How do you explain the success of the TAG/Porsche and Honda V6 turbos? Once they were introduced in 1984, the BMW 4 cylinder only won 4 more races over the next 4 years.
Towards the end of the turbo era, BMW lost interest and stopped developing its engine. Sub contractor Megatron took over the maintenance of the engines for Arrows, Ligier, etc..., whilst Brabham failed to develop the 'lay-down' engine following the death of De Angelis. It must be said that Ecclestone himself was losing interest in the Brabham team already. If I am correct, the Honda V6 turbo came at the end of the turbo era, whilst the TAG engine was at the begining. They weren't introduced at the same time: McLaren, for example, moved from a TAG to a Honda engine.
Both Honda and TAG/Porsche were introduced in 1983 with Spirit and Williams for Honda and McLaren for TAG/Porsche, with full seasons being run in 1984 Williams-Honda and McLaren - TAG/Porsche. Brabham won 2 races in 1984 and 1 race in 1985. From 1984 - 1988, TAG/Porsche and Honda dominated F1.
I am not denying any of your findings, but I am still of the opinion that for a 1600cc turbo limit, a 4 cylinder is the best concept, for the reasons I explained: weight, packaging, simplicity, etc...
The 1.5ltr turbo's albeit I4 or V6 are one of the reasons I started following F1. All the reasons your trying to explain William are what I also see as advantageous.
Its been a while but some of the greatest GPs were run with four cyl engines. The Coventry Climax for one. Even Ferrari has produced and raced fours. The sky is not falling
One can even imagine a 'lay-down' 4-cylinder unit across the chassis, fitted with a transversal gearbox, providing low centre of gravity and using the torque effect during acceleration.
Well, I wouldn´t be so sure. The most succesfull engines of that era, the TAG/Porsche and specially the Honda, were V6. I suppose that the 4 cylinder limitation has a lot to do with marketing, I mean: everybody sells cars with 4 cylinder engines. Everybody except Ferrari, but in the world of mass production those Italians building a few thousand cars in a lost town near Modena are just a bunch of freaks...
At the rate F1 is shedding cylinders, Briggs & Stratton will be a major F1 engine supplier in 5 years.
Excellent, more NA presence. With that in mind, some teams might have an edge on turbo 4 knowledge..... Pretty car actually, Revson quite dashing also. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I tend to fall off my wagon occasionally, must perfect my 'trotting sequence', left right left right, right? Hey thats a 4 pot sequence if I'm not mistaken?
I, for one, cannot wait for the great battles to be fought between Tecumseh and Briggs & Stratton in 2016.
I'll admit that car sounds good. BUT, that is the only good sounding rotary I have heard. I hear RX-7's and others at the tracks I go to, and they sound horrible.