The greatest racing engine of all time

[jonwat]

The Ford Cosworth V8 won more than 150 grands prix and was instrumental in revolutionising F1 car design 

[PAR]

If you try to name three other engines that mattered, you will have the Renault v10, the Honda V6 Turbo and the Mercedes V6 hybrid.

All of those changed the game and won many races as well championships. 

[DanR]

This one would have to rank up there too.  Made over 1000bhp in turbo form and over 400 na. Dominant for over 50 years. Never once blew a head gasket. Indy winner 27 times.    

[jonwat]

More on the DFV & Lotus 

[yeller77]

BMW M12/13 was also no slouch in the orgy of turbo power, and from the humble origins of the M10 block.  Love Lotus but will always have a soft spot for the clean, elegant lines of the BT52, thanks to GM.

 

[rudolphwolven]

*****

Orgasmic sound of 4-rotor Mazda 787B

Le Mans winner in 1991...the only year rotary engines were allowed to participate.....immediately thereafter the FIA banned the rotary engine and Mazda could not participate any more.

All in all, rotary is probably the best engine for racing.

930hp at 10500 rpm......2,6 ltr. without forced induction.......358 hp per ltr

The engine was very reliable and if necessary the same engine could race another 24 hrs.

 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

It’s not true that rotary engines only competed at Le Mans in 1991. Mazda had been entering for a few years prior to that.

I was there in 1991. Everyone expected Mercedes or Jaguar to win, or maybe an old Porsche 962 yet again. The Mazda screamed through the night, the Mercs fell by the wayside and the Mazda went on to win by 2 laps from Jaguar.

Mazda had a significant weight advantage due to a loophole in the rules for rotary engined cars, but fully deserved the victory.

[jonwat]

Slide 9 of 24

Cosworth DFV

 

The Ford-funded Cosworth DFV was designed only for the purpose of powering winning Formula 1 cars. The victory of Jim Clark (1936-1968) at the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix in a Lotus 49 (pictured) was the first of 155 DFV wins in World Championship races over the next 18 years.

Outside F1, the DFV was also the engine of choice in the early days of Formula 3000. It was fitted to the cars which won the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1975 and 1980, and has been used in many hillclimb cars and other racing machines 

Edited August 27, 2021 by jonwat