[Al Weyman]

I am curious, I keep reading time and time again about mega horse power engine outputs for 'Legal' Group 1 cars and FIA Apps K cars and the fact its not cheating but down to 'Modern Technology'. I personally question this and someone posted recently somewhere that someone or other was coming out in the Classic with a 'Legal' Apps K 450bhp 289ci Ford V8 engine!

How is this possible and keeping within FIA's criteria for such an engine? The Ford 289 small block back in the day would have produced as a high performance factory option in a road car 275bhp (with factory Tri Y headers) so lets say with blue printing and a careful build give it the benefit of doubt another 50bhp say 325. The cylinder heads on this engine never favoured high bhp outputs so unless they were changed I cannot see how 450bhp can ever be achieved by modern technology especially with pressed steel rockers and a flat tappet camshaft presumable to an homologated specification also I presume using the standard ignition system, standard cast crankshaft, rods and probably factory spec forged pistons and a 650cfm carb.

So my question is what precisely has modern technology changed that can produce these figures in what is meant to be a reproduction of a period engine without bending the rules?