Ever wondered what the folks in glasses and lab coats over at Porsche’s Research and Development Center in Weissach get up to? Well, you’re not alone and you’re not going nuts, because we’ve been wondering the same thing lately—and now we know.

They spend their days thinking up ways to mimic the g-forces experienced by a 911 flat-six on a full-throttle lap of the Nurburgring—and why wouldn’t you? The crazy engine dyno contraption in this video makes for interesting footage. Presumably a method for determining the performance of the boxer engine’s dry sump oil supply system under extreme conditions, it also looks a bit like an angry octopus that’s been poked with a stick.

[Source: Edmunds]