6 Of The Most Powerful Nelson Racing Engines Ever Made

Tom Nelson founded Nelson Racing Engines (NRE) in 1995. Nelson’s ability to deliver the high-horsepower turn-key engines his clients desire is evident by scrolling through some of the projects NRE’s team of self-proclaimed gearheads have contributed to.

Tom Nelson’s commitment to learning and passion for developing premier engine technology is exemplified by NRE’s patented Mirror Image Turbos. Unlike other twin-turbo designs, the Mirror Image Turbos allow a symmetrical arrangement, with opposed-rotation billet turbo compressor wheels and streamlined exhaust headers, that produce “100 horsepower more than other turbos on the market,” according to NRE.

You probably know that crate engines come in a variety of different configurations to fit nearly every need. While NRE offers crate engines at various price points, they’re not on the same level as the most affordable V8 crate engine you can buy from Ford, and you won’t find their most powerful Mopar crate engines priced under $15,000. The highest horsepower NRE crate engines provide more power than any of the most powerful crate engines you can buy from Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet. Some NRE engines are works of art, unlikely to ever be produced outside of custom order status.

Nelson Racing Engines’ most powerful street hemi

The bare-metal 1968 Dodge Charger driven by Vin Diesel’s character Dominic Toretto at the end of “Furious 7,” part of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, is the brain-child of Scott Spock. Spock’s outlandish Dodge Charger, dubbed Maximus, the Ultra Charger, is powered by the most powerful street hemi ever produced by Nelson Racing Engines.

The Nelson Racing Engines Maximus 572-cubic-inch (9.4-liter) Hemi features NRE’s twin-88mm-turbochargers with twin intercoolers and a dual fuel injection system capable of differentiating between 91- and 116-octane fuel automatically and adjusting for optimal performance.

While the Maximus Hemi’s valve covers and the Ultra Charger wear markings advertising 2,000 horsepower, the actual dyno-verified horsepower rating is 2,253 at 6,200 rpm. Torque values at 6,000 rpm came in at 1,927 pound-feet, all at a reasonable 25 psi of boost. Tom Nelson projects the engine should be capable of supporting boost pressures up to 45 psi, raising potential horsepower to nearly 3,000.

Nelson Racing Engines 2000-hp big block Chevy

Another Nelson Racing Engines with 2,000 horsepower is the 572-cubic-inch big block Chevy engine known as the NRE TT Alien 572. While NRE claims the twin-turbo Alien 572 produces more horsepower on the dyno, it sticks with the 2,000-hp at 6,200 rpm rating for its advertisement. At 5,100 rpm, the big block Chevy engine makes a generous 1,700 lb-ft of torque. NRE says the Alien 572 delivers exceptional value as a high-performance twin-turbo big block with daily driver capability.

Evidence of the daily driver potential from a 2,000+ horsepower engine is provided by the NRE Billet Blackout Series Twin Turbo Intercooled 572 cubic inch Big Block Chevy crate engine powered 1969 Camaro driven on a shake-down run through the streets of Malibu, California, by Tom Nelson.

While the Camaro’s horsepower obviously takes center stage in any discussion, its “Octane on Demand” system helps to make it driver-friendly. The system features a pair of fuel injectors for each cylinder, one providing 91-octane pump gas for subdued driving and the other for high-octane race gas while under increased boost pressures.

The Nelson Racing Engines twin-turbo Mayhem 427 LS

The NRE twin-turbo Mayhem 427 LS engine keeps our 2,000-horsepower theme going just a little longer. The 427-cubic-inch LS7 engine earned distinction from other LS models as the powerplant underneath the hood of 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 models. At the time of its introduction, it was the largest and most powerful naturally aspirated V8 in production. The 2006 LS7 produced 505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. While the supercharged LS9 took the LS-horsepower crown from the LS7 in 2009, the NRE Mayhem 427 LS sets the new standard for LS power.

