Go to Ultimatecarpage.com

 f1 Ultimatecarpage.com  > Cars by brand  > Great Britain  > BRM
Racing cars  > Formula 1
     P126
Car search:
Quick Advanced 


  BRM P126      

  Article Image gallery (31) P126-01 Specifications User Comments (1)  
Click here to open the BRM P126 gallery   
Country of origin:Great Britain
Produced from:1968 - 1969
Numbers built:3
Designed by:Len Terry
Successor:BRM P133
Author:Wouter Melissen
Last updated:April 10, 2015
Download: All images
Page 1 of 2 Next >>
Click here to download printer friendly versionBritish Racing Motors (BRM) had addressed the arrival of the new 3-litre Formula 1 regulations in 1966 by merging two of the successful 1.5-litre V8 engines into one 'H16'. It presented the team with a myriad of problems and ultimately only scored one victory; in the back of a Lotus. Developed alongside the H16, mainly for sports car purposes, was a 3-litre V12. Late in 1967, it was bolted to a McLaren F1 chassis, which performed so well that BRM decided to abandon the H16 for the 1968 season.

Still reeling from the ultimate failure of the H16 engine, BRM called in outside help for the first time in the company's history. Len Terry, of Lotus and Eagle fame, was tasked to help design and construct the new-for-1968 BRM P126. It was a wholly conventional car and followed the lines of Terry's Indy 500 winning Lotus 38. Constructed by his Transatlantic Automotive Consultants company, the P126 featured a full-length aluminium monocoque chassis. Suspension at the front was by lower wishbones and rockers, while the rear featured a multi-link layout.

A further departure from BRM norm was that a Hewland gearbox was fitted instead of an in-house built gearbox. It was mated to the V12 engine previously developed by BRM's Geoff Johnson for sports car purposes. The two P126s built were originally fitted with a 2.5-litre version of the engine for use in the 1967/68 Tasman Series. Once back at the factory, a full 3-litre version of the V12 was fitted. This featured twin overhead camshafts, actuating two valves per cylinder. In original tune, the 'customer' V12 produced 375 bhp, which was quickly increased to 390 bhp.

Page 1 of 2 Next >>

  Article Image gallery (31) P126-01 Specifications User Comments (1)