Home » Engines
The main part of an automobile vehicle is the engine. The engine is also called the "heart" of a car. Engines for racing events are either pure racing machines designed from scratch only for racing purpose, or they are modified commercial engines that are followed some homologation rules. Depending the level of modifications, the engines are classified in groups and classes. Main parameter for classification is engine's capacity. Another parameter is whether the engine is forced inducted or naturally aspirated.
As it can be seen while searching through the years in the following table, development of materials, machinery and electronics brought:
- more durable mono-block decks and later thin-wall block construction
- higher compression ratios
- forged manufacturing technology for moving parts such as crankshafts, connecting rod, pistons and valves
- aluminium blocks or cylinder-heads
- overhead camshafts (OHC)
- 3 or 4 or 5 valves per cylinder
- electronic ignition and later mapped electronic engine management
- mechanical or electrical or electronic fuel injection
- turbocharged induction systems
- higher rotating limits
The table bellow lists all the available Power Plants (engines) for racing cars, and technological evolution/development is presented. Racing engines are listed by manufacturer and by model.
Article about flat plane and cross plane crankshafts for V8 engines