I am fitting a 2.0i sierra engine to get the car through the sva, and to run until I find an engine that really suits my driving style (flat foot, screaming the nutsack off), no one has mentioned the BMW boxer bike engines, the box is pointing in the right direction, it has a prop instead of that chain thing, and produces a reasonable amount of power, and generally do 100,000 miles compared with the 40,000 for the jap stuff.

Am I missing something really fundamental or is this a viable proposition?

Mark,
check out the comments in the thread, sequential gearbox on the cheap, 20/10/02 in the running gear section.
Cheers Col

there is a race series for the flat 4 bmw bike engines check out www.adr-engineering.co.uk so must be posible

The BMW 'boxer' engine is the twin horzontally opposed engine. The K series is the 'on it's side ' four. Both shaft drive. Anyway, why would you want to fit either? We fought them in the war you know etc..........