January 2014 Fastrack

[Ron Earp]

I don't doubt a 100% IT-built 2.5L BMW could hit 200+ rwhp hp. With a stand-alone or cracked BMW ECU, full control of the valve timing is a tremendous advantage.

For a reality check IT-built 240Z/260Z engines, wearing carbs, SOHC 2 valves per chamber, a non-cross flow head, and less legal compression than the BMW engine can make 175+ rwhp.

But try and explain these numbers to a Z enthusiast, or a BMW enthusiast, and you'll be met with disbelief. The worlds of "bolt-on-off-the-shelf output" and "IT output" have little in common.