Engine choice

[Homem de Gelo]

Imagine this, you are going to buy a supercar and you have to decide between three engine choices. In any case, the weight of your car will be around 1300 kg (2865 lbs) and the engine will produce 500 hp. The torque figures will varry.

[Homem de Gelo]

I was in doubt between the V10 and TTV6, but I voted for the v10 because I imagine it would be smoother and would have a wonderful high reving tune.

[more-boost1555]

I wouldn't want a peaky complicated turbo engine. The eight would be ok, but 7.0 liters and only two valves isn't that great (unless it's in say a Saleen S7 ). A nice five liter ten cylinder with four valves per cylinder would be a nice exotic engine.

[NoOne]

V10 has got my vote

[Batmobile_Turbo]

i'd like the V6 in a skyline, but i also voted V10

[Egg Nog]

V10 seems to be the obvious choice here . Actually, until recently with the new BMW unit, you don't really see many V10s outside of the USA. They've got a few truck engines as well as that famous Viper powerplant...

EDIT: I just know that Henk4 is going to come up with some engine I've never heard of before . I'm crossing my fingers...

[Matra et Alpine]

V10 seems to be the obvious choice here . ...

Too many variables.
With the right turbos and engine management the smaller size, weight, inertia and swept volume of the smaller engine will produce a more responsive engine. If you want fast acceleration out of twisties then an engine capable of spinning up fast helps the overal performance.
The V10's used in F1 are another beast and are NOT the same technology in our road cars.
Listen to an F1 engine rev - they've even played tunes on an F1 engine !.
When an F1 engine ignition is cut the engine stops IMMEDIATELY.
That high compression and low inertia is what gives it the performance.
A lumbering Viper V10 isn't in the same league, but some think they are similar.
So as ever, what engine you want depends on what you want to do.
If freeways and sound at idel are important - get the biggest lump you can find.
If nimbleness is important then you gotta go with an engine to the lighter end of the scale.
Your mythical car has the same weight for all powerplants - that makes me suspicious of what V6 is being considered.
Also, for handling WHERE the engine is is equally important. Want to keep that moment of inertia near the centre of the car and the driver.
Peter
PS: OK my Alpine is a 3l V6 - so I'm biased :-)

[Matra et Alpine]

..
EDIT: I just know that Henk4 is going to come up with some engine I've never heard of before . I'm crossing my fingers...

Shame the weight's so high or I'd start with Suzuki 1300cc TWIN-turbo, complete with sequential gearbox for the weight of the set of pistons in the Viper :-)

Bike engines rule when you keep the weight down.
But they suck ( and break gearboxes ) when trying to push larger vehicles.

Peter

[Matra et Alpine]

..Bike engines rule when you keep the weight down.

Having this as an after-service discussion last night :-)
The vote for weird engines must go to Honda ....
Last weeks MotorCycleNews in the UK published an article on a guy who has built FROM SCRATCH a copy of the Honda 290cc 6 cylinder engine which ruled the IsleOfMan when they came over. I've heard one of these at 20000+ rpm ( they raced at 24-26,000 revs - sewing machines on steroids. These were HUGELY efficient engines, but VERY peaky so didn't catch on.
What was amazing was the engineering. The builders of the copy were quoted as saying they struggled to recreate the castings of the engine using the latest in computer drafting and CNC machines. Mr Honda new what he was doing back in 1960 !
Anyway for other petrol-heads the amazing thing is the picture of the parts. A conrod was the length of a credit card. A piston was HALF the size of a credit card !! If anyone's interested I could try to scan the mag.

[Falcon500]

Well I personally would take the 7 liter engine (more specificly a 427 sideoiler a 428 super cobra jet or a 429 of the same pedigree) for the traditional v8 sound the efforltess torque the huge availibility of performance parts and the sheer simplicity of working on these motors. In 1300 kilos itll also be plenty fast enough thats lighter then these engines won can-am and other various races in too.

[Matra et Alpine]

Well I personally would take the 7 liter engine (more specificly a 427 sideoiler a 428 super cobra jet or a 429 of the same pedigree) for the traditional v8 sound the efforltess torque the huge availibility of performance parts and the sheer simplicity of working on these motors. In 1300 kilos itll also be plenty fast enough thats lighter then these engines won can-am and other various races in too.

It's maybe cultural or my early exposure to cars, but whilst the sound of a burbling V8 is nice it isn't my favourite.

I like engines that rev freely and that usually means 4 or 6 cylinders and small capacity. My own bike redlines at 16000, that alpine at 8500. but early mini 1275 lightened and balanced used to do 9000 ( not for long mind ). The rally Escort TC was good for 9-10000. I've recordings of motorbikes on the Isle of Man doing 24000 rpm !!!! But my favourite IS the MATRA V12 from F1 days. Closely followed by the Ferrari flat 12.
You can hear the Matra V12 by clicking here(300Kb)

Request to adminds/moderators ... please let us post small mpegs and wav files to share the full experience of our vehicles and interests.

[Falcon500]

Request to adminds/moderators ... please let us post small mpegs and wav files to share the full experience of our vehicles and interests.

Ill have a chat to wouter when i get the time.
And it more then likly is as much cultural as it is preference herein australia we have cheap fuel and huge distances to cover so a smooth low revving v8 wasa good choice also we got lowvolume exports of nearlyall american cars as well as their the cars we used to see go racing
First Lap Moffat Mustang Geoghegan Beechey Monaro McKeown Porsche Foley Warwick Farm 1970
V8s have been winning our races from about 1965 with Norm beechys mustang and localproducts they XR GT won our premier race in 67 both powerd by v8windors and there hardly was a time v8s of some description havent won here there was the group a catigory which favord small4 and 6 powerd cars but the people really didntlike the catigory and at one stage threw beer cans and lotsof abuse at the driver ofa skyline when he won in 89 so thats really what spawn our current v8 supercar catigory (which also are the most popular touring cars in the world today)

[Matra et Alpine]

...threw beer cans and lotsof abuse at the driver ofa skyline when he won in 89 so thats really what spawn our current v8 supercar catigory (which also are the most popular touring cars in the world today)

Typical !!! :-)

I've grewat footage of Mini's Cortina's and Big American and Ozzi V8's racing at Bathurst. Loved it.

There was some suggestion that the Monaro didn't comply with rules, but they were letting it in anyway. What was it all about and how was it resolved ?

[Falcon500]

Ok well im very vocal about my opinions that the car shouldnot be raced at all and niot wanting to clutter up this thread with arguments of thisnature ill refer you to the Should the 427 should be alooud to compete? in the racing forums and the thread dedicated to the car in the australin car forums. And as of yet It has not been resolved so far but the owner is selling one of the cars to Paul Stodart (owner of the minardi F1 team and an australin also) and he is selling the other car to peter brock a holden driving ledgend in this country.
The lotus cortinas and the minis used to dominate the races untill Ford australia Folowed by holden and then they kept trying to out do each other. There have been other noteworthy cars like the Holden Xu-1 torana (Vauxall Viva with a holden 6 cylender and parts from their larger v8 cars used in them) and the chrysler charger making use of a 4.3 of a tirple webber set up (the aussie charger differs greatly from the American one being much smaller and offering 6s as the best perofrmance models they still did offer 8s BTW)
Amdfor a good dose of humor here a cool pic of a mini.

[eyebrows]

i voted for the tt v6 because of the fact it has 5 valves per cyl which means it gonna rev which gives it a higher top speed and also because the twin turbo can be tuned to the point where its going to have the same amount of power if not more than the other engines it'll be able to pull just as fast with higher ratios so again it'll have a higher top speed.