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In general, the rate of heat release during combustion in a spark ignition engine, can have two components: one due to normal burning in a propagating flame, and another due to autoignition in the end gas. It has been possible to separate these two components by analysing the pressure trace of a single cylinder engine. From this, the volumetric autoignition heat release rate can be inferred and studied in some detail. To approximate this rate in an Arrhenius form presents difficulties, in so far as it is not possible to measure the temperature at the instant of maximum heat release rate, at the onset of knock. However, it was possible to measure end gas temperatures by the CARS technique prior to autoignition and then to estimate the temperature at the onset of autoignition by extrapolation. Estimation of the temperature at the instant of maximum heat release rate has enabled kinetic parameters to be assigned in an Arrhenius expression for this rate over a range of temperatures.