Mar 6, 2016

Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno is known for his vast collection of rare automobiles.  Leno is no longer on late-night television but his new show, Jay Leno’s Garage, gives the long-time comedian the opportunity to test out some of the fastest muscle cars in the world, including a 1970 Dodge Charger nicknamed “Tantrum” from Wisconsin based Speedkore Performance equipped with a twin-turbo, 9.0 L, 1350hp Mercury Racing crate engine.  The engine platform is capable of 1650+hp.

The episode featuring the Mercury Racing engine aired recently on CNBC Prime.

“Nice looking motor,” Leno said of the engine.

“With this engine we want to be different and unique, it’s why we needed a big car,” said Dave Salvaggio, Speedkore lead builder. “A lot of guys frown on putting a Chevy engine in a Ford or something else but we are just using a boat engine that can be used on anything and it’s not crossing the line.”

The Charger is one of the first applications of Mercury Racing’s QC4 automotive crate engine platform.  The engine was first shown for automotive use at the 2013 SEMA show in an Ultima GTR development vehicle.  The platform is a twin turbo 9.0 L all-aluminum 32-valve DOHC V8.. 

“This engine was designed from the ground up at Mercury Racing and was launched for marine use in 2010,” said Erik Christiansen, Mercury Racing general manager. “To adapt the QC4 platform from marine to automotive, Mercury Racing performed several changes including work with the control system for drivability and torque management.  I personally spent a few days in Los Angeles with Mr. Leno and the crew and they were blown away by the performance of the engine and the opportunities for Mercury, to be a major player in the performance automotive industry.”

Read all about Leno’s experience with Mercury Racing and for more information about the QC4 automotive crate engine, visit www.mercuryracing.com