Fortunately, there weren’t any regulations to limit development, which had all parties losing sleep over the possibilities. As Wolf elaborates, “Most interesting was that we were given a blank canvas on an aging motor. We could push it to the limits, and we had an intelligent, determined, talented driver/client who could see things through. Profits be damned!”

They started by addressing the weak points of the engine. Through their years of racing the engine, JWT discovered that the production crankshafts eventually crack. So, they called in the experts at Bryant Racing to design a Chromoly steel crankshaft for their VQ37VHR block. Steppler also made a special version: one which increased the stroke to 96mm and the displacement to about 4.2 liters — 4,160cc to be exact. The crank sat on the shelf for years, begging to become the centerpiece of an extraordinary engine.