Powertec Rpa V8
12-27-2004, 10:58 AM
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Carrollton, TX
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Many of you may have seen this in the latest Sport Compact Car, but I thought everyone should see it.
It is from Radical Motorsports, a British firm known for high performance race cars.
Basically, the RPA V8 is two Hayabusa engines joined at the hip. While that already sounds like fun, read a few exerpts and go to the website for mp3's of the engine starting and running.
Taken from URL=http://www.radicalmotorsport.com/news_folder/v8/rpa_v8/index.php]Radical Motorsports.com[/URL]
"The 72º V8 can be installed with an all new lightweight transaxle (for rear engine installation) or gearbox (for front engine installation).
The engine will utilise Suzuki GSXR1300 cylinder heads and barrels, while all other major components will be supplied by Powertec. The crankcases are to be cast in high-grade, heat-treated, aluminium and will be machined in-house by Powertec's sister-company, Amicon Engineering. The crankshaft will be of a flat-plane design and manufactured from billet steel by Doug Kiddie Engineering, who currently produce the cranks for the Powertec 1500 and 1500 Turbo engines.
The V8 will be available with a capacity of 2.0 litre, 2.6 litre, and 3.0 litres. Several advanced features have been designed into this compact V8. For example, the engine is available with optional twin counter-rotating balance shafts, making it ideal for road use as well as racing. Banks of oil pumps are mounted on the side of the motor, F1-style, to scavenge the integral multi-stage dry sump system.
Powertec are working very closely with Quaife to produce two optional lightweight drive systems.
A six-speed transaxle, for rear engine installation will be very compact incorporating a transverse gear cluster, reverse gear system and a torque biased limited slip differential. Because of its compact dimensions and lightweight the alternative six-speed sequential gearbox will be ideal for a wide range of front engine installations.
Phil Abbott, head of the Powertec V8 project, explained "We have been working flat out on the design, to ensure that the packaging, performance and reliability are maximised. The 72º V-angle is the optimum for a compact motor, while the side-mounted scavenge pumps and dry sump ensure a low crankshaft location and subsequently a very low centre of gravity. The performance of these engines will be awesome because we are utilising superbike cylinder heads with their inherent combustion efficiency.
Our designer, Steve Prentice, has completed the detail design of the cast crankcases and billet crankshaft. This is where the inherent reliability will come from. With balance shafts to mute vibration and a range of starters, alternators and clutches to suit individual applications, I am confident of performance with reliability. We expect power to be over 350bhp with maximum torque in the region of 240Nm. The first car to have this motor installed will, of course, be the Radical SR3."
"The four day dyno test of the Powertec RPA 2.6 litre V8 (or ‘Christine’ as Ted has taken to calling her) has been hugely successful. After the equivalent of 30 racing hours, Christine has proven to be attractive, smooth and reliable, but when you rouse her, she turns into a wild screaming ‘super-bitch’!
The maximum power figure recorded over the four days was 383bhp at 10,000 rpm!"
I want this engine very much bad.
very, very, very, very much bad.
It is from Radical Motorsports, a British firm known for high performance race cars.
Basically, the RPA V8 is two Hayabusa engines joined at the hip. While that already sounds like fun, read a few exerpts and go to the website for mp3's of the engine starting and running.
Taken from URL=http://www.radicalmotorsport.com/news_folder/v8/rpa_v8/index.php]Radical Motorsports.com[/URL]
"The 72º V8 can be installed with an all new lightweight transaxle (for rear engine installation) or gearbox (for front engine installation).
The engine will utilise Suzuki GSXR1300 cylinder heads and barrels, while all other major components will be supplied by Powertec. The crankcases are to be cast in high-grade, heat-treated, aluminium and will be machined in-house by Powertec's sister-company, Amicon Engineering. The crankshaft will be of a flat-plane design and manufactured from billet steel by Doug Kiddie Engineering, who currently produce the cranks for the Powertec 1500 and 1500 Turbo engines.
The V8 will be available with a capacity of 2.0 litre, 2.6 litre, and 3.0 litres. Several advanced features have been designed into this compact V8. For example, the engine is available with optional twin counter-rotating balance shafts, making it ideal for road use as well as racing. Banks of oil pumps are mounted on the side of the motor, F1-style, to scavenge the integral multi-stage dry sump system.
Powertec are working very closely with Quaife to produce two optional lightweight drive systems.
A six-speed transaxle, for rear engine installation will be very compact incorporating a transverse gear cluster, reverse gear system and a torque biased limited slip differential. Because of its compact dimensions and lightweight the alternative six-speed sequential gearbox will be ideal for a wide range of front engine installations.
