An Australian company has been quietly proving themselves under the bonnets of some of the world’s quickest four cylinders.
A new world record for all wheel drive four cylinders was set in Orlando, Florida last weekend with a billet engine block from SA firm Bullet Race Engineering.
The new record, a 7.356 with a top speed of 201.91mph (324.94kmh), was set by Boostin Performance, an Illinois-based race team, in their Red Demon Mitsubishi Eclipse. The world record run was followed by another blistering pass topping 213mph (342kmh).
Boostin recently started using Bullet Race Engineering’s 4G63 engine block, machined from solid 6061 billet aluminium. Bullet billet blocks are more rigid and more durable than the factory original cast iron blocks, and up to 30 kilograms lighter. The extra strength means engine tuners can run higher turbo boost pressures, pressures that would warp or crack cast blocks.
“Our main reason for switching to the billet blocks was us overpowering the main girdle and main studs in the factory 4G63 block,” said Devin Schultz from Boostin. “With the billet block, it gives us hours more time to enjoy at the track, versus having to re-torque our main studs after every two passes.”
Bullet are no strangers to top tier motorsport, or to world records. Queensland drag racer Collin Willshire set a world record in 2014, also using a Bullet block in a Mitsubishi Eclipse. His rear-wheel-drive car set a time of 6.53 at 223mph. At the time it was the fastest four-cylinder in the world and is still the fastest using the Mitsubishi 4G63 powerplant. Illustrating the durability of the Bullet product, Willshire is still campaigning the car using the same billet block in an engine producing close to 2000hp.
Their billet blocks have also conquered time attack racing, in the winning car and podium positions at the World Time Attack Challenge for the last two years.
Their current range, which includes Nissan SR20, RB26 and RB30, and nine variants of the Mitsubishi 4G63, has just been expanded to include the Honda B-series block that is extremely popular in the US drag racing scene.
“We’ve just sent our first Honda block to Speed Factory in Washington State,” said Bullet director Darren Palumbo. “They usually take 12 engine blocks to a drag meeting because they keep cracking them. They’ve seen Collin Willshire run at the top of the sport for five years using one billet block, so they’re excited about the possibilities our blocks offer them. It’s a game changer.”
With Bullet engines in the build in Sweden, the UK, Japan, USA and the Middle East, as well as across Australia, the company is expanding their operation to keep up with the ever-growing demand. New machinery, new staff and a larger workshop are all in the pipeline. New products are also under development, with the Toyota 2JZ, Subaru EJ20 and Honda K-series models expected to be launched in mid-2018.
