The recently held SEMA Show in Las Vegas saw some awesome tuner cars unveiled but there was also some high-tech crate engines revealed. The big daddy of the lot came from Nelson Racing Engines in the form of a 10.4 litre, twin-turbo V8 unit.

It’s a radical motor that’s 632 cubic inches and produces 1400 hp (1044 kW) of power and 1896 Nm of torque. If those figures aren’t enough for you then fill the tank with racing fuel and output boosts up to a staggering 2300 hp (1715 kW) and 2844 Nm of torque. That’s more than twice the output of a Bugatti Veyron.

It’s a amazing piece of kit and it comes with an equally amazing price tag US$52,000 or $66,900 in NZ currency. Big power always comes with big costs.

Are big gas guzzling V8 engines set to be a thing of the past? We sure as hell hope not, but in new vehicles it’s becoming harder for carmakers to justify needing 8 cylinders. Even traditional bastions of brutal V8 power Shelby is making noise about using a twin-turbo V6 powertrain.

The pressures of ‘environmental consciousness’ may have reached the iconic Mustang builder because according to rumours, Shelby is looking at several different options for its future performance Mustangs, one of which is a new twin-turbo package for the pony car’s 3.7-litre V6 engine. In naturally-aspirated form the V6 lump already pumps out 305 horsepower so a twin-turbo kit bolted on could give the engine greater low-end grunt and take total power levels up into a performance V8 range.

Shelby is clearly unsure on how enthusiasts will feel about the move to 6-cylinders and is busy gathering feedback from loyal customers. If the project goes ahead the new twin-turbo Mustang V6 from Shelby could be built in concept form before the end of the year. The ‘Shelby GTS’ name is already being thrown around.

There is some good news for us V8 fans here because the same twin-turbo kit should be able to transfer to bigger eight cylinder engines with only minimal modifications required. The extra power could create a beastly 600 horsepower Shelby running on relatively mild boost levels.

Chevy fans can add another date in their calender because 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the Chevrolet Corvette first hitting the streets. What’s interesting about that first Corvette built almost 60 years ago is that it came packing a six-cylinder engine.

So what, you might say. Well according to recent reports it’s possible that a downsized six cylinder engine will be offered in the next generation C7 Corvette. There’s also a mad rush on at Chevrolet to get the car out the door in time to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

Before the purists get angry, the C7 will likely come with a V8 on offer as well but the rumours have sparked from word that Saab is busy working on a transmission for a twin-turbo V6-powered Corvette.

We’ll all have to wait and see, so check back for more updates on the C7 Corvette’s progress.

How much horsepower is too much? That’s a question many of us would enjoy finding the answer to, but 725 horsepower is probably about borderline. That’s what the Hennessey HPE700 Camaro is packing and it should be enough to satisfy anyone’s desires for straight line speed, especially on a street car. But for famous American car tuner John Hennessey, 725 hp isn’t enough so his latest creation the HPE800 Twin-Turbo Camaro, puts out a staggering 815 horsepower and 788 pound-feet of torque thanks to twin turbochargers bolted on to a 415ci stroker motor and a bevy of other upgrades.

If that’s not enough and you absolutely hate rear tyres and the speed limit, then Hennessey will build you an HPE1000 version complete with a twin-turbo 427ci LSX block and almost their entire catalogue of go-fast parts used. They recently strapped one down to a dyno, check it out in the video below. (more…)

Yesterday we brought you news of a highly-tuned Lamborghini Gallardo achieving a speed of 403kph over the standing mile, but now that has been eclipsed. Ford GT tuning specialist Heffner Performance broke the standing mile record earlier this week with its awesome twin-turbo machine.

At an event on a Miami Airport runway the 1,900 horsepower GT clocked a massive speed of 429 kph (266.94 mph) from a standing start. This left many crying foul and claiming that the timing equipment was incorrect. Heffner says it’s all legit and although the record is unofficial, the twin-turbo Ford GT will repeat the feat at an upcoming event

Standing mile events are increasing in popularity and are very simple in their format. You get one mile on flat, straight airport runway to go as fast as possible, with a half mile to bring your vehicle to a stop. The vehicle’s speed is recorded at the one mile mark, and that’s all there is to it.

To see a video of the record-breaking pass click on the box below. (more…)

Jonny Udy’s late model twin turbo Monaro. From the GT1 Race Series in Taupo Dwayne Carter’s ex-V8 Supercar BF Ford Falcon. We catch up with young top alcohol dragster Todd Vincent

Jonny Udy’s late model twin turbo Monaro. From the GT1 Race Series in Taupo Dwayne Carter’s ex-V8 Supercar BF Ford Falcon. We catch up with young top alcohol dragster Todd Vincent