We’ve seen our share of out-of-control turbo upgrades. From giant singles to crazy compounds to complicated triple-turbo setups, diesel guys and gals have an affinity for adding more turbos to their turbodiesels. Sometimes it works out beautifully, and sometimes it’s more problematic than beneficial.
The turbo “upgrade” we share with you today, however, jumps the shark. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, jumping the shark originated within the context of the Happy Days sitcom when Fonzie literally jumped over a shark while water skiing. According to Wikipedia, it means “that a creative work or entity has evolved and reached a point in which it has exhausted its core intent and is introducing new ideas that are discordant with or an extreme exaggeration (caricature) of its original theme or purpose.”
Wait, Who’s WhistlinDiesel?
WhistlinDiesel, a popular YouTube channel with 9.23 million subscribers, has revealed yet another viral video that has us scratching our heads. The WhistlinDiesel crew added 17 turbochargers to a Dodge Ram truck, for a total of 18 turbos when you count the original upgraded turbo. Where were they all stuffed? Right out in front, spilling out of the engine bay. Row after row, the whole front of the truck was swallowed by a mass of turbo piping and turbos. The interior was likewise equally ridiculous, smothered with a laughable amount of boost gauges.
In terms of turbo setups, there’s no other way to describe the abomination: it jumped the shark, making a compete mockery of turbocharger setups. Did we expect anything less from WhistlinDiesel? Absolutely not. Were we embarrassed by our inability to avert our eyes? Perhaps. Was this absolutely hilarious? So much yes. Should you try this at home? As with everything else WhistlinDiesel does, no, you should not try this at home.
How Much Power Did The 17-Turbo Dodge Ram Make?
Now that the initial shock has worn off, let’s get to the results. The truck fired up and drove. As for visibility and legality, we’re sure both are solid nos. The turbos seemed to spin (to some degree) and smoke billowed from some half-dozen exhaust pipes strewn here and there. In terms of performance, we all know that more is not always better. Did the 17-turbo setup enhance performance? Are we seeing the world’s first 38,000-hp truck? A pre-modification trip to the dyno netted 397 hp, and a post-mod follow-up resulted in a whopping 8-hp gain. Womp womp. The fact that any of it ever worked in the first place is quite frankly a victory.
If you’re wondering if the truck is real and not some AI creation, Cody—the personality behind the WhistlinDiesel YouTube page—cruised the hyperbolic truck at FP Truck Fest 3.0 in Tennessee the second weekend of March, achieving burnouts and only (surprise, surprise) catching on fire a little bit.
It’s likely we’ll see the continued downhill slide of this cartoonish truck; we look forward to more laughs.
