200hp super lightweight V6

[Vit Rich]

Hi everyone.

Abit of background. Names Rich, live up in newcastle. Im building an offroad buggy, for winch challenges and some new extreme offroad racing events that are popping up. Basically im looking for an engine for my rig.

I need a very low weight engine, as low as possible really. Needs to be more torque based than Hp, but looking for 200 to 300hp, would be happy with 200 if its going to keep the weight down and save me breaking driveline components due to to much power. Not really a high revving engine, would prefer one with more low down power. Ideally from a rwd car, or one that can be mated to some sort of RWD auto box easily.

I have been looking at a couple of engines, first the Toyota Supra 3.0 lump, but its WAY to heavy for me, 500lb plus. So then i moved onto the VW VR^ 2.8 lump. Perfect, apparently about 280lb and 200ish horsies. But, there isnt an easily feasable way of mounting it to a RWD box. Which puts me in htis situation. So, looking for a v6 or stright 6 engine (Ideally a v6 to keep it shorter) that can be mated to an automatic RWD gearbox, with 200+ horsies and as light as possible. Oh and preferably cheap, these engines dont always last long when there under muddy water for hours on end, so cheap and readily available would be a massive advantage. Not fussed aboout ECU or carb, probably prefer ECU to stop any form of fuel starvation on a steep hill.

Thanks for your time
Rich

[PhillipM]

You doing the XTC events then?

Hard to beat the VQ35....

[Vit Rich]

If the XTC's had shaped up to what they were ment to be i would have. They ended up being far to timid and too much like a comp safari for my liking. No, the main thing im aiming for in the speed catagory is the new British Dirt event organised by Rob Butler at Offroad Armoury. Hes pretty much the same as me, just further along, built a very capable fast paced buggy for the XTC, only to be let down, so hes organising his own event how it should have been done origionally.

Yet mine is mainly a slow paced winch challenge truck, theres no harm in having big horsies on tap for if i decide to go more down the faster paced route more often!

Thanks for the input
Rich

[Vit Rich]

The whole VQ range looks perfect for me, but unfortunatly abit steep! Im wanting to pay around the £500 mark max if possible, although i will certainly be looking out for a cheap one or of the VQ30 which also looks pretty upto what i need.

Thanks
Rich

[Pigeon]

Granada Scorpio V6? Think they weigh about 300lb and put out a bit under 200bhp, check before accepting recommendation though

[Vit Rich]

I think i could have found my engine! That looks perfect, light, powerful, cheap and only comes with a 4 speed auto box. Bob engine it is!

Thanks for the help
Rich

[Vit Rich]

Ok, after looking into this im told the bottom end is cast iron? If this is the case, it makes it a pretty heavy heavy engine unfortunatly.

What about the slightly newer ford duratec v6 engines fitted in the modeos from 1996. Does anyone know anything about these? They put out a pretty decent HP and there cheap, so its just reliability and weight im looking for.

So il widen the badn abit. Super lightweight engine (Not necaseraly a V6) with 200 - 300 horsies, N/A, not a V8, im trying to be different

Thanks
Rich

Edited by Vit Rich on Saturday 19th June 11:38

[syncro.]

How about the straight 4 out of an s2000, will be light and is over 200BHP, it might be a little lacking in torque but as it revs to 9000rpm you could just gear it down a bit to get that torque back!

[Vit Rich]

I carnt find one for sale for under £2k, nevermind £500! I hate being tight! Il have a look at some of the other V-techs though.

Rich

[stevieturbo]

If you have room for a straight 6, you would easily have room for a V8 !!!

Although the easiest choice of a alloy V6 for little money ( buy a complete car )

Rover 827, or its equivalent Honda Legend. It may not have quite 200bhp, but wont be far off. And if you can find one, I'm sure it will cost buttons.

[AKindSoul]

The Peugeot/Citroen alloy v6.

Ticks all your boxes , dirt cheap , around 10 yrs old and well under £500.

Can choose the auto combination.

And i have one in my 205 and it is a rocket

[GTMSpyder]

MG Rover KV6. Probably the ligtest and smallest 2.5 v6 around. 154kg dry. If its from a MG ZT then you can get a 190bhp, otherwise 180 from a ZS, (but a cone filter and less restrictuve exhaust will see about 205 bhp)

Ignore any bad mouthing about these engines - they are pretty tough and are totally different to K4s, so no head gasket problems with the v6. Just make sure it is not from an 800 series car as they were not so good.

It can be mated to a rear wheel drive box becasue they have been installed in a few Westfields, but I'm not sure what box they use. The gearbox bolt pattern is the same as the K4 engines so a Caterham 6 speed gearbox might fit, although the clutch will be different.

You can pick them up for £500.

Oh and they sound fantastic at 7000rpm!

[fatjon]

ford explorer V6 4.0 is 200+ bhp and loads of low down grunt. It's a ford cologne V6 with a longer crank throw and bigger bore and overhead cams. It has alloy heads so may be a tad lighter than the original cologne. Can be had for peanuts, just change the timing chains before use as the were well dodgy and the new kits have been revised to fix the problems.

[The Black Flash]

Could also consider the mitsubishi 6G72 out of the shogun ? Should be plenty of them about.
I've a page with some weights and measures of various v6's from when I was choosing one, if it helps: clicky.

[C Lee Farquar]

Do you have any funds for an ECU? £500 seems like a modest budget to get a modern engine running in a stand alone situation.

[swansea v6]

what about the 2 litre v6 from an fto? allegedly 200bhp in mivec form?? Or the 2.5v6 from mx-6/probe????

[stevieturbo]

swansea v6 said:

what about the 2 litre v6 from an fto? allegedly 200bhp in mivec form?? Or the 2.5v6 from mx-6/probe????

FTO is a crap engine, iron block and impossible to get parts for.


Isnt the Mazda engine the same as the Ford Mondeo V6 ?

[tr7v8]

Jaguar 3l duratec would be my choice, around 240BHP & all alloy.

[JonRB]

GTMSpyder said:

MG Rover KV6. Probably the ligtest and smallest 2.5 v6 around. 154kg dry. If its from a MG ZT then you can get a 190bhp, otherwise 180 from a ZS, (but a cone filter and less restrictuve exhaust will see about 205 bhp)

Ignore any bad mouthing about these engines - they are pretty tough and are totally different to K4s, so no head gasket problems with the v6. Just make sure it is not from an 800 series car as they were not so good.

It can be mated to a rear wheel drive box becasue they have been installed in a few Westfields

And of course also used in the mid-engined RWD GTM Libra.

[davepoth]

JonRB said:

GTMSpyder said:

MG Rover KV6. Probably the ligtest and smallest 2.5 v6 around. 154kg dry. If its from a MG ZT then you can get a 190bhp, otherwise 180 from a ZS, (but a cone filter and less restrictuve exhaust will see about 205 bhp)

Ignore any bad mouthing about these engines - they are pretty tough and are totally different to K4s, so no head gasket problems with the v6. Just make sure it is not from an 800 series car as they were not so good.

It can be mated to a rear wheel drive box becasue they have been installed in a few Westfields

And of course also used in the mid-engined RWD GTM Libra.

Same bolt pattern on the end of it as the 4 cylinder K-series, and loads of RWD boxes of all descriptions have been bolted to it.

Supercharger kits are available too...