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Still in BMod with all the other "non-automotive" derived engines.

The motor (block) must be derived from a production automobile. Motors that originally came in bikes, even if they were later used in a car are verboten.

I've been through this a half-dozen times with the MAC and SEB. There were some softer feelings towards bike motors in 2007-2008, but not enough to get anything done. I bought what I thought was going to be a ringer DM motor, a Ferrari 208 engine with later 308 Quatrovalve heads. It is a 1995cc 32-valve V8 with a sleeved aluminum block and aluminum heads. When the aero rules changed for DM/EM in 2008 I ditched the idea of going to the class. Chassis and drivetrain development is hard enough. I didn't want to have to work out an aero package that involved re-creating the front two feet of the body. Since then I've sold the engine, sold the wheels, gave away the Lotus Europa chassis, and have a Hewland Mk9 for sale. I'm working on an X-Prepared Miata instead.

Well, that's kinda lame.

Philosophically, I don't see any reason to put engine restrictions on a car you built.

Then again, I just showed up and ran, regardless of what class I was in. Stock 1990 prelude, but in some crazy outmatched class because it had rims? Oh well. Somebody has to be the slowest.

See also: 1988 prelude with swaybars, and that's it.

I can see both sides on this one, although I tend to side with BEC's being allowed back in. Much like the worries modernbeat had about entering the class and the potential for rule changes forcing major vehicle changes, I would guess they were worried about the potential for a well developed BEC to pretty much make every existing DM car engine obsolete due to it's significantly lower engine+trans weight, smaller size, and and ever increasing power output...which would rather upset the majority of DM competitors that have invested significantly in their current engines, and there were too few (if any?) SCCA members seriously developing BEC's to be able to present a significant enough counter argument. For the record, I did send in my letter to the MAC in favor of keeping BEC's in DM when it was up for member comment, although it probably didn't carry as much weight since I wasn't an existing class competitor either. In general it seemed like a preemptive "don't rock the boat" move, even though no BEC had proven overly competitive/dominating yet. Although if they were that worried about it they could have just as easily put a multiplier on BEC's, like the turbocharged engines have.

In the FF class your required to have a reverse gear. That might help make a car engine/transmission more attractive. Not enough though, I suppose.

While I understand the need for rules in organized racing, it's the primary reason why I have zero interest to participate. I like the freedom to build a car the way I like, without a committee somewhere limiting all the options. It has to be fun and - for me - all the rules take the fun out of it. That's why I'm happy just going to trackday events, where people drive "whatever" and there are no issues with rules, cheating, or spending $1000+ a weekend to win a $5 plastic trophy.

News -
http://www.ukipme.com/engineoftheyear/w ... inner.html

Moti

I hope that engine finds it's way over here. That would be a fantastic little engine to play with for a variety of projects.

It has a good starting point of 178bhp.

It's too complicated. There seems to be a race to add technology for marketing reasons. What does all that stuff weight?

A 1.4L that makes 177 ft-lbs of torque from 1500rpm, 178hp, and gets 45mpg in stock configuaration...Is using the technology mostly for marketing reasons?? Complicated (i.e. "technology") is the name of the new efficiency game. Old technology just isn't going to do it anymore. Even if the extra bits put the weight back up similar to the bigger 4's, how much does that really matter? I guess if you call improved "big block" I4 power with teenie-weenie (or diesel) I4 mpg a marketing ploy, then I guess I've been fully suckered.

It's impressive because it's a small displacement engine, but once an engine - any engine - uses force induction, how much power it produces is arbitrary. With boost, anything is possible. I'm sure the high mileage is because during cruise they bypass or shut off the boost-producing parts. I like it, but it's nothing new and is probably expensive.

Hey Guy's think about for a minute or two....

Yhea the VW engine is one but many possibilities...

I think that the most exiting times in F1 was in the early eighties when the Turbo cars ruled the tracks. Today the amateur has the same if not more tools available to him to design and race a Super 7 for D-mod....

CAD, Grapes and the various suspension programs are available to all to help design their cars. You've got data aquisitions available. Electronic fuel injection is not an issue and again available to all, including the DIY Megasquirt...The wealth of Turbo knowledge is incredible and within reach... Man I get goose bumps when I think of all the possibilities, and look what they did with those F1 25 years ago...

Cheers,

Fred

All you need is the same fuel that F1 used to run (think about plastic explosives and you're on the right direction ) and you can run it at the 60 psi the F1 used to run

Moti