58 replies to this topic

[Henri Greuter]

Haha, no. I will scan it for you. And, curious as I have now become, I will check other magazines published in the same period, as I would surprised if a Ferrari turbo would have indeed run in public at the end of 1979 already.

OK. Would be interesting to see if other magazines mention it too.
But don't you think this is indeed curious? I know the article was written because of something entirely different. but as you say, it would be such a surprise to know that the Ferrari turbo engine was ran in public and at an entirely different location than Fiorano. But because of the Lammers Character of the story, the fact about the Ferrari is downsized though for ferraristi is may well be quite a valuable piece of info, being one of the few pieces of evidence about a non-Fiorano appearance of the 126C engine that early already.

As for what kind of car it was, somehow I can't get it out of my head that I once read it was a T3 based car without ground effect side pods. Since the purpose was only to make miles they took a T3 since it was easier to install the engine in a flatbottom chassis then shoehorn it into a ground effects sidepod car.
But where I read it and when?
Did I read it?

Henri

[crooky369]

Are these Renault F1 test mules?

Between :10 and :52.

[rateus]

Are these Renault F1 test mules?

Between :10 and :52.

The black car is the Alpine A500 laboratoire - a purpose-built Renault test mule in all but name, which was run throughout 1976.

Must admit I've never seen the other car before - a converted Alpine or Elf F2 perhaps?

[ghinzani]

The black car is the Alpine A500 laboratoire - a purpose-built Renault test mule in all but name, which was run throughout 1976.

Must admit I've never seen the other car before - a converted Alpine or Elf F2 perhaps?

I think the yellow car is also an A500 - they ran it in several different bodywork configurations and it was painted yellow after the initial black, when Renault had announced they were coming to F1 - I believe it made an appearance as a show car in London, possibly at RAC HQ in the winter of 77/78 - I recall a pic of it on its side being squeezed thru the door!

[Tom Smith]

This is the first car the BMW FI turbo motor was tested in. It was a former 1977 IMSA car. The first time we ran the engine the whole shop had a pool going on how much horse power it would develop at compressor stall. The kid who swept the floor was way higher than anybody else. He won the pool.


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[Fangio36]

At the dawning of the Turbo era there were a few intruiging test cars allegedly out there. I have read in Autosplurge of the following:

Toyota in the very late 70s/early 80s allegedly had first a Lotus 79 and then a March 802 to test their projected Turbo v6.

Hart ran Toleman TG280 chassis 9 with a Hart 415 prototype in late 80/early 81.

Harald Ertl is alleged to have ran Toleman TG280 chassis 8 as a test car for an F1 engine - but from whom? Zakspeed? Scnitzer? Was there not a 6 cylinder from Heidegger rojected around that time? Or was this a test car for Sachs to try out their products on much like the Ensign they had bought Harald earlier (1978?).

Maurer were also supposed to have a version of the MM81 designed to take a turbo engine when the chassis was current.

Alfa used a Euroracing 185T to test the 4 cylinder in 86, then put it away for a bit until Ligier ran it.

Honda of course used the Spirit 201 F2 car as a basis for their v6 test programme.

Anbody think of any more? Or have anymore insight into the above? I'd especially like to know about the Toyotas and Ertls project.

Toyota did test the new RV8A engine in december 94 for the first time in this Lola T9400. Juan Fangio II was the testdriver. This test was believed to be secret. Even the team, All American Racers, did not know of this test. The engine was the Fase1, it was replaced by Fase2 and the Fase2.5, wich was the first Toyota Turbo engine used in a Eagle chassis in 1996.
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[ray b]

GM sold street cars with turbo's in 62
indy had them by the late 60's
sports cars by mid 70's

so why didn't anyone try a SC or turbo on a 1.5 61-65 F-1 motor
I would think even a 50% hp gain over the 200hp 1.5 na F-1 motor
in a rude crude SC or turbo without intercooling
would have worked better then the 2.0 v8's or h-16 or sports car v12's

[Tim Murray]

... so why didn't anyone try a SC or turbo on a 1.5 61-65 F-1 motor.

Discussed in this earlier thread:

Why did it take until 1977 for turbos to reach F1?

[ghinzani]

At the dawning of the Turbo era there were a few intruiging test cars allegedly out there. I have read in Autosplurge of the following:

Toyota in the very late 70s/early 80s allegedly had first a Lotus 79 and then a March 802 to test their projected Turbo v6.

Hart ran Toleman TG280 chassis 9 with a Hart 415 prototype in late 80/early 81.

Harald Ertl is alleged to have ran Toleman TG280 chassis 8 as a test car for an F1 engine - but from whom? Zakspeed? Scnitzer? Was there not a 6 cylinder from Heidegger rojected around that time? Or was this a test car for Sachs to try out their products on much like the Ensign they had bought Harald earlier (1978?).

I have asked Chris Witty about the above Tollymuns (or Lotus as they are now known), and he went away to dig. I must chase him up on it.