Going along with L18_B110's comment about engine life, Wright says F1 engine parts are designed to last about 2x the number of race laps! The 1986 BMW qualifying turbo engines only lasted a few laps at ~1200 bhp from a 1.5 liter engine! Of course, they only needed a few laps to qualify in top spot.
The point of the original posting was just interesting information on ultra-high rpm engines. The same principles apply to A-series engines though with far less importance. Reduced friction is a concern even in 10,000 rpm engines. Don't all the serious A-series racing engines have windage trays?
Then Dimlight had to go bashing horsepower ratings
Yes, a lot of generalization followed, but that's not necessarily bad ...
Quote:
"With extra torque, you just go faster"
Sorry for not qualifying this. I meant that if you put a bigger engine in -- generally -- you can drive the car the same way as before and it "goes faster" from both the perception of the driver and the stopwatch.
Compare that to putting the same size engine in, only a high-revving, idle-loping version. If you drive the same way (shifting at the same low RPM as the old motor) -- generally -- the increased potential of the modified engine isn't being taken full advantage of. So you adjust, keeping the engine up in its new powerband. Sometimes you even run out of revs before the end of the track, or need to shift sooner at certain corners ... hence gearing is more critical with a higher revving smaller engine. This is a generalization, but is it a myth?
Quote:
"A high revving engine cost big bucks. A high torque engine can be very inexpensive."
Yes, another generalization. But isn't it generally true? Sure there are always exceptions. I was thinking of a 10,000 rpm motor (sometimes seen on the street) compared to a much bigger, but completely stock engine.
Quote:
"horsepower sells cars, torque wins races" or alternately "you buy horsepower but you drive torque."
I wouldn't agree with the last necessarily, but haven't advertised horsepower figures influenced some people to buy a slower car because "it has more advertised hp"? I mean, which one of us faced with buying a new car wouldn't be tempted to choose the "205hp" engine over the "210hp" engine if they were the same cost? But that HP figure doesn't tell which car is faster in any specific situation.
Transfer
