It is powered by a water-cooled 47 L (2,900 cu in) BMW V12 aircraft engine, which produces between 490–550 hp (370–410 kW) @ 1530 rpm, but can produce a maximum of 750 hp (560 kW) @ 1700 rpm for shorts bursts of one minute, and is mated to a 1907/1908 American LaFrance chassis.

[2][3][4][5] Brutus made an appearance on the British television program Top Gear on 4 March 2012, during the sixth episode of Season 18.

[6][7][8] The Brutus was built in Germany shortly after World War II, when a 1908 American LaFrance car was fitted with a 46.9-liter (2,862 cu in) V12 BMW aircraft engine that dates to 1925.

The car was created over several years at a workshop at the Auto & Technik Museum in Sinsheim, Germany, which still owns it.

[9] Driving the car on Top Gear, presenter Jeremy Clarkson described the experience as akin to "doing a crossword while being eaten by a tiger".