“550-700bhp across the mix of tracks with no changes to the specification”
powerplant created by Engine Developments Ltd (EDL) and the John Judd-designed unit has already earned an informal victory in its race from concept to reality. Whether the accolades for the new-for-2012, 2.2-litre, twin-turbo V6 can extend beyond its production timeline won’t be known until the end of the season, but as EDL and Lotus prepare to take on Ilmor’s twin- turbo Chevrolet V6 and Honda Performance Development’s single turbo version, it faces a daunting challenge as a minnow in shark-infested waters.
F
actor in the impressively short nine-month gestation period for the new Lotus IndyCar
Designated DC by Judd, the
process of developing the Lotus engine was compressed from the outset. Despite announcing its intention to build an engine in November of 2010, Lotus then went in search of a partner to handle the project on its behalf, and had an agreement in place
the project moving forward well before its press conference. That distinction would play a
central role in every aspect of the Lotus project. Initially, all EDL had to rely upon was the rather fixed design and construction rules the manufacturers agreed to, with IndyCar mandating a maximum
“we’re not at direct injection yet”
with EDL by mid-February 2011, with the opening of the 2012 season being just over a year later, on 25 March. Chevrolet, by comparison, announced its plans to build its own twin-turbo V6 IndyCar engine just days before Lotus, yet had already secured the services of Ilmor and had
displacement of 2.4-litres, no more than six cylinders, four camshafts, one or two turbos, the use of E85 ethanol and the option of direct injection. The series also asked for
costs and weight to be kept to a minimum, with a fixed lease rate of $690,000 (£441,300) per car,
which included the use of five engines, 2000 miles between rebuilds and 10,000 total miles of activity. Common, light materials were also called for – aluminium blocks and heads, in particular – to help IndyCar reach the 1380lb (626kg) minimum vehicle weight it envisioned. Identical chassis and bellhousing mounting points were also required to lessen the manufacturing burden on Dallara. And, with the variety of road courses and oval tracks visited by the series, IndyCar also asked its manufacturers to provide 550-700bhp across the mix of tracks with no changes to the specification.
Without the luxury of time to engage the Malaysian-owned May 2012 •
www.racecar-engineering.com 17
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