Nelson Racing Engines has a new crate engine — 1,200 horsepower, pump gas, no race fuel needed.
Nelson Racing named it the Intercooled Outlaw 427 — an LS-based twin-turbo V8 with 427.7 cubic inches under the hood. Every single one is hand-built to order at Nelson Racing’s facility, strapped to a dyno before it ships, and priced from $41,999.
Most performance crate engines in this power range — Whipple, Edelbrock, Wegner — either require race fuel or top out well below 1,000 horsepower on pump gas. Nelson Racing is claiming both — four-digit power and pump gas compatibility in one package.
1,200hp at 7,200rpm — 1,500hp If You Want More
The Nelson Racing crate engine makes 1,200 horsepower at 7,200 rpm on 91-octane pump gas — the same grade sold at any filling station. Switch to race fuel and Nelson Racing says the output jumps to 1,500 horsepower. Same block, same twin turbos, same internals. Only the fuel changes.
That flexibility matters for real-world builds. Street driving on pump gas — 1,200 horsepower. Track day on race fuel — 1,500 horsepower. No hardware swap, no engine out, no retuning appointment. The Nelson Racing crate engine handles both in the same configuration.
What Is Inside the Nelson Racing Crate Engine
LS architecture underneath. Not a Ford big-block despite the old-school cubic inch figure — General Motors’ LS platform, one of the most supported engine families in aftermarket history.
Nelson Racing built the Outlaw 427 around a strengthened aluminium block. Iron cylinder sleeves pressed in for durability. Six-bolt head design for extra clamping force under boost — standard four-bolt setups give up under sustained turbo pressure, six-bolt does not.
Inside the block — billet crankshaft, forged connecting rods, custom pistons. Compression ratio — 9.0:1. That number is key. Lower compression is what lets this Nelson Racing crate engine run on 91-octane without the detonation problems that kill high-boost engines on pump gas.
Cylinder heads are upgraded. Camshaft is custom ground. Every internal component is built to handle four-digit horsepower continuously — not just on a one-pull dyno run.
The Twin-Turbo Setup on the Nelson Racing Crate Engine
Two turbos. Nelson Racing’s own 72.0-millimetre Mirror Image Generation 2 units. Mirror Image means one turbo is a mirror of the other — both spool at the same rate, both deliver equal boost. No lag on one side, no surge on the other.
Billet compressor wheels in both units. Custom exhaust manifolds route gases from the block into each turbo. Upgraded wastegates sit on both sides managing boost at the top end. Blow-off valves handle pressure spikes during throttle lift.
Between the turbos and the intake — an intercooler. That is the Intercooled part of the name. Charge air coming off the turbos gets cooled before entering the cylinders. Cooler air is denser. Denser air means more oxygen per combustion cycle. More oxygen means more fuel burned per cycle. That is how 1,200 horsepower on pump gas is possible.
The entire forced induction package — turbos, manifolds, wastegates, intercooler — is Nelson Racing’s own hardware. Nothing sourced from a third party supplier.
How the Nelson Racing Crate Engine Compares
Supercharged crate engines from established names like Whipple and Edelbrock typically land between 600 and 900 horsepower on pump gas at lower price points. Pushing past 1,000 horsepower on 91-octane in a complete crate package is genuinely uncommon — most builders at that power level either switch to E85 or accept race fuel as a daily requirement.
The Nelson Racing crate engine at 1,200 horsepower on 91-octane positions itself above that ceiling. At 1,500 horsepower on race fuel it moves into territory normally occupied by purpose-built competition engines that are not street driveable. Nelson Racing is selling the gap between those two worlds — serious power that works on whatever fuel is available.
$41,999 — What You Actually Get
Nelson Racing crate engine starts at $41,999. Sedan money for something that makes 1,200 horsepower on pump gas and ships with a dyno sheet proving it.
Building a comparable twin-turbo LS engine from scratch — block machining, custom internals, turbo system fabrication, dyno tuning — costs more in labour before a single part is purchased. The Nelson Racing crate engine arrives complete. Every unit comes with a dyno sheet showing the actual power output of that specific engine. Not an average. Not a claimed figure. The number that specific block made on that specific day.
Each Nelson Racing crate engine is built to order. No shelf stock. Order placed, build starts, dyno run completed, engine ships with documentation.
Who Is the Nelson Racing Crate Engine For
Not a weekend hobbyist engine. The Nelson Racing crate engine at $41,999 sits in serious project car territory — restomod builds, drag cars, track builds, high-end street machines where the powertrain budget reflects the rest of the build.
At $41,999 the Nelson Racing crate engine sits below what a comparable custom twin-turbo LS build costs in labour alone at most specialist shops. For restomod builders and drag car owners who want a verified, documented power figure without a year of development, that price point makes sense. No surprise machining bills. No failed dyno pulls. No months of tuning chasing a reliable power figure. Nelson Racing handles all of that before the crate leaves their facility.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nelson Racing Crate Engine
What is the Nelson Racing crate engine Outlaw 427?
Twin-turbo LS. 427.7 cubic inches. 1,200 horsepower on 91-octane, 1,500 on race fuel. Nelson Racing builds it to order, straps it to the dyno, ships it with the numbers. $41,999 to start.
How much horsepower does the Nelson Racing crate engine make?
1,200 horsepower at 7,200 rpm on 91-octane pump gas. Same engine on race fuel — 1,500 horsepower. No internal changes between the two outputs.
Does the Nelson Racing crate engine need race fuel?
No. 1,200 horsepower runs on standard 91-octane pump gas. Race fuel is an upgrade path to 1,500 horsepower — not a requirement.
What is the Nelson Racing crate engine built on?
GM LS architecture. Strengthened aluminium block, iron cylinder sleeves, six-bolt heads, billet crankshaft, forged rods, custom pistons. 9.0:1 compression ratio.
How much does the Nelson Racing crate engine cost?
$41,999 to start. Built to order. Every unit dyno tested before shipping. Dyno sheet included with each engine documenting actual output figures.
What turbos does the Nelson Racing crate engine use?
Two Nelson Racing 72.0mm Mirror Image Generation 2 turbochargers. Billet compressor wheels. Custom exhaust manifolds. Upgraded wastegates and blow-off valves. Nelson Racing’s own hardware throughout.
Is the Nelson Racing crate engine street legal?
The Outlaw 427 is a crate engine for project builds — not a street-legal kit out of the box. Legality on public roads depends on the recipient vehicle and local emissions laws. What does not change — it runs on 91-octane pump gas regardless.
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