How Racing Changed The Way Car Engines Are Made

The unique demands of car racing have spurred various developments in automobile manufacturing. Whether in Formula 1, Le Mans, or on the street, people love a car with plenty of speed and performance. Manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and BMW have constantly sought to stay at the forefront of innovation by introducing the next groundbreaking automobile technology. Over time, motorsports has earned a reputation for being instrumental in this.

Many features commonly found in production vehicles today, ranging from safety components like airbags to independent and adaptive suspension systems, are thanks to advancements that have been birthed or enhanced in racing. Perhaps the component that receives the most attention is the engine, which has seen vast development over the years, resulting in everything from new fuel delivery methods to hybrid and electric motors.

These developments are not surprising given how much motorsports emphasizes speed and power. More recently, emission regulations set by sporting regulation bodies like the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) have influenced manufacturers' approach toward engine manufacturing regarding sustainability. However, emissions are far from the only way racing has changed how car engines are made. 

Fuel injectors have been around since the early 1900s, but their introduction and popularity in auto tech came about in the 1950s. Before this, traditional carburetors were the staple technology governing the mix of fuel and air in car engines. Race teams and hot-rodders began experimenting with fuel injection to deal with some of the problems carburetion posed. 

The problem with traditional carburetors was inefficiency and difficulty setting them up for different conditions. The carburetor mixed air and fuel, but the ratio of fuel and air mixed for detonation could be inconsistent. Engines with poorly calibrated carburetors could underperform and also produce high emissions. In addition, they had to be cleaned frequently and were easily affected by factors like weather and the elevation of the race track. The air-to-fuel ratio is more precise with fuel injections, resulting in more efficient performance. 

Mercedes-Benz was amongst the first to explore this technology for cars, building the first production vehicle equipped with fuel injection, the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR. The auto world paid attention when the 300SLR set a record at the 1955 Mille Miglia that remained unbroken when the event was retired in 1957. The Chevrolet Corvette followed suit by including fuel injection in its 1957 model. 

By the end of the 1960s, many others, like BMW and Audi, had begun following this new route. Fuel injection remained popular in racing, eventually becoming the mainstream form of fuel delivery in production cars in the mid-1980s. 

The introduction of turbochargers has enormously impacted the development of car engines. This technology was initially developed for aircraft, trains, and ships, and it is known for increasing performance without sacrificing fuel efficiency. During the Second World War, aircraft like the P-38 Lightning and P-47 Thunderbolt used turbocharged engines. Realizing a potential application in the civilian world, experts sought to bring this technology into regular automobiles, but it was a rough start.

In 1952, the Cummins company used a turbodiesel engine to compete in the Indy 500. However, the Cummins team was unsuccessful due to a faulty filter allowing debris into the turbo. In 1962, the Chevrolet Corvair and the Oldsmobile Jetfire became the earliest ventures using the technology in production vehicles. Still, the reception was unimpressive, and they were pulled off the market.

Turbocharged engines returned to the Indy 500 in 1966, but the 1970s saw the technology fully enter motorsport. In 1969, Porsche introduced one of the most iconic Porches in racing history, the 917/30 Can-Am, for the European World SportsCar Championship and the Le Mans series. In 1972, Porsche developed the 917/10K with twin Eberspächer turbos, winning six out of nine starts at the Can-Am championship that year.

This era solidified the place of turbochargers in the automotive industry. BMW brought the technology back to production cars in 1973, while the engines continued to dominate Formula 1 and other race programs. Today, reliable turbocharged engines are a common way for auto builders to extract more power from engines. 

Aerodynamics plays a notable role in vehicle speed, and has become a major part of race car design. While regular production cars don't focus on speed as much as racers, air resistance also impacts fuel efficiency and engine cooling, two factors manufacturers pay close attention to. As a result, production car design began to incorporate aerodynamic principles in their development.

This innovation is evident in Formula 1 racing, from the introduction of wings to create downforce to rear spoilers that counteract lift, along with numerous other design tweaks that optimize downforce while minimizing drag. It combines various elements that enhance the airflow around the car and improve its overall performance.

