World's smallest supercharged V8 enters production

[Hydroplane Museum]

Unless you're into model cars, you may not have heard of Conley Precision Engines. That's a shame.

Why? Because they build the Stinger 609, the world's smallest supercharged four-stroke V-8 engine, which has finally entered production.

At just 6.09 cubic inches, or nearly 100 cc, it's a very small displacement V-8. Despite the small displacement, the engine revs to 10,000 rpm and produces 9 horsepower.  

At just 14 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 10 inches tall (with the supercharger), the highly miniaturized V-8 weighs just 11.25 pounds. The entire engine is custom designed and built by Conley, with painstaking attention to detail and a surprisingly public development process documented in the official build log.  

Unlike many of the alternatives in the quarter-scale model world, the Stinger 609 looks, sounds, and runs almost exactly like a full-size V-8. Unfortunately, that level of realism and excellence will run you $7,000 per.

Does this have any practical value for anyone outside the model car realm? Maybe. But it's awesome, and I want one just to put on my desk and scare the pets. 

Check out the video above for a quick walkthrough and test of the engine on the bench, and the video below for some more great sights and sounds of the tiny V-8.