rover 3.5 v8 performance

Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2004
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hey... just out of curiosity but what is the performance of the 3.5 v8 rover engine like?

just the engine performance ie bhp weight etc.

seen lots of v8 rover pages but no actual info...

are they tuneable?
 
www.austin-rover.co.uk

Anything from 91bhp to 190bhp for the 3.5l because of so many different specs over the years. I wouldnt start with the 3.5, personally i would get a 4 or 4.5 because they have more power to start with and will cost less to tune to say 400bhp than a 3.5 (however they are more expensive in the first place).

And yes, they can be tuned.

Edit: Ohh and as for weight, they are quite light because they have an aluminium block and cylinder heads.
 
You don't think 91BHP from a THREE POINT FIVE LITRE V8 is crap?

Its technology and age. I could quite easily say that the 21bhp that the 1940s Bently's use to have from their 8 litre engines was a little poor. But use that same engine with some modern day fettling and injection and you have a bullet proof engine firing up to 600bhp.
 
This was why B.L. got to buy the rights, the plant, and everything dirt cheap, it was low on BHP and high on emissions. It is also the reason TVR were never able to sell cars in California.
 
i don't think it's fair to say the rover v8 produced 91 bhp. that was obvously in a heavily detuned land rover application. for most car use it developed around 140 bhp minimum
 
They sound okay...But they don't give much power from the factory and they cost a bloody fortune to tune.

Even if you start with a 4.0 or 4.5, you're looking at big money to get above 350bhpish...

If you want a V8, get a small block ford or chevy. Ally heads, decent fuelling and exhaust and bob's yer mam's bro.

*n
 
there advantage is relatively lightweight torque, the 91bhp version was decades ago and actively detuned.

300bhp is easy, also very easy engines to strip and build and lovely sounding.
 
According to my Cousin, the old SD1 I used to own put out 155BHP +/-, but it certainly didn't feel like that at all due to it being such a large and heavy car.

I will add this though, on a fast run the fuel gauge goes down quicker than the speedo goes up!
 
i could see better performance by buying a 2.9v6 cologne engine and just turboing it for the same price as a v8 lump to get anywhere near the power.
 
[huzeeee];10269471 said:
I wouldnt start with the 3.5, personally i would get a 4 or 4.5 because they have more power to start with and will cost less to tune to say 400bhp than a 3.5

And yes, they can be tuned.


300bhp is easy, also very easy engines to strip and build and lovely sounding.

I would love to know where all these 300 / 400bhp Rover engines are :confused: they start to get very expensive over 250 bhp (for the 3.5) the 4.0 & 4.6 are easier to get a bit more from, but the heads just dont flow the figures to get much from them
 
I would love to know where all these 300 / 400bhp Rover engines are :confused: they start to get very expensive over 250 bhp (for the 3.5) the 4.0 & 4.6 are easier to get a bit more from, but the heads just dont flow the figures to get much from them

Yeah, 275 is about all my old man will get I think without going crazy and adding a turbo or a supercharger or something equally crazy!
 
i could see better performance by buying a 2.9v6 cologne engine and just turboing it for the same price as a v8 lump to get anywhere near the power.

Or just fit a 24v Cosworth V6 out of a Granada. 200bhp stock, 220bhp with later cams.

Ten grand and you have twin turbos and 550+bhp...That kind of money gets you knocking on 350bhp from the rover V8...

*n
 
Or just fit a 24v Cosworth V6 out of a Granada. 200bhp stock, 220bhp with later cams.

Ten grand and you have twin turbos and 550+bhp...That kind of money gets you knocking on 350bhp from the rover V8...

*n

i nearly fitted a granada cosworth engine to my mk3 XR3i. :(

top boss performance love them.
 
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