Owners who want four-digit power without mandatory race fuel can now buy an off-the-shelf crate engine that delivers 1,200 horsepower on ordinary 91-octane gasoline. Nelson Racing Engines is offering the Intercooled Outlaw 427, an LS‑based, 427.7 cubic inch V8 that hits 1,200 hp at 7,200 rpm on pump gas and can produce up to 1,500 hp when supplied with higher-octane race fuel.
The Story in Pictures
The Outlaw 427 is built around a strengthened aluminum block with iron cylinder sleeves and a six-bolt head design. Internals include a billet crankshaft, forged connecting rods and custom pistons, and the engine runs a 9.0:1 compression ratio to make high output compatible with regular pump gasoline. Nelson also fits upgraded cylinder heads and a custom camshaft, plus a range of reinforced components intended to survive sustained high power.
Boost comes from a pair of Nelson Racing 72.0-millimeter Mirror Image Generation 2 turbochargers. The turbos use billet compressor wheels and mate to custom exhaust manifolds, while the overall system incorporates upgraded wastegates and blow-off valves to control boost and pressure events. The package is designed to deliver big torque and horsepower without the extreme fuel or tuning requirements that many competition-only crate engines demand.
Nelson Racing lists the Twin-Turbo Intercooled Outlaw 427 at $41,999 to start. Each example is assembled to order and dyno-tested before it ships, a process the company uses to verify output and tune each build. For builders weighing cost against capability, that price sits near the cost of a modern mid-size sedan while promising substantially more power than most production engines.
The Outlaw 427 targets serious project-car and performance enthusiasts who want turnkey, high-horsepower hardware with less dependence on race fuel. Buyers should expect a fully reinforced LS architecture, a twin-turbo induction system with high-end internals, and a confirmed power band that ranges from 1,200 hp on pump gas to as much as 1,500 hp with race fuel.
