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Most powerful F1 engine ever?

Started by The Rock , Mar 06 2001 10:37

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13 replies to this topic

#1 The Rock

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 10:37

Just wondering..,does any know in terms of HP,the most powerful F1 engine ever.Had the bramham BMW engine of the early 80s something like over 1400 or 1500 HP?

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#2 Williams

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 11:00

1986 was the peak year for F1 car engine horsepower, when turbo combined with electronic engine management. BMWs 4-cylinder (!) and Renault's V6 pumped out around 1350 bHP, but they couldn't do that for a race distance. The V6 was known to go off the scale on Renault's dynamometer a few times, which had an maximum reading of 1400 HP.

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#3 PeaQ

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 11:01

good question...
I maybe could stick in this question while you'r at it...

what is the highest topspeed ever?

I know that DC has the 'record' on 362kmh or someting, but someone has to have been faster, with 1500bhp's?

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#4 Williams

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 11:19

The highest straight line speed was by Jacques Villeneuve (yes!), at 351.7 kph (218.6 mph), during the German Grand Prix in 1997.

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#5 Rogue

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 11:20

I think you are right with the BMW - they were reputed in '86 to be putting out more than 1400bhp - hideous !

I also find it hard to believe that these turbo beasts never passed Coulthard's record of 362kph, considering the efforts of considerabley less powerfull Le Mans cars of a few years back, I would have thought 400 would have been an easy mark for them. That said, the Le Mans cars did have a 6km straight...

Regards,

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#6 PeaQ

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 11:33

Williams, that didn't sound correct...
DC took the record at Hockenheim last year with 360 something, speedtrap at the first chicane...

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#7 PeaQ

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 11:36

Found it
http://www.atlasf1.c...p/id/2734/.html

anyone doubt the source? :lol:

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#8 Rogue

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 11:40

Are these speeds perhaps differentiated as pre and post turbo era ?

Regards,

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#9 david_martin

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 11:44

I think the thing to remember with the turbo era cars is that they were not as aerodynamically clean as today, and they generally ran a hell of a lot of wing. If you look at average speeds, rather than top whack, Keke Rosberg's 1985 pole setting lap at Silverstone is the fastest F1 lap ever - 1:05.591 on the old Silverstone track at and average speed of 258.983 km/h.

To put this into perspective, consider some other Silverstone pole times. In 1977 James Hunt put the non-ground effect, DFV powered McLaren M26 on pole with a 1:18.49. In 1979 Alan Jones had absolutely astonished everyone with a lap of 1:11.88 at Silverstone in the ground effect, DFV powered FW07. When they came back in 1981, Rene Arnoux put the turbo Renault RE30 on pole with a 1:11 flat. In 1983 Arnoux got the pole in the turbo Ferrari 126C3 with a 1:09.462.

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#10 Megatron

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 11:58

BMW W4 Turbo 1400 HP+
Renault V6 Turbo 1400 HP+
Honda V6 Turbo 1200 HP+
TAG Porsche V6 950 HP+
Ferrari V6 Turbo around 1000 HP+

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#11 Engineguy

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 12:02

Let's not forget that with 1400HP you're going to want all the downforce you can dial in to put that power to the ground SEVERAL times in the course of a lap... so top speed down that one long straight is a lower priority. Trim out that car the way they used to (pre IRL's mandated MINIMUM wing size AND MINIMUM angle) at Indy and 1400HP would take you mighty fast.

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#12 Haz 2

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Posted 06 March 2001 - 12:17

No one knows exactly how much HP those turbo engines produced, not even BMW. I watched a special on the BMW Formula One program, and they said the dynometer they used maxed out at 1400. I'd say with Full boost in qualifying trim it probably made at least 1500 HP!