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For me the clear and proven choice if you're keen on a swap is the Alfa Romeo Busso V6, but I'm pretty ok with the venerable twin cam. My Former Alfa's V6 had more charisma than any motor I've experienced. Perfectly smooth, all alloy, effortless revs, torque, and its famous soundtrack...
Several people have completed the swap with super car results. The 24 valve version will net the 100hp per 1000lb benchmark without upgrades. The 3.0 12 valve gives a respectable 185hp. Each uses the Alfa 164 transaxle for the swap.
I like the Toyota MR2, but that's not the car I bought. Instead I made a much more uh, bold choice and I accept the challenges that come with it. For me, that challenge is to wring 150hp out of a twin cam Lampredi. As much as I love the Busso V6, I love a set of dual Webers and a lumpy set of cams even more. I love good old-fashioned engine building more than a stand-alone ECU.
Building a period-correct car to my own specs is a very cool challenge. So much so that I may stick with a set of points over an electronic ignition just for period correctness. I like the occasional snort & pop from the carbs, the all-encompassing induction sound just behind my head, and the global search for that which came from the Faza catalog 40 years ago. I grew up with the JC Whittney catalog next to the toilet, and I've been making parts lists since I was 12. For satisfaction, bolt-on upgrades on a modern powerplant just can't compare with time spent port matching or applying the math required to shim a set of 40/80 cams.
I don't care that my Volvo Cross Country Turbo will still be faster from 0-60 than my 150hp Scorpion. I know which one is more engaging to drive to at its limits. I sure as hell don't want a 5 cilynder Volvo motor in my Scorpion...
I'd never disparage anyone who does an engine swap. I appreciate the engineering & problem solving required, and I strongly believe that an owner should feel free to do whatever they want with their car. That said, what it is that draws us to this particular car should be closely considered in terms of to swap or not to swap.