Quote Originally Posted by Taily View Post
The difference is that one would be easier to live with in traffic then the other and then return 10-11lt/100 on the highway, not to mention hanging together for upwards to 300,000km. The same money that was spent on the 253 would get the LS engine well into the 450-500KW range (on 98 pump fuel and you watch that extra 150+kw just magically appear when tuned on E85), which is as you say: 2hp/ci (or better).

The age old adage, how fast do you want to go? How fast/much do you want to spend. Rocket science it isn't but there is some serious ingenuity in some headwork some guys are capable of. Heads, displacement and compression increases in the mechanicals get any engine moving. A sodding expensive cam and ignition/intake system to meld all the changes into a result and dependant upon just how wild you went with the design you might crack some big numbers.

The power numbers that everyday tuning houses are achieving out of NA LS, blown Miami and turbo'd Barra engines these days is staggering. Most with only minor external mods such as intercoolers or exhausts/pumps/injectors. Now just how "safe" some of those tunes are is debatable, but good tuners will only take things so far to keep good margins over detonation etc.

Good on them for getting some great numbers out of a 253. I just don't think it would be a nice thing to live with.
Yeah, but not bad for a "boat anchor,thong slapper, starter motor etc etc. if Holden had thrown as much money at their own V8 as GM had at their motor I think no one in Australia would have the interest in the GM engine. Such a shame really.

Anyway, 515 from a 253 for every one who asks if a 253 has any potential is the answer.