Comments on: Why the SRT8 is no hemi-powered Challenger

By: fourwheeldrift

fourwheeldrift — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:59:59 +0000

Wow, I never thought I’d see the day when there was something about British sports cars that Chuck didn’t know!

The SP250 Dart was the first to utilize a new Daimler-specific 2548cc over-square pushrod V8. This was the same engine to go into the Daimler version of the Jaguar MKII through 1969. It produced about 140 gross hp.

By: chuck goolsbee

chuck goolsbee — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:14:52 +0000

While I’ve seen a few Darts, I’ve never looked closely at them. Do they sport a Rover V8, or did they source a MOPAR? Or was it their own creation?

Not that I really care that much.

–chuck

By: fourwheeldrift

fourwheeldrift — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:33:28 +0000

As long as Chuck spotlights the topic of British hemi engines, it seems an appropriate opportunity to point out that not all hemi engines were extremely potent. While the Jaguar XKs (especially in C and D Type forms) were amazing performance vehicles, the Daimler SP250 “Dart” was a terrible dog. Even with hemispherical combustion chambers, the SP250 was slow, sloppy and (dare I say) downright ugly. I’ve always thought of the SP250 as England’s Packard Hawk, except with a fiberglass body and hemi engine instead of rust-prone steel and a supercharged (non-hemi) engine.

By: chuck goolsbee

chuck goolsbee — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:22:04 +0000

BTW That “Jaguar’s XK DOHC six ,… the first post-war hemi” also had a SIX DECADE lifespan, from the late 1940s until the mid 1990s. It powered everything from Le Mans dominating race cars (C-type & D-type), to legendary sports cars (XK 120/140/150 & E-type), sedans and saloons (Mk 1-Mk X, XJ, S-type, etc), Limos (Daimler Sovereign & DS420), and even military hardware such as tanks and APCs! (Scopion, & Scimitar)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_XK6_engine

You are right though, the “Hemi’s” of today are just poseurs.

–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org