Based on a flathead or an overhead valve design, the Cison V8 engine kit can make up to 4.8 horsepower out of 44cc of displacement.
Mini stuff is the best kind of stuff. OK, yeah, we all love a huge V8 and a real car to drive it with, but I think every young enthusiast dreamed about putting a miniature engine into a miniature car to make an ultra-fast rocket ship of a toy. With the Cison miniature V8 engine kit, those dreams are now possible.
There’s been an explosion in mini engines lately, with folks making everything from a classic V12 to incredibly intricate X, V-twin, and radial engines. There are dozens of V8 kits to choose from, all with varying complexity. Some are flathead, some are overhead valve, and there are even kits with intricate overhead camshaft setups that are a dream for the mechanically inclined. But the Cison engine is styled to look like a small-block Chevy V8 and make enormous power. 4.8 horsepower to be exact.
The specs of the mini engine are intricate, with five main bearings, four camshaft bearings, cylinders machined to within a claimed .0001 of an inch, and a double-layer gear water pump. While it is designed primarily to be desktop art, it does run on pump gasoline rather than a more volatile fluid like other mini engines do. Cison also says the engine is compatible with RC cars, where 4.8 horsepower would go an incredibly long way. There is some complication in the fact that it’s water-cooled, which would add weight, and similarly priced electric motors make more power. But it’s all about the cool factor.
At $2,099, it certainly isn’t cheap, nor is it very useful. But it is another extremely cool mini engine model, and it sounds good with the provided headers. Live your childhood dreams, folks.
