Mercury Racing Creates A $32,000 N.A. V8 Engine With 750HP

As the horsepower wars have continued and emission regulations become more stringent, automakers have consistently turned to forced induction to achieve their performance targets. Mercury Marine is a little different.

The company is best known for producing inboard and outboard marine engines but has been developing a high-powered crate engine for quite some time now. As the engine doesn’t need to pass current emissions rules, it can be naturally aspirated and has enough grunt to out-muscle many engines from McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and others.

The engine, dubbed the SB4, uses the block of GM’s famous LS7 but now features aluminum dual overhead cam cylinder heads. There are also two additional valves per cylinder and custom parts which allow the engine to deliver 750 hp at 8000 rpm and 570 lb-ft of torque.

For a price of $32,995, Mercury will sell the engine to customers with a tuned ECU, alternator, AC pump, pulleys, and belts. Additionally, the mill can be upgraded with a carbon fiber intake manifold and comes complete with a limited 12-month warranty.

Mercury Marine says its engine can be married to pretty much any manual or automatic transmission. However, there’s a catch and it relates back to the engine not having to comply with emissions rules.

Speaking to Jalopnik, a Marine spokesperson said the engine is only street legal on pre-1968 cars. Fortunately, it can be used freely in any track-only car.