At the risk of stating the obvious, crate engines are tremendous. For a five-figure spend, you get a) an entirely brand-new engine, b) towers of power to rival Nakatomi Plaza – and often a top end that’s every bit as explosive, and c) the reliably entertaining opportunity to put a purist’s nose severely out of joint.
But what if you had the means to spend six figures on your crate engine? Well, lucky you – next round’s on you. Which you might be more inclined to buy when you discover we’ve found what might be the ne plus ultra of crate engines: a Ferrari V12, as installed in the Ferrari Enzo.
That means six litres, 484lb ft and 650bhp, with the latter achieved at a wailing 7,800rpm. The spine almost tingles in anticipation. Situated where it was intended – that is, rear-mid-mounted in a Ferrari Enzo – it was enough to touch 218mph.
But then this F140 V12 is not in a Ferrari Enzo. Some two decades hence, it remains factory fresh, still in its shipping crate and still sporting a little protective cover for its carbon-fibre plenum. Obviously, this is something of a rarity, which does go some way to explaining RM Sotheby’s auction estimate of 200,000 to 300,000 US dollars.