YouTuber’s Acura RSX Powertrain Conversion Looks Absolutely Insane

By Jake Stumph - January 21, 2019

Standkes Garage‘s RSX has one LS4 V8 engine powering the front wheels and another LS4 engine stuffed in the trunk powering the rear.

Reminder: the Acura RSX is a front-wheel drive sport compact. It normally features a high-revving, 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four cylinder engine good for 200 horsepower. This RSX isn’t and it doesn’t.

Featured on the Standkes Garage YouTube channel, this particular Acura RSX has been subjected to a turbocharged LS4 V8 swap. Host Ryan Standke walks around the car, explaining this madness, which he calls the “LSRSX.”

While, originally, Standke was happy having a single 5.3-liter LS4 V8 with a big Garrett turbo under the hood, he decided that he wanted more. And, with the car only making about 600 WHP, who could blame him?

Of course, sending all that power to the front wheels alone can be tricky, even with those big meaty slicks he’s running, so Standke improvised. His improvised solution was to cut the rear floor pan out of his RSX and dump a second LS4 V8, with transmission, in the back, to power the rear wheels. He goes on to explain that this required also cutting apart the frame rails, and, subsequently, boxing-in the chassis around the engine cut out area.

Acura RSX Quad Turbo Dual LS4 Swap Ryan Standke

However, mounting the second engine and transmission, while already a monumental task, is just one of the hardships he encountered. A fuel cell setup had to mounted in the trunk, and Standke had to flip the headers upwards, tractor pull-style, because there was simply no room for them under the body.

Of course, the build is far from complete. Standke states his goal is to run twin turbos on each LS4 engine. So, he will be converting the front turbo system from a big single to twins, and plumbing in a twin setup into the rear-mounted engine. Specifically, he wants to run twin HX82 diesel truck turbos on each LS4. His goal is a mere 1,700 WHP. He states that he’s not opposed to using, if necessary, meth injection and nitrous to make it there, too. Godspeed, Standke.