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Nissan Unveils 88 Pound 400-HP Race Car Engine
cartechboy writes "Motorsports used to be about lots of horsepower, torque, and big engines. In recent years there's been a shift to downsizing engines, using less fuel, and even using alternative energy such as clean diesel and hybrid powertrains. Today Nissan unveiled a 400-horsepower 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine that weighs only 88 pounds. This engine will be part of the advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain that will power the ZEOD RC electrified race car that will run in the 2015 LMP1 class during the race season. Nissan says the driver of the ZEOD RC will be able to switch between electric power and gasoline power with the batteries being recharged via regenerative braking. Even more impressive, according to Nissan, for every hour the ZEOD RC races, the car will be able to run one lap of the Le Mans' 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe on electric power alone. If true, that will make it the first race car in history to complete a lap during a formal race with absolutely zero emissions. If this all works, we could be witnessing the future of motorsports unfold before our eyes later this year when the ZEOD RC (video) makes its race debut at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours in June."
39.9kG
If you're going to build a series hybrid, why bother with pistons and cranks? Just make the turbo bigger and you have... a gas turbine. Use it to drive a big alternator and viola! The turbine can run at constant speed and be optimised for that one speed - the rest of the drive train is purely electrical. Someone should at least test the concept.
not really people have gotten 900HP out of 2.0L EVO engines so 400 out of a 1.5L is within the realm of attainability whats really impressive is the weight
The old Gruppe B racers were some classic examples of engineers gone wild. Tremendously powered 4 cyl engines in fly-weight all-wheel-drive cars, which regularly flew off the track, into crowds lining the course with spectacularly bloody results. Eventually the race series was cancelled, but the little monsters of each builder's homologation are to still be found in the collections of automotive buffs around the world. Look up the Ford RS-200 as an example.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
As an actual motorsport specialist and not just shitposting - this is not just real but a case where the hyperbole matches reality. 300Kw out of a 1.5 litre motor has long been possible, the old F1 engines produced 4 times that in qualifying trim. In race trim as the boost has to be turned down, close to 500Kw and more.
The weight of the engine is quite amazing. 39 kgs for a long block is a hell of a thing. And even more that it's also a dressed long block, where items liek the alternator and water pumps are on the engine and included in the weight. Even the turbo, that's amazing. Given the best way to add performance is lose weight, this is at least a 50 kgs' advantage. In this case it is offset by the hybrid system but a electric motor has a huge amount of torque so this thing will fucking SCOOT out of corners.
IF it works, then yes this is a revolution in motorsport. I am not seeing a problem with the headlines or what Nissan is claiming.
I would argue that the 1967 Formula One season was the first time a racing series had cars that were too powerful to control. 400-500bhp V8 and V12 engines attached to four wheels and a gas tank, sitting on old-style treaded tires with no downforce wings. In fact, the two fatalities during this season (including Lorenzo Bandini's horrendous accident at Monaco) forced the FIA to mandate new safety features, such as requiring wings on the cars.