Failed engines usually face three possible futures: repair, parts recovery, or the scrap yard. A growing number, however, end up beneath sheets of tempered glass as coffee tables. Recent Bring a Trailer listings show how far the idea has expanded, from BMW V10s and Porsche flat-sixes to aircraft radial engines and even an electric drive unit.

The practice was already established before the 2002 relaunch of Top Gear, but the program helped bring it to a wider audience with its table made from a Jaguar V12 block. Since then, engine furniture has covered nearly every type of enthusiast powertrain, with auction prices ranging from several thousand dollars to more than $80,000.

Performance car engines

BMW S85 V10 — $7,000: The 5.0-liter V10 used in the 2004–2010 BMW M5 and M6 produced 500 horsepower, or 507 PS. This example was given a carbon intake cover and illuminated M logos on its valve covers. The engine’s new role does not include its original high-revving soundtrack.

Porsche 911 flat-six — $13,250: Bare, water-cooled Porsche flat-sixes can appear relatively plain once their accessories are removed. An early-1970s, air-cooled 2.2-liter engine with a large cooling fan and carburetors has considerably more visual character, and one sold for $13,250.

Lamborghini Gallardo V10 — $12,527: Ferrari engines appear frequently in engine-table listings, while Lamborghini examples are less common. This Gallardo V10 stood out with bright yellow paint and four pistons serving as the table’s feet.

Bentley W12 — $5,100: Bentley’s W12 illustrates a different approach to engine design. Its compact layout combines two narrow-angle V6 sections, each using a single cylinder head. This display engine sold for $5,100.

Jaguar V12 — $7,077: Rather than presenting a complete Jaguar V12 block, this table displayed the engine’s internal components. It offered a mechanical variation on the famous Jaguar V12 furniture associated with Top Gear.

Maserati Tipo 107 V8 — $8,800: Built from a 4.9-liter quad-cam V8 sourced from a 1980s Maserati Quattroporte III, this example retained much of the hardware that makes an engine recognizable. It included four Weber 42 downdraft carburetors, plug leads, and a distributor cap.

Ferrari F140 V12 — $81,000: The most expensive example in the group was based on the V12 from a Ferrari 812. The seller said more than 200 hours went into the build, including cutting sections from the block and polishing internal components. The finished table sold for $81,000.

Unusual powertrains and components

Tesla Plaid rear drive unit — $8,051: Engine tables are not limited to combustion hardware. This electric rear drive unit was reportedly removed from a Model S Plaid and had previously been displayed in a Tesla showroom. It sold for $8,051 despite offering a less traditional appearance than an exposed engine.

Pagani exhaust — $25,000: Technically, this is not an engine, but the titanium exhaust assembly was turned into furniture nonetheless. The seller claimed the pipes came from a Zonda, and the piece sold for $25,000 in February.

Lycoming radial engine — $27,000: The only aircraft component in the group was a nine-cylinder radial engine reportedly dating from 1944. The listing said it produced 300 horsepower, or 304 PS, when new. Its exposed air-cooled cylinders helped make it one of the most visually distinctive tables, and it sold for $27,000.

These listings demonstrate the wide range of machinery that can be transformed into display furniture. While some examples are stripped-down mechanical sculptures, others retain enough of their original equipment to resemble engines ready for installation.