How Much Horsepower Does A Toyan V8 Engine Have?
You may not realize it, but V8 engines have been powering automobiles for well over a century now, with Cadillac putting the first mass-produced V8 under the hood of a vehicle in 1914. In the ensuing 110 years, reliable, horsepower-hungry V8 engines have run everything from family-friendly sedans and hard-charging sports cars to trucks, SUVs, and actual race cars. As hard as it may be to believe, you can even put a V8 under the hood of your favorite radio-controlled car these days.
No, you cannot just hook any old RC car up to a full-sized V8 engine, as that would be actual insanity. However, if you get your hands on a fuel-powered miniaturized engine from the folks at the Toyan Engine Shop, you can indeed outfit your RC vehicle with a working V8 engine. That prospect should have any speed-loving RC fan frothing at the lips.
You read that correctly — the folks at Toyan Engine Shop developed a working V8 engine small enough for use with a radio-controlled vehicle. While the engine won't help your RC car push the same sort of ponies as a full-sized sports car, according to Motor1, it should push the vehicle's horsepower to roughly 4.3 at about 11,200 rpm, which is pretty crazy when you think about it. While packing so much power into such a small package begs the obvious question of necessity, that query will likely be easy to ignore for folks itching to seriously soup up their favorite RC vehicle.
A Toyan model V8 engine will cost you almost as much as an actual automobile engine
As much joy as V8 power would surely bring die-hard RC vehicle fans, those looking to purchase a Toyan model engine may endure a bit of sticker shock upon tracking one down on the retail scene. That's because a new Toyan V8 Engine kit will set you back a cool $1,800. That number is not far off from what a used full-size V8 engine might cost you on the lower end of the market.
Perhaps more problematic for some prospective purchasers of the Toyan V8 engine is that it will not arrive fully assembled. Though assembly instructions are included, some technical know-how concerning the inner workings of an engine may help ensure your Toyan performs as it's designed to. Even still, the do-it-yourself faction of the RC scene will no doubt get a thrill out of assembling a legit miniature V8 engine for their vehicle.
Assembly work aside, what you get for the Toyan V8's $1,800 asking price is a working, 1:10 replica of a full-size, 4-stroke nitro engine packing more muscle than most RC vehicles can handle. If you want to get cute with your Toyan V8, the engine is even strong enough to power a handheld drill and other devices with the right modifications. Of course, overhauls like that may be more trouble than they're worth for most folks in the market for a Toyan V8. Nonetheless, this mighty miniature engine should be a lot of fun for any model builder or RC car enthusiast looking to tackle a new project.