What you are about to see is German technology created on a small scale. By small, I mean tiny, by tiny I actually mean minuscule. This video shows the painstaking effort of a man possessed and obsessed with engineering perfection.

A V12 engine is a pretty complex piece of machinery, the beating heart of many a classic and modern supercar, but this German took on the impossible and decided to build one with the aid of magnifying glass. Although this tiny V12 engine can’t be installed into a car, it’s still fully functional when powered up. This mini engine is constructed from a combination of stainless steel, bronze and aluminium. It actually runs off compressed air, with a whopping 12 cubic cm displacement. Take a look at this video and watch the madman in action – ignore the accompanying music, obviously chosen by a German.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsaz7URn5g8

Impressive, eh? Whilst watching this, it reminded me of a video I’d seen when I was a teen. After a little research, I found it in all its glory. The project started in 1978, and after 20,000 man-hours and 15 years of painstaking dedication, Telecom engineer, Pierre Scerri built a 1:3 scaled down and fully functional Ferrari 312 PB replica. The engine, gearbox, dials, and all parts had to come from handmade molds. This chap even built the engine valves and springs and took five years creating the Ferrari’s reverse gear. Leaving Jeremy Clarkson lost for words, Pierre even managed to extract the right Ferrari note out of his handmade engine. “I could not buy one, I had to make one,” Pierre says – if this isn’t a motivational and inspired film, I don’t know what is.