Australian engineering firm unveils a 9.5-liter, V12, 765HP crate engine

Australia-based Race Cast Engineering will be bringing a brand-new crate engine to the SEMA show in Las-Vegas on November 5, 2019. The specs are already here, and ‘impressive’ would be putting it mildly.

The naturally aspirated twelve-cylinder mill has 9.5 liters (580 cubic inches) of displacement room and delivers 765 hp (570 kW) along with 941 Nm (694 lb-ft) of torque to the crank. The RPM count goes up to 7,100.

Factory Five Racing will be showcasing a new project based on this engine at the SEMA, about which no further details are given. The U.S. tuner firm is mostly known for its replicas of such classics as the 427 Cobra, the Daytona Coupe the GTM crate supercar, the 33 Hot Rod, and others.

The new engine goes by the name V12 LS, a reference to the structurally similar General Motors V8 LS/LTб (both have the crankshaft at the bottom). The cast-iron casing of the Australian mill is an original design, but the cylinder diameter is identical to that of the General Motors 7.0L LS7 model (104.8 mm / 4.1 inches), and the piston stroke length corresponds to that of the 5.3L and 6.2L LS/ST models (92 mm / 3.6 inches).

The engine uses multiple LS parts, Bosch fuel injectors, ACDelco sensors, and a Haltech control unit. The dry weight amounts to 265 kilograms (584 pounds), which includes the standard cast-iron housing. You may opt for an alternative light alloy housing if you want a weight reduction to 191 kg (422 lbs). The cylinder head assembly is aluminum in both versions.

The company has spent several years designing the engine and is currently taking orders. The base price is equivalent to U.S. $55,200, and shipping is free in Australia and the continental United States. Another $5,000 buys you a downsized version of the same engine with only 9.2 liters of displacement. Finally, an upgrade kit to 1,000 hp (745 kW) is also available for $5,000.