The sport-compact racing scene continues to grow and now has cars running deep into the seven-second zone in both front and rear-wheel drive configurations. Racers who use the Honda K and B engine platforms have always needed to order custom pistons when building an engine that can reach the 1,000 horsepower mark, but now Diamond Pistons offers their Rebel Series pistons as an off-the-shelf option.

Cranking out over 1,000 horsepower from a small displacement engine with just four cylinders is a challenge no matter how you slice it. Many domestic car owners are quick to discount powerful non-V8 engines, but it’s hard to deny the power these Honda engines can produce. The Rebel series of pistons are a culmination of what Diamond has learned in other areas of motorsports and applied to this platform.

Evan Perkins from Diamond explains how these Rebel pistons are able to deal with these extreme levels of horsepower in such extreme conditions.

“The pistons begin with a dedicated forging (stronger than a billet) and have considerably more material in key structural locations such as the crown, ring lands, skirt, and pin bosses. In addition to the extra meat, they also utilize a Trend Performance Tool Steel wrist pin secured by pin buttons rather than conventional locks. Buttons eliminate the chance of the wrist pin dislodging under extreme load and also provide needed support to the outer edges of the piston.”

Inside the world of Honda racing, being able to produce the big horsepower numbers is done via some type of forced induction. The weapon of choice is a turbo that can utilize the Honda engine’s ability to reach big rpm levels with ease. Taking that all into consideration, Diamond designed the Rebel series of pistons with boost in mind.

“To make the Rebel series as boost-ready as possible, in addition to the strength upgrades mentioned previously, we included lateral gas ports and Total Seal steel rings. The gas ports use combustion pressure to force the rings against the cylinder wall, increasing ring seal, while the Total Seal rings are made from a superior alloy which allows them to survive at extreme combustion temperatures. Those two components work in harmony to seal extreme boost pressure,” Perkins says.

If you’re trying to build a killer Honda K or B series engine check out the Rebel pistons on Diamond’s website right here.