The Ultimate London Taxi has a big block Chevy

One of the first things that come to mind when one thinks of London is the venerable taxi. It has been an icon for the city and a lot of old school taxis still motor around town taking passengers to their destinations.

The London taxi in this YouTube video is anything but your typical underpowered English roundabout. Computer specialist Steve Birchall spent nearly £60,000 (around $85k USD) ripping out the car's original diesel powerplant and shoehorning in a whomping big V8. There's very little going on outside to give away the car's secret, unless you look toward the rear. Back there, the fully tubbed monster meats kind of give away the game.

Under the hood you will find a big block 502 cubic inch V8 that puts out around 500 horsepower. Apparently is also runs to 60 mph in about 4 seconds. Check out the videos for more info on this ultimate sleeper.

Dodge Viper ACR on the dyno

The true test for a car is on the dyno. No matter what the manufacturer says, there's some solace in seeing what kind of horsepower and torque it puts down. Not surprisingly, most muscle cars tend to put out more power than advertised.

The Dodge Viper ASC and the Corvette ZR1 are actually quite similar, according to Drag Times, with the Viper posting an impressive 546 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque compared to the supercharged ZR1's 549.9 horsepower and 500 lb-ft.

Considering that both vehicles use a six-speed stick and power the rear wheels, drivetrain losses should be similar, so these figures are relatively comparable. For what it's worth, Dodge officially (under) rates the ACR at 600 horsepower, and an estimated 15% loss through the drivetrain would put this beast at an actual 642 horses.

Spy shots of Ford's new "Coyote" V8

When Ford introduced the 2010 Mustang at the LA Auto Show in November, there was some disappointment expressed over the engine lineup. The V6 was unchanged and the 4.6L was only mildly tweaked. Ford officials strongly hinted that this was just the beginning and that the Mustang would follow the pattern of the 2008-9 Escape. In 2008the Escape got new bodywork and the following year the engines got a complete revamp.

Similarly, the Mustangs are expected to get heart transplants next year. It's still unclear what base engine will replace the old 4.0L V6 although a 2.0L EcoBoost four has been rumored. The 3.5L EcoBoost V6 is also expected to be an important part of the lineup. But the most die-hard Mustang fans only seem to care about V8s. A new 32-valve 5.0L is expected to replace the 4.6L and 5.4L V8s in the Mustang and the F-150. Unlike the 5.4L in the trucks, the new "Coyote" V8 uses a significantly lighter aluminum block, and based on the spy pics that have just turned up, it will also use an aluminum intake manifold in place of the plastic unit used on the current V8s. The Coyote should give the Mustang GT 400 hp to play with, putting it on par with the Camaro SS but at a lighter weight. Bring it on!

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]