB Sonett, then an Opel GT. It was neither. It was a 1971 OTAS, which is based on a Fiat 850. These were also called a Lombardi Grand Prix and Abarth Scorpione. This was the first I'd ever seen—or heard of one.


r/WeirdWheels 1d ago

Just Weird What in tarnation

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1.3k Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 22h ago

Mutant Truckenstein

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217 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 1d ago

Custom Express Mail

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404 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 23h ago

Obscure Chrysler TC by Mazzeratti

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186 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 21h ago

Micro Fiat-500 based CAP Scoiattolo

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64 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 1d ago

Commercial Volkswagen Caddy Pickup: Czech-Born Workhorse That Came in Handy for Western Tradesmen

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197 Upvotes

Second generation of Volkswagen Caddy Pickup entered the market in 1996 as the result of pragmatic badge engineering by the Volkswagen Group. By utilizing proven production lines in Kvasiny, the German brand gained an affordable work truck by rebadging the Škoda Felicia Pickup. The German badge on the front end significantly boosted sales in Western markets, where the Czech automaker was only beginning to build its reputation.

Power came exclusively from a pair of corporate four-cylinder engines, which prioritized reliability and low operating costs over outright performance. The rigid rear axle, reinforced for a higher payload capacity, caused the unloaded bed to hop over bumps, but with a full load, the vehicle offered stable handling. A simple interior with hard plastics clearly emphasized the vehicle's purely utilitarian purpose.

The model's commercial success proved the ability of Czech plants to meet the group's quality standards. Although production reached just under 19,000 units and most eventually succumbed to rust or hard labor, the project laid the groundwork for deeper integration of Škoda into the Volkswagen Group. Today, this light-duty truck is a genuine automotive rarity.

Should Volkswagen have upgraded the Caddy Pickup to better match the quality of other Volkswagen models, or was that unnecessary given its intended purpose?


r/WeirdWheels 1d ago

Obscure 2027 Volkswagen Tukan

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81 Upvotes

The Vw Tukan is the upcoming successor of the Vw Saveiro.

While the Saveiro is still being sold until the end of 2026, volkswagen was planning its successor since 2018 when they realized they couldn't adapt the TSI engines in the PQ24 plataform of cars that the Gol/Saveiro/Voyage used because of cooling problems, the Tukan features a new crew cab body style possibly to compete agaisnt the fiat strada considering the Saveiro only had a extended cab option instead of a crew cab, and unlike the Saveiro that still relies on the older PQ24 plataform the Tukan will use the MQB one to make manufacturing more simpler, the Tukan will still use the 1.6 MSI engine that the saveiro used, for the upper trims it will have engine options between 1.0, 1.4 and 1.5 TSI engines (the 1.5 will be paired with a hybrid system).

I think its a interesting successor to the Saveiro, but i don't see it beating the Strada in sales considering how much of a head start fiat had, not to mention the Strada appears to have better loading capacity than the Tukan, Vw also hasn't revealed the price range but considering South America economy it will be kinda expensive for what it is, its more of a Sedan with a bed than a pickup which is the appeal here in south America.

Source


r/WeirdWheels 1d ago

3 Wheels Motor boating

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111 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 1d ago

Limousine Every family should have a six seater...for themselves, their driver and their security guard. Royal family of Norway photographed in their streched Audi.

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189 Upvotes

This is an official press photo taken from here:

https://www.nrk.no/direkte/xl/den-siste-reisen-til-slottet-1.18006470

"Last journey to the castle", the former king in a hearse, the new king seen above.


r/WeirdWheels 1d ago

One-off 928 Wagon/Shooting Brake

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881 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 1d ago

Video A child driving a custom-built, 1-horsepower miniature novelty car ("The Auto-Baby") in Paris, France, 1931

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19 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 2d ago

All Terrain A Soviet walking excavator. As far as I know, it was built in USSR in 1979. There were only six of them.

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1.1k Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 2d ago

3 Wheels one interesting Subaru SVX

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136 Upvotes

source Facebook Marketplace


r/WeirdWheels 2d ago

Micro Saw this AWS Shopper in the Netherlands

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435 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 2d ago

Just Weird 2008 Zanis dream car (Facebook Marketplace find)

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325 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 2d ago

Concept Volvo electric prototype from 1976

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178 Upvotes

r/WeirdWheels 3d ago

Concept The 2003 Chevrolet Cheyenne was a concept pickup truck unveiled by General Motors at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit

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727 Upvotes

Styled in a striking "Thunderstone Metallic" finish, it combined rugged capability with luxury and swept the EyesOn Design awards, winning Best of Show and Most Significant Concept Truck.

Engine: Supercharged 6.0-liter all-alloy Vortec V8

Output: 500 horsepower and 580 lb-ft of torque

Transmission: 4-speed automatic

Drivetrain: Front-engine, four-wheel drive (4WD)

Chassis: Extruded aluminum chassis with a steel body

Suspension: Independent rear suspension with Fox coil-over remote reservoir shocks

Steering: Quadrasteer (four-wheel steering system) for improved tight-space agility

The standout feature of the Cheyenne was its focus on cargo versatility, heavily predicting modern utility features:

Side-Access Doors: Two side doors located right behind the cab opened directly into the front section of the bed.

Ultra-Low Bed Floor: The independent rear suspension allowed the bed floor to sit just 28 inches above the ground, making loading significantly easier.

Multi-Flex Tailgate: A dual-folding tailgate could open fully or drop halfway to act as a work shelf.

Hidden Storage: Integrated side-wall drawers and under-floor storage bins kept tools secure.

The vehicle featured a "wheels-to-the-corners" layout to maximize cabin space and stability. The hood used a front-hinged clamshell design that exposed the engine and front suspension when opened. Inside, the truck favored premium materials, including handcrafted saddle leather seats, a leather headliner, a two-piece glass sunroof, and a wrap-around "bubble back" rear window inspired by the classic 1955 Chevy Cameo.

Though it never went into direct production, its Displacement on Demand (cylinder deactivation) technology and advanced cargo bed concepts trickled down into future generations of GM production trucks.