Phil Abbott, head of the Powertec V8 project, explained "We have been working flat out on the design, to ensure that the packaging, performance and reliability are maximised. The 72º V-angle is the optimum for a compact motor, while the side-mounted scavenge pumps and dry sump ensure a low crankshaft location and subsequently a very low centre of gravity. The performance of these engines will be awesome because we are utilising superbike cylinder heads with their inherent combustion efficiency.
Our designer, Steve Prentice, has completed the detail design of the cast crankcases and billet crankshaft. This is where the inherent reliability will come from. With balance shafts to mute vibration and a range of starters, alternators and clutches to suit individual applications, I am confident of performance with reliability. We expect power to be over 350bhp with maximum torque in the region of 240Nm. The first car to have this motor installed will, of course, be the Radical SR3."
"The four day dyno test of the Powertec RPA 2.6 litre V8 (or ‘Christine’ as Ted has taken to calling her) has been hugely successful. After the equivalent of 30 racing hours, Christine has proven to be attractive, smooth and reliable, but when you rouse her, she turns into a wild screaming ‘super-bitch’!
The maximum power figure recorded over the four days was 383bhp at 10,000 rpm!"
I want this engine very much bad.
very, very, very, very much bad.
12-27-2004, 03:07 PM
#4
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Carrollton, TX
Posts: 370
****** A, dude.
I wonder how much they'll cost and how streetable they'll be.
I'd even take the 2.0!
Imagine one of these things in a Miata.
Or a 510.
Or a 280z.
Or an FB. (especially an FB)
Or a gutted 240sx.
Or in the back of an MR2(you can get it with a transaxle)
Oh my, the fantasy wish list goes on and on and on.
I wonder how much they'll cost and how streetable they'll be.
I'd even take the 2.0!
Imagine one of these things in a Miata.
Or a 510.
Or a 280z.
Or an FB. (especially an FB)
Or a gutted 240sx.
Or in the back of an MR2(you can get it with a transaxle)
Oh my, the fantasy wish list goes on and on and on.
12-27-2004, 03:56 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Ireland
Posts: 907
Originally Posted by jackboots' date='Dec 27 2004, 05:57 PM
Many of you may have seen this in the latest Sport Compact Car, but I thought everyone should see it.
It is from Radical Motorsports, a British firm known for high performance race cars.
Basically, the RPA V8 is two Hayabusa engines joined at the hip.
It is from Radical Motorsports, a British firm known for high performance race cars.
Basically, the RPA V8 is two Hayabusa engines joined at the hip.
Not quite - they use the heads, barrels (and I think pistons) from the Hayabusa, the crankcase is entirely new. But that engine is phenomonal - 383bhp from 2.6 litres, that's almost 150bhp/litre - it's definitely up there with rotaries and Ferrari v12's as one of my all time favourite engines.
Mark
12-27-2004, 04:49 PM
#6
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Carrollton, TX
Posts: 370
I did say "Basically", but yes you're right.
There is aa replacement for displacement......Intelligence.
Ooh, ooh! I've got it!
Take a Suzuki Swift GTi, gut it, and put the RPA V8 in the back seat!
Suzuki Motor ("basically") in a Suzuki car....winnAr!
Eat **** and die, Renault Clio Sport V6!!!
There is aa replacement for displacement......Intelligence.
Ooh, ooh! I've got it!
Take a Suzuki Swift GTi, gut it, and put the RPA V8 in the back seat!
Suzuki Motor ("basically") in a Suzuki car....winnAr!
Eat **** and die, Renault Clio Sport V6!!!
12-27-2004, 05:47 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Ireland
Posts: 907
My next project idea (when I get a bit of money) was to put a holeshot Hayabusa turbo into a Suzuki Cappuccino, but I think one of these would be way better - the cappuccino replacement was supposed to have a 1.4l v8, so it's a match made in heaven... actually more like hell!
Mark
Mark
12-27-2004, 10:44 PM
#8
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 113
Did you guys read that article? The major problem with that engine is that even in its highest tune it produces little or not torque FOREVER, and it can only be used properly in ultralightweight kit cars. The guys at Sport Compact thought it was a great idea with almost no application, being as a well tuned GSR motor puts out more power with a well prepped engine then that thing did maxed out.
12-28-2004, 05:36 AM
#9
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Ireland
Posts: 907
Originally Posted by Bluemeaniews6' date='Dec 28 2004, 05:43 AM
Did you guys read that article? The major problem with that engine is that even in its highest tune it produces little or not torque FOREVER, and it can only be used properly in ultralightweight kit cars. The guys at Sport Compact thought it was a great idea with almost no application, being as a well tuned GSR motor puts out more power with a well prepped engine then that thing did maxed out.
Mark
