With enough money and expertise, or a skilled hand for hire, an engine can be tuned well beyond factory specs. The catch, as any seasoned racer knows, is that the harder you push, the closer you court catastrophe, as one Shelby GT500’s blown engine demonstrated.
Chasing big power numbers always involves risk to the engine’s reliability. The failure is a costly reminder that there’s a limit to how far components can be stressed before something gives, no matter how deep the tuning knowledge.