SEMA-Bound 1967 Chevrolet Nova Showcases Turbocharged Crate Engine

If you are a musclecar purist, you might want to look away. As part of its roll-out of specialty cars for SEMA, Chevrolet pulled the covers off a 1967 Chevrolet Nova with a rather unconventional engine swap.

To promote the wide variety of crate engines offered by Chevrolet Performance, Chevy engineers took it upon themselves to slot in a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood of a 1967 Chevrolet Nova. Before the musclecar guys form a mob and grab their breaker bars and their acetaleyne torches, let it be known the four-banger puts out 272 hp, a figure that puts it right at the doorstep of the original 275-hp, 5.3-liter V-8 offered in the contemporary Nova SS, and a sizable bump over the 195 hp pushed out from the 4.6-liter V-8 offered during the same year.

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The engine helps the Nova shed weight, with the heavy iron block replaced with the all-aluminum turbo mill. This, coupled with a modern six-speed manual transmission, allows the turbo Nova to crack 60 mph in just 6.2 seconds.

In addition to the modern drivetrain, the four-banger Nova received a visual hot-rod touch as well. Chevy added a billet aluminum grille, modified bumpers, shaved door handles, bespoke 17-inch "Z/28"-style wheels, and disc brakes at all four corners. To keep the car's aggressive appearance, an airbag suspension is installed.

Take a look at the 1967 Chevrolet Nova 2.0 in the photo gallery below, and let us know how you feel about updating a classic musclecar with modern technology.

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