With this inspiration from racing cars, manufacturers have discovered that these design changes allow for better airflow to the heat exchangers and radiators. This results in better heat management for the engine and optimized vehicle performance overall. In addition, the placement of car components like the radiator and the engine has also been identified as a key aspect of aerodynamics. For instance, the mid-engine layout pioneered and popularized in racing cars, with engines placed just behind the driver, has more balanced weight distribution, leading to better performance.

Manufacturers have been heading toward more efficient and environmentally friendly powertrains, which involves moving away from internal combustion engines. One of the earliest steps in this direction was known as a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS). The system converts kinetic energy into electric energy, thereby providing additional power and conserving energy that would have otherwise been lost. While this technology does not power the engine, it's an innovation that impacted the development of hybrid and EV engines.

In 2009, Formula 1 allowed the use of kinetic energy recovery systems for the first time, which was in line with efforts towards sustainability. This move has been recognized as instrumental in the development of modern engines. Competing teams could choose between mechanical and hybrid systems, and Mercedes-Benz was the first to hop on the new wave, with the McLaren Mercedes. The car went ahead to win the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.

In the next couple of years, KERS saw rapid development. From 2007 to 2012, the thermal efficiency of Mercedes KERS grew from 39% to 80% while dropping 168 pounds in weight. In that era, Toto Wolff, heading Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, described Formula 1 as "the pinnacle of automotive innovation."

The advancements and insights from KERS eventually led to the full embrace of hybrid technology in car engines. Today, many road vehicles promise great electric range per battery charge thanks to hybrid power trains, and companies have even pledged to go fully electric. The popularity of this approach is thanks to the world of racing and motorsports.

Hybrid engines came into full force in 2014 when the FIA made hybrid powertrains a requirement to compete in Formula 1. As a result, teams had to have powertrains that comprised a V6 turbo engine and an energy recovery system (ERS). This regulation was put in place primarily to improve sustainability and efficiency to meet emission regulations. However, it also greatly enhanced performance and speed.

Before this, some hybrid cars, such as the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius, were already in the market. However, this era significantly boosted the popularity of hybrid powertrains. Interestingly, it wasn't entirely embraced by racing fans. There were complaints that the engines were too quiet and dampened the dramatic appeal of the sport. Now, in Formula E, fully electric engines are becoming increasingly popular.

High-revving engines are engines that can attain high revolutions per minute. Many car enthusiasts love the auditory experience associated with these powertrains, but beyond that, they also provide excellent performance. High-revving engines have more power and operate more efficiently than low-revving engines, which is why they have had so much appeal in motorsports like Formula 1.

Various engineering and design aspects allow racing cars to rev high, including combustion efficiency, the bore to stroke ratio, and piston speed. This is why many Formula 1 cars tend to combine these features — they enable excellent precision, instant power delivery, and can achieve aggressive downshifting.

The highest-revving engines, however, are pretty expensive to develop and maintain, which is why they have mainly featured in performance cars. They also tend to create more torque higher in the power band, making them unsuitable for some types of vehicles, including those that move heavy loads or venture off-road. However, this technology has significantly impacted production cars like the Porsche 918 Spyder, Lexus LFA, and many others. 

When speeding on tracks, having a lightweight vehicle is advantageous. This is why manufacturers of racing cars have constantly explored ways to incorporate efficient lightweight materials in constructing these vehicles. One of the most common weight-saving methods is the use of carbon fiber to construct the body of the car, which makes it lighter and thereby enhances acceleration.

Another material that has gained popularity is aluminum, which is used for constructing engine components. Aluminum is not new in the automotive world, as racing cars have incorporated it even from the early periods of the sport. The appeal of this metal comes from its malleability and impressive strength to weight ratio, which enhances the vehicle's agility by retaining structural integrity while minimizing mass. In 1962, Mickey Thompson made a record time at the Indianapolis 500 race driving a car powered by an aluminum engine. Today, it's the most prevalent non-ferrous metal used in race cars and has become very popular in production vehicles.

Magnesium is another metal that became popular in race cars due to its light weight and durability. It's less common than aluminum but has diverse applications and advantages over traditional components. It has become a sought-after material in racing cars and is now finding its way into regular production models.