Over the years we’ve been involved in quite a few very exciting, over-the-top, cutting edge engine projects. Projects that required out-of-the-box thinking and application of modern ideas and materials to old-school designs. And while all of these projects were exciting most had one thing in common; they were based on old engine designs. Whether it was the development of 912 heads to support a 182hp 1500cc land speed power-plant, or radical twin-plug Type4 heads worthy of a professionally built 550 Spider replica featuring F1 inspired chassis and suspension, they were still very early engine designs that required massive amounts of improvement to reach the performance goals put forth.
Our latest project easily departs from that norm. In this case we are starting with one of the most modern production car cylinderhead designs in the world. And a more remarkable piece of engineering one will be hard pressed to find.
LNEngineering and Flat6Innovations have been world leaders in the development of improvements to the 996 power-plant -in all of its various configurations- so it was natural that they would train their focus on the 997. And since we’ve been involved in the 996 work with these guys right from the beginning, when they decided to turn their attention to a radical 3.6liter “super-sizing” to 4.2liters we got the call for the head work.
We were already familiar with these remarkable heads from previous collaborations with Flat6Innovations, so we knew what we were getting ourselves into. But this project would require a much more comprehensive effort than past projects, which were tame by comparison. The challenge to us was to develop head modifications that would support and even enhance the increase in displacement without a compromising the original performance characteristics of the vehicle. This is after all to be a mixed use vehicle; both daily driver and track car to be beaten upon mercilessly by LNEngineering owners Charles Navarro and his wife Tammy.
Hoffman Automotive Machine (706)769-3783 