The layout will be front-mid-engine (FM), all wheel drive (AWD). The engine and transmission will both be completely between the front and rear axle lines.
I will use a chassis mounted front differential that passes the front axles in front of the engine like a 2020 Ford F150 instead of through the oil pan like a Nissan GTR or a BMW. So the engine and transmission will be moved backwards until the engine is completely behind the front axle line. This will allow me to lower the engine and transmission as low as it can be mounted to lower the center of gravity.
Engine
There are lots of engines that can make 900-1000whp on fuel that can be found at public gas stations but I have to narrow it down to just 1. So I will make a list of engines that I like, and then narrow it down with selection criteria.
Ideally I would pick an engine and transmission combo that an adapter solution already exists for from Domiworks or Adamat
Selection criteria:
- Price
- Engine Availability
- Adapter Availability
- Powerband & Responsiveness
- Aftermarket Support
- Physical Size
- Weight
- Longevity
- Sound
- Ease of maintenance
Some engines that I like that will make 1000whp on E85 are
- Ford Coyote V8 (Turbocharged or Supercharged)
- Chevrolet LS V8 (Turbocharged or Supercharged)
- Toyota 2JZ-GTE I6 (Turbocharged)
- Nissan RB26DETT I6 (Turbocharged)
- Honda K-Series I4 (Turbocharged)
I would like for the powerband of the 1000whp to be wide and responsive. I want to be able to accelerate quickly out of a turn that I failed to carry enough momentum through. A laggy power delivery that comes on late and all at once will not be forgiving in that scenario. Engines with larger displacement will be more responsive and spreading the 1000whp of power over more cylinders should help the engine live the longest. So for those reasons, I want the biggest engine on the list. But more displacement and more cylinders almost certainly means more size and weight.
Since the car will be mid-engine all wheel drive with the engine in front of the driver and behind the front differential, the engine will have to be short enough in length to fit within the proposed wheelbase with the transmission, and narrow enough for a driveshaft to route around one side or the other to a chassis mounted front differential. I also don’t want to add more weight to the car than I have to. So for those reasons, I want the smallest engine that will meet the horsepower goal.
The smallest and lightest engine on my list that can make 1000whp on E85 is the 4 cylinder Honda K-Series. Looking through the criteria, it is affordable and readily available. As of 2026, long blocks can be found quickly and easily for around $1000. It’s physically small, lightweight, and easy to work on. But it is the worst sounding engine on the list, and because it only has 4 cylinders, that means each cylinder has to support 250whp so it is likely to have the worst longevity of the engines on the list at 1000whp.
The Ford Coyote and Chevy LS 8 cylinder engines will both live the longest at 1000whp (125whp/cyl) and are readily available. They can meet the power goal with a supercharger or small turbos. They will provide the broadest and most responsive 1000whp powerbands on the list. But they are physically large so they might make awd packaging more complicated and they are heavy.
The inline 6 cylinder engines on the list are the “happy medium” between the smallest and biggest engines on the list. They can make a 1000whp (167whp) powerband that is more responsive than the one provided by the K-Series, and are physically narrower than the LS and Coyote engines. Of the 2 inline 6 cylinder options on the list, the Nissan RB26 engine is relatively expensive and harder to get compared to the Toyota 2JZ.
I have personal experience with 4 digit horsepower 2JZ engines and I like the sound. It is not the cheapest engine on the list, but the newer versions with variable cam timing can be had for under $5000. The aftermarket support is extensive for this engine so I wont have any problem finding parts even if I want to significantly increase the displacement or change the rod/stroke ratio. The left side of the engine has plenty of room for a driveshaft since there wont be power steering or air conditioning accessories in the way. I am going to choose the 2JZ to move forward with.
The plan at the time of writing this, is to start with a 3.0L OEM 2JZ VVTi engine with two relatively small reverse-rotation turbos and a custom turbo kit that routes both down pipes to their own separate exhaust pipes that lead to the back of the car. Then once the car is running, I will swap in a built stroker 2JZ with increased displacement to improve the power band and responsiveness even more.
Transmission
Transmission options that will be considered are:
- Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R AWD Quaife 6spd Sequential Transmission and Transfer case
- BMW ZF 8HP AWD 8spd Automatic Transmission and Transfer case
The Nissan transmission and transfer case route the front driveshaft up the right side of the engine, while the BMW transmission and transfer case routes the front driveshaft up the left side of the engine. This will need to be a consideration moving forward once I get to the task of choosing differentials and packaging the other required parts of the car.
The front to rear power split is adjustable in the Nissan transfer case. It is a simple hydraulic mechanism that can be controlled by the ecu.
The BMW transfer case routes power to the front and back using an electronically controlled clutch system that will require an aftermarket electronic controller to operate. If a controller is not available, Domiworks makes adapters to adapt other transfer cases to the ZF 8HP transmission (including the Nissan GTR transfer case).
Both transmissions can be shifted with paddles.
Momentum Motorsports offers a 2JZ bolt on kit for the Quaife GTR sequential transmission, and Domiworks makes a 2jz adapter for the BMW ZF 8HP transmission.
The Quaife GTR Sequential is expensive up front, while the 8HP is inexpensive up front but ends up being expensive when its time to make 1000whp reliably.
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