V6 Or V8

[Tazio]

two wheels mate, but mine is only 3 225 cm pistones That is onlty 675 for the ventire powerplant
In case anyone is interested; I do enjoy riding this rig.

[Malbec]

I think every F1 designer would use a rotary if they regulations would allow. A rotary is the smallest, lightest, biggest-bang-for-buck engine, with fewest moving parts and low CG.

And sound absolutely fantastic too.

[Doc Austin]

While we're at it, the Turbines sounded pretty cool too. They were quiet, but they were so different from everything else.

[anfield5]

While we're at it, the Turbines sounded pretty cool too. They were quiet, but they were so different from everything else.

Agreed Doc. The Lotus 56 indy car and 56B F1 car were incredible. Unfortunately the throttle lag and spooling times made the 56B undrivable, but at speed it was mind blowing to see

[Doc Austin]

The throttle lag wasn't so crippling at Indianapolis because they kept the RPMS up. For qualifying in 1968, Granatelli's team ran the idle at 75%. Obviously you could never get away with that when 32 other cars were out there in the race, but for single car qualifying it killed the throttle lag and they snagged the first two spots.

I was at the 1868 race and the turbines were pretty much roundly despised. The car owners did a good job of selling it to the public that the things were evil and so did USAC. When the two remaining turbines fell out of the race literally seconds apart, the place erupted in a way you would have to experience to believe. It was 300,000 people cheering for them to fail. Looking back, that part was a little sad, even if I was one of those cheering.

I think we were all to blind to see the future unfolding before us. At least for oval racing the turbine would have been the way to go, and no doubt competition development would have gotten a grip on the throttle lag. Granatelli said a turbine engine could run ten seasons without a rebuild, so imagine the cost savings there alone. During 1968, they ran two cars for the whole season and the motors never came out of the cars.

Unfortunately no one wanted their equipment obsoleted overnight, in spite of the obvious long term benefits, and the owners, along with USAC, railroaded through rule changes that made the turbines totally uncompetitive. They did not even try to give the turbines a chance to compete on even terms, they just restricted it so much that it went away.

While people always talk about technology, innovation and improving the breed, in a lot of ways all of that ground to a halt with Parnelli's gearbox. That was the moment that rules began to change all over the world to slow the cars and their development down. It was only a few weeks later that Ford swept Lemans for the second time and the FIA was on it's way to ban the big seven litre monsters.

The turbine cars were a watershed moment in motorsports and the evolution of racing technology. Even today I don't believe many people understand how important those cars could have been.

[anfield5]

The throttle lag wasn't so crippling at Indianapolis because they kept the RPMS up. For qualifying in 1968, Granatelli's team ran the idle at 75%. Obviously you could never get away with that when 32 other cars were out there in the race, but for single car qualifying it killed the throttle lag and they snagged the first two spots.

I was at the 1868 race and the turbines were pretty much roundly despised. The car owners did a good job of selling it to the public that the things were evil and so did USAC. When the two remaining turbines fell out of the race literally seconds apart, the place erupted in a way you would have to experience to believe. It was 300,000 people cheering for them to fail. Looking back, that part was a little sad, even if I was one of those cheering.

I think we were all to blind to see the future unfolding before us. At least for oval racing the turbine would have been the way to go, and no doubt competition development would have gotten a grip on the throttle lag. Granatelli said a turbine engine could run ten seasons without a rebuild, so imagine the cost savings there alone. During 1968, they ran two cars for the whole season and the motors never came out of the cars.

Unfortunately no one wanted their equipment obsoleted overnight, in spite of the obvious long term benefits, and the owners, along with USAC, railroaded through rule changes that made the turbines totally uncompetitive. They did not even try to give the turbines a chance to compete on even terms, they just restricted it so much that it went away.

While people always talk about technology, innovation and improving the breed, in a lot of ways all of that ground to a halt with Parnelli's gearbox. That was the moment that rules began to change all over the world to slow the cars and their development down. It was only a few weeks later that Ford swept Lemans for the second time and the FIA was on it's way to ban the big seven litre monsters.

The turbine cars were a watershed moment in motorsports and the evolution of racing technology. Even today I don't believe many people understand how important those cars could have been.

You were at the 1868 race?

[Rollo]

You were at the 1868 race?

Because I have access to time travel I thought about going to watch it but I pulled the wibbly lever instead of the whatsi lever and ended up in 1768.

Some fellow called Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot was leading the steam class when he careened around a corner at a shocking 2½mph and drfited into a wall.

[anfield5]

into the wall or through the wall?

[Doc Austin]

You were at the 1868 race?

Uhhhhh...... not exactly.

I did get to go to the 68, 69, 73, 74 and 83 races. If for nothing else it is worth going just for the sheer spectacle. Most of the time the racing was pretty good too and the cars were interesting, even after they effectively banned the turbines.

Part of my famly lived in Indianapolis and I would stay at the family funeral home along with about 100 other funeral directors and undertakers from around the country who were guests of the business. I would get off the plane, someone would hand me a beer and it was five days of drinking and going to all the races with a bunch of undertakers letting loose on holiday.

Damm, those people could party.

[Rollo]

into the wall or through the wall?

Through the wall.

What was the name of that building again... d'Cooladé? OH YEAH!