Video: Turbocharged 4-cylinder Engines Show Some Anger on the Dyno

Ever since the Offy dominated the Indy 500 and Formula 1’s great turbo era witnessed engines producing in excess of 1,000 horsepower, 4-cylinder engines have certainly had featured role in the performance market. We found these two videos from European shops that show just how potent they are.

On top is a VW-based 4-banger about the size of a motorcycle engine at just 1,170cc, but it sports a 20-valve head and is turbocharged. The setup on the dyno looks as if the engine is destined for a rally car or touring car, or it could be just one mean street engine. It was built by Van Kronenburg

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Autosport in the Netherlands and features the company’s KMS engine-management system. The dyno display shows it exceeding 9,600 rpm and hitting 264kW, which equates to 354 horsepower, but we don’t know if that’s raw or corrected. The video intro indicates the engine is good for 370 horsepower. We also noticed peak torque at around 337 Nm, which equals 249 lb-ft. Again, not sure if that’s corrected. One measurement missing is boost. The needle on the manifold pressure indicator remains dormant, so perhaps the company wants the keep that number close to the vest. But when that turbo spools up, check out the engine and exhaust fury!

Below is a video showing a 2.35-liter Saab racing engine running more than 50 pounds of boost with the Garrett turbo. It too shows some pink on the headers at 7,000 rpm. The chart indicates more than 1,030 horsepower with about 800 lb-ft torque. The engine was built by Saab specialist Per-Anders Johansson and tested at Sweeden’s Trollspeed.