1500-Horsepower Engine: Power That Packs a Punch

When you hear someone talking about their super-duper 4 cylinders, a small grin usually comes across your face and you snicker as the sound of a really, really angry weed-eater plays over and over in your head. Prepare to have your mind blown. Meet the Thor engine (not sure why it was named Thor, he’s a big guy who’s really strong, not a small guy, which would make more sense for this smaller engine). It's a 4 cylinder engine that’s going to change your world if you’ve got the $150k to get this bad boy.Thor is a product of Elmer Racing in Finland (Ohhhh, that explains the name--Norse God and all). Cranking out a whopping 375 horsepower per cylinder, this tiny guy hits hard. That's 1500 horsepower out of a 4-banger! Built for hill climbs and time attack runs where the extreme weight of a V8 can be a hindrance, this engine is the best of both worlds. All the power and none of the weight. “A V-8 engine designed for racing can have a very high torsional rigidity. And lots of race classes have minimum weight limits, which create a necessity for very high powered (expensive) engines, with less importance on weight. Racing v8 engines suit these kinds of classes well,” explains Elmer Racing “However, for unlimited class racing the weight penalty of a v8 is unacceptable,” which is why they went with such a powerful 4 banger. As technology advances so do power and sustainability. For instance, the Thor engine can run comfortably at a sustained 10,000 RPMs, which is no laughing matter.The weight to power ratio of this unholy beast of technology and raw power has got to be insane. The Thor engine will make its debut in the 2018 World Time Attack Challenge, fitted into a Porsche 968 driven by Rod Pobestek. Is almost like putting a jet engine on a kite. We can’t wait to tune in and watch Thor blitz around the track.