As someone who hasn’t driven anything bigger than a one-t0n dually in about ten years, I often find myself wondering what it’s like to put power down in a semi tractor. I know plenty of you out there have done this, and I’ve done it in military vehicles, but I still think there’s a discrepancy between what an LMTV with the governor removed can do versus a Kenworth that’s fresh and ready to go. You’ve seen footage from the Rodeo du Camion in Quebec, and you’ve seen every last hot-rodded semi-tractor that Lohnes can find. For those of us who don’t wheel one of these rigs every day, knowing what it can do is probably a bigger draw to driving one than the idea of crossing the country in a money-making machine with a tiny hotel room attached.

To give you an idea on what one of these trucks can be all about, the guys at Garage 54, the Russian shop known for all manner of stunts, usually resulting in the death of a Soviet-era Lada, set up a few tests. The truck itself looks like a Kenworth T800 and it’s going to be the centerpiece of these tests. First, a Lada will attempt to put down double-digit horsepower fury in an effort to tow the big rig, then a Mazda 3 will give it a shot. Afterwards, we’re hooking up an Escalade and a Nissan Pathfinder to see if a KW can actually drag them along no problem with the brakes set on both sport-utilities.

Power, tonnage, sheer size…we don’t see good things happening for any vehicle that doesn’t have the KW badge on the grille. Enjoy!