The list of go-fast goodies adorning the NRE Mayhem 427 LS reads like the cover of an aftermarket performance catalog. In addition to the expected twin 76mm mirror-image NRE turbochargers, you’ll find Dart Machinery CNC ported LS7 cylinder heads, a custom-ground Comp Cams camshaft, Holley Performance ECU, Callies Performance, ARP fasteners, and custom-designed JE Pistons.

NRE also used custom-designed air-to-water intercoolers, TurboSmart 60mm gates, and Plazmaman Racing tall lid intake manifolds designed specifically for LS7 use. It all comes together in a package so stunning it would fit the vibe of any modern art installation, and NRE says it’s good for 2,000+ horsepower.

A 1,750 hp 5.9L V8 built exclusively for the SSC Tuatara hypercar

With NRE’s pedigree of powerful Hemi, LS, and big block Chevy engines, it isn’t surprising that SSC North America would partner with Nelson when designing the powerplant for its Tuatara hypercar build. It’s also not a shock to see how beautifully executed the design is. What is somewhat surprising is the 5.9L V8 engine’s ability to produce 1,350 horsepower on 91-octane gasoline and 1,750 horsepower on ethanol or methanol fuels.

The Nelson Racing Engines twin-turbo 5.9L V8 featured in the SSC North America Tuatara hypercar not only produces 1,750 horsepower, it puts out 1,280 lb-ft of torque. NRE’s twin 76mm turbochargers with dual water-to-air intercoolers provide the forced air induction to feed the beast. In addition, dual injectors feed fuel to each of the eight cylinders.

While claims of a 316 mph top speed for the Tuatara are controversial, there’s no denying that the car is incredibly fast. Its slippery aerodynamics and massive horsepower helped it achieve an official top speed of 286.1 mph over just 2.3 miles on January 17, 2021, making the SSC North American Tuatara the fastest production car at the time.

The NRE twin-turbo 6.0L V12 Lamborghini

The final edition of the Lamborghini Diablo VT, one of the best Lamborghinis of all time, powered by a 6.0L V12, produced 543 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque when it left the factory in 2000. NRE’s Tom Nelson admits to having an affinity for the Lamborghini Diablo VT, a love he shared with his father. Nelson’s goal to “breathe new life into a 20+ year old supercar legend” led him to create the 1,650-horsepower NRE twin-turbo 6.0L V12 that fits with the artistic flair of the Lambo.

Nelson improved upon Lamborghini’s original V12 design with “one-off billet connecting rods,” custom forged pistons, and Inconel valves. The custom water-to-air intercoolers are integrated into the intake manifold. Like other NRE engines, Nelson employed NRE mirror image turbochargers, 64mm in this case, for forced air induction. The hand-built stainless steel exhaust system helps the entire package to fit into the Diablo “like a glove,” according to Nelson.

NRE’s twin-turbo 1973 Camaro supercar

The 1973 Chevy Camaro that’s powered by NRE’s 1540-hp twin-turbo 406 cubic-inch small block Chevy is known affectionately as “The F-Bomb” because it looked like it had been hit by a Scud missile when it arrived at NRE. The Olive-drab colored Camaro actually belongs to David Freiburger, former Chief Editor of Hot Rod Magazine. If the name and description of the car bring a sense of deja vu, it’s likely because it (or rather clones of it) was given a pivotal role in the fourth installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise driven, once again, by Dom Toretto.

In the movie, Toretto performs a wheelie on dirt and at speed to evade the villain’s gunfire and smash him into submission. While that feat would be ludicrous anywhere outside of Hollywood, the car’s actual accomplishments are nearly as fanciful. The goal for the F-Bomb Camaro was to build a 1,500-plus-horsepower, mellow daily driver, capable of running on pump gasoline and laying down 8-second quarter mile passes without needing to trailer it to and from the dragstrip.

Why did these six Nelson Racing Engines make the list?

With nearly 30 years of producing some of the most outrageously powerful engines around there were a lot of options to consider. Most of the engines we chose were custom one-off creations or limited production specimens. The Mayhem 427 LS is a more generic crate engine but its 2,000+ horsepower made it an obvious choice for our list. Ultimately, these six powerful NRE examples provided a little something for nearly any fan of twin-turbo V8 (or V12) power.