APP Racing Engines is a workshop located in the Netherlands that is the exclusive partner of the German based Callaway Competition for the FIA GT3/GT4 and the Corvette Motorsport. Their latest project has just been finished up for their customer Claus Christensen. Claus ordered a LS7 that has been destroked to 6.3 liters to be used in his Aquila CR1. 

Aquila, a racecar manufacturer from Denmark, builds the CR1 to be lightweight at just under 2,000 pounds, have a extremely low center of gravity, and low frontal area, despite being able to accommodate drivers and passengers as tall as six feet, eight inches. The Aquila CR1 is available from the factory with a range of engines that start with a 315 crank horsepower 4.0L BMW M60 V8 and go all the way up to the 550 horse 7.0L GM LS7 V8. LS engines dominate the lineup, with LS1 and LS3 options available. With factory-stock LS7 power, Aquila claims a 0-60 time of just 2.9 seconds.

With a price tag for the LS7 version starting at €165,000 (call it about $221k) the Aquila is not a cheap piece of kit. But when your toy budget has the room for things like dedicated racecars, why not spend a bit extra to set yourself apart from the owners of “ordinary” CR1’s?

Wanting a little more than what the factory offers, Claus had APP Racing Engines build the destroked LS7 which is making 
680 DIN horsepower at 7,000 RPM (about 670 SAE horsepower) and 
720 Newton-meters of torque at 6200 RPM (about 530 pound-feet). They have limited the engine to 7,000 RPM to help it endure long distance races where this track car should feel right at home.

• 
• 

6.3L LS7 built by APP Racing Engines

So why the “low tech” pushrod engine instead of a more sophisticated multi-valve DOHC V8? A broad powerband, excellent torque even low in the rev range, and mechanical simplicity are all hallmarks of the LS engine family, and we’re sure that Claus will have a real rocket on his hands…