The Devel Sixteen promises to be one of the most extreme hypercars ever created, but the chances of it actually coming to fruition seem pretty slim.

That hasn’t stopped Supercar Blondie taking a spin in a prototype of the model that is slated to have a quad-turbocharged 12.3-liter V16 engine that produces more than 5,000 hp (3,728 kW / 5,069 PS).

After a quick look at the car, Supercar Blondie talks to Devel co-founder and Sixteen designer Majid Al Attar who claims the model will go into production in February of 2019. That’s a pretty tall order as Attar says the prototype that Blondie will be driving isn’t the 5,000 hp (3,728 kW / 5,069 PS) model.  He also revealed the company intends to launch the range-topping model first.

This is a bit surprising as the company also has plans to offer two other versions of the car. They are slated to include a twin-turbo V8 model with around 2,000 hp (1,491 kW / 2,027 PS) and a quad-turbo V16 variant with around 3,000 hp (2,237 kW / 3,041 PS). The entry-level model should start at $1.6 (£1.2 / €1.4) million, while the range-topper will cost $2.2 (£1.7 / €1.9) million.

That makes the model sound like a performance bargain next to the Bugatti Chiron, but it isn’t very promising that the prototype is only shown traveling at low speeds. Another potential red flag is a recent report which suggests development has ground to a halt.

According to Road and Track, Devel’s partner – Manufattura Automobili Torino – is no longer involved in the project. That isn’t the only issue as the car reportedly has a “vast list of problems that are keeping it from getting anywhere close to production.”

Among the issues mentioned are problems cooling the massive engine and challenges due to the claimed top speed of 320 mph (514 km/h). Speaking of the latter, the Sixteen is said to act like a wing and this could potentially cause the car to “fly away.”