Naturally Aspirated Sixteen Power V-16 Engine Making 1,250 HP

Thanks to a parts change, the team at Sixteen Power in Detroit has upped the power of the naturally aspirated version of its V-16 engine. That’s the word from Sixteen Power project leader Tom Robinson, who said that while the COVID-19 pandemic “put up some obstacles” development of the powerplant has continued.

In addition to finding more power in its naturally aspirated V-16 engine, Sixteen Power reportedly has sold its first unit and has been notified that it will receive a patent next week.

“We are still plugging away,” said Robinson. “Since our last talk, we have tested the engine with LS7 heads and tunnel ram intakes versus the stock LS3 parts used in the 1,100-hp version. The result was 1,250 hp using the same mild camshaft used in the 1100. We had good results maintaining bottom-end torque, but the LS7 heads and intakes clearly wanted more camshaft. We are now waiting on a slightly larger camshaft and then we will go back on the dyno.

“We have already sold one of these engines to a customer looking to make as much power as possible from a naturally aspirated engine on pump gas,” he continued. “Another big milestone for us this year; the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will issue us a patent on December 1, 2020 for various features in the design of the V-16.”

A look at sea-water pumps under assembly for the V-16 engine platform.

Robinson said the Sixteen Power team currently is waiting on back-ordered parts required for rigging, which they expect to have by the end of the year. They will continue to use a 42-foot MTI catamaran owned by former offshore racer Jeff Stevenson as their test bed for the engine platform.

“We didn’t get in the water this year, but we have used the extra time to improve the oiling and cooling systems on the boat,” said Robinson. “The sea-water side got larger hoses and fittings, a new stainless steel pump inlet manifold and a new pressure relief system for the strainers. The high-volume oiling system benefited from larger hoses and fittings, a custom oil filter housing and a new twin oil thermostat layout to go with our dual oil coolers.”

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