The engine was a straight-four cylinder built in two forms, SOHC and DOHC, ranging from 1.1 to 1.8 L; 67.9 to 109.6 cu in (1,113 to 1,796 cc).

It was the second volume-production implementation of the low-pressure sand-casting (or LPS) technique in a new plant sited between East Works and Cofton Hackett.

(The first volume application of the LPS process had been for the M-16 cylinder head, produced in South Works, adjacent to the former forge).

Because Honda stopped providing Rover with engines after the end of their relationship, but well before the BMW takeover, an enlargement of the K Series design to 1.6 and 1.8 litres was carried out.

A later head design also incorporated a Rover-designed Variable Valve Control (VVC) unit (derived from an expired AP patent).

The VVC system constantly alters the inlet cam period, resulting in a remarkably flexible drive: the torque curve of a VVC K-series engine is virtually flat throughout the rev range and power climbs steadily with no fall-off whatsoever until the rev limiter kicks in at 7,200 rpm.

[citation needed] Following the collapse of MG Rover Group in 2005, the K Series engine started a new and rather interesting chapter in its history.

[citation needed] The Chinese automaker Nanjing Automobile (NAC) purchased the assets of MG Rover and in doing so acquired use of the Longbridge plant and the intellectual property rights and production tooling to many designs, including those of the K series engine.

[citation needed] The advantage of this was it allowed Ricardo 2010, the company tasked by SAIC to carry out development the opportunity to improve the engine in a number of areas.

[citation needed] All new tooling was used in its production and the quality of materials and that of the aluminium casting process created a much more substantial update than that of the N Series.

[citation needed] Early K8 engines used a single SU KIF carburetor with a manual choke and a breaker-less distributor mounted on the end of the camshaft.