Buy This Massive 11.9L V8 With 1,357 HP and Harness the Might of the Sun
Double-digit displacement is the perfect way to make huge power on pump gas.
"There's no replacement for displacement" is a popular saying in the auto world, and it seems to apply specifically to this giant engine that's currently for sale on Bring a Trailer.
Yes, it's a V8 that displaces a monstrous 11.9 liters, or 727 cubic inches in the old money. Custom-built from the ground up, it was assembled by Sonny's Racing Engines (SRE) of Lynchburg, Virginia.
In bench testing, the engine delivered a claimed 1,357 horsepower and a chassis-twisting 1,000 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers were achieved on pump gas, with the engine built to run on 91 to 93 octane fuel. Dyno sheets have the V8 revving out to 7,200 rpm, which is a fairly high number for something more than seven times bigger than the engine in your typical Honda Civic.
Of course, such a build didn't happen cheaply. The engine was built in 2016, and cost a full $69,521 out the door. It was originally intended for a tube-framed Chevy Nova, but plans changed and the engine ended up in storage instead.
That money went to quality parts, however, including the Brodix aluminum block, hemispherical cylinder heads, and a dry-sump oil system. Other niceties include the polished valve covers and a billet oil pan. It's equipped for electronic fuel injection with a four-barrel throttle body, fuel rails, and injectors, but no ECU is included in the sale. The engine is complete with a power steering pump and air conditioning compressor, highlighting the fact that this giant donk is from SRE's street engine range. The alternator and ignition system are present and accounted for, too.
The engine comes from great pedigree, too, with SRE engines having powered drag-racing world champions across the PDRA, ADRL, and IHRA competitions. Funnily enough, though, the 11.9-liter engine is actually on the smaller size of what SRE offers to customers. The company's largest street engine displaces a full 15.4 liters (940 ci). The catalog extends to a 16.3-liter (1,000 ci) drag-racing engine capable of 2,100 horsepower, and naturally aspirated at that.
At the time of writing, the current bid stands at just under $19,000, and the engine is listed with no reserve. That's a steal of a price for a naturally aspirated beast making 1,400 hp, though it's likely to rise significantly before the auction ends next week. If you're looking for a giant lump of a V8 to scare children and offend your homeowner's association, though, this could be just the ticket.
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