Porsche Calls for Multi-Sport Standard Engines

[cosworth151]

Porsche research and development board member Wolfgang Durheimer has said they would like to see various series adopt a standard base-specification for racing engines in international competition.

"[We are evaluating] world motorsports racing engine concepts because many rules at present are going to be written in a new form [soon]. It starts with the Formula One of the future, [Le Mans], IndyCar. If we would be successful to suggest one engine base that fits different series, it would be much easier for us to go into different series because you wouldn't have to develop everything from scratch. If you have a base engine, one team can race Indy, ALMS, F1, and if you [always have] four cylinders, turbocharged, 2.X-liters, I think it would be a big chance for us. And this is the way we are working in some roundtable discussions."

I don't like the idea. How about the rest of you?

[johnbull]

There's nothing like leaving it to the free flair and imagination of the designer.

If we had these sort of rules in the past we would never have had 1000 plus bhp turbo formula 1 engines to talk about, or Porsche 917s, or BRM H16 engines, or so many other great things that are now part of International motorsport's folklore.

Why does everybody want to be so dull these days.

[John S]

Makes no sense to me, the individuality of the different series makes for more interest, being to proscriptive will make racing very dull. 

If all the Motor Sports rule makers had chosen the mediocre compromise route then we would never have seen Chapman's ground effect cars, or even the switch to rear engines.

F1 in particular has always pushed the boundaries further and should stay doing just that.

If Porsche can't, or won't, compete with the boys in F1 let them stay in the other branches of the sport tinkering with their multi use power plants.

[Steven Roy]

We did have more or less the same spec engines for F1 and WSC in the 90s when both had 3 litre engines

[cosworth151]

I miss the days when we could tell what marque of car was coming by the sound. A Ford-Cosworth V8 sounded far different than a Ferrari V12 or a Matra V10. It's one of the things I like best about ALMS.

I think the engines are far too standardized now. If Ferrari wants a V12, Cosworth a V8 and someone else a V10, V6 or even a I4, let'em! Set a displacement limit, maybe a rev limit, and let the chip fall where they may>

[Ian]

Too true Cos, lets get some individuality back into the sport.

[johnbull]

Too true Cos, lets get some individuality back into the sport.

No. Unfortunately things are different now. Max wants to show his power. He wants to tell designers and manufacturers how many piston rings to put on each piston, and how many bolts to tie down the heads.

Perhaps it makes him feel good ................... at our expense.

[Ian]

We know JB, but would'nt it be nice.

[TheStig]

They must know that all the engines in the future will bcome standardised for racing purposes.

TheStig