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Lotus and F1 Engines
Jamie Turner
Senior Technical Specialist
Lotus Powertrain Research Group Manager
27 February 2003 1
Colin Chapman and the DFV
• Colin Chapman was instrumental in the DFV concept;
the fact that its architecture allowed it to mounted as a
fully-stressed member was a Chapman revolution
• The DFV could therefore be considered as a Vee-engine
development of the FVA, with Chapman persuading
Ford to underwrite the project
• The Lotus 49 was purpose-designed to accept the DFV
27 February 2003 2
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Lotus’ own Formula 1 Engines
• Lotus has investigated Formula 1 engines for four
different clients, two of whom are currently in F1
• The first was a compound charged 1.5 litre V6
- the Lotus code name was ‘L9’
• The second was a 3.5 litre V10 designed for a client to
compete in the common F1 and World Sports Car racing
engine formula in the late 1980s - the ‘W55’
• The third was a 120° 3.5 litre V12 - this was ‘FX’
• The most recent was a 3 litre V10, of a more conven-
tional modern architecture, but with a Wide Vee Angle
- for the current Engine Formula, called ‘T-Project’
27 February 2003 3
Formula 1 Engines - L9
• In the 1980s, Lotus built a 1.5 litre Compound Charged
V6 Formula 1 racing engine - the ‘L9’
• Concept was to eliminate
turbolag for street circuits
• Monoblock construction
with through-bolts
• Magnesium crankcase
• Gasoline Direct Injection
• Power: in excess of
1000bhp at 12000rpm (at
approximately 4.5bar boost)
27 February 2003 4
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Any User
L9 - Charging System
• The L9 Charging System consisted of two
Turbochargers (Fixed or Variable Geometry)
connected in series after an Axial Flow Compressor
L9 - Axial Flow Compressor
• The Axial Compressor was designed and developed
by Lotus, and had a peak adiabatic efficiency of 83%
First Section: Second Section: 9:10 Cycloidal
4.216 x Crank Speed 4.685 x Crank Speed Gearing between Shafts
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Any User
L9 Charging System Mapping
Turbocharger Mapping
Anti-Surge Piezo-Electric
Throttles GDI
L9 and Formula 1 Rule Changes
• The L9 Project was taken to race-ready status for 1985,
and a Lotus racecar was being designed to take it
• However, changes to the fuel consumption and boost
limitation regulations led to it not racing
• The supercharger consumed 200bhp at maximum
power
• The Piezo-Electric GDI system lives on as second
generation Common Rail systems start to come to the
marketplace
27 February 2003 8
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Any User
WSC Championship
• The W55 engine was designed in the late 1980s for the
World Sports Car championship, for a manufacturer
then competing in it
• At that time the engine regulations shared some
commonality with F1
• W55 was a 3.5 litre Naturally Aspirated V10, decided
upon after extensive analysis
• The bank angle was 110° for low C of G
– First of the wide-angle V10s
• It had a centre Power Take-Off, split cooling and a full-
width shear panel to maintain bending and torsional
stiffness
27 February 2003 9
W55 Heads
Full Width
Shear Panel
Secondary “Shower
Form” Injectors
Split
Cooling
Cam Gear Drive
from Centre
Power Take-Off
27 February 2003 10
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W55 Block Two Main and Four
Supplementary Bolts
per Bay
Close-Fitting Secondary Ribs
Scavenge Volume for Stiffness and Oil
Transport
27 February 2003 11
W55 Conclusions
• W55 was never fully built, though castings were
procured
• Target power was 690bhp at 12500rpm
• Much rig work was carried out on the lubrication and
cooling systems
• However, the regulations for Group C changed, allowing
the manufacturer to continue to race his loosely
production-based engine successfully (this eventually
won Le Mans), and so the W55 project was cancelled
• The extensive analysis and rig work was of value for the
F1 engine design that followed it
27 February 2003 12
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Formula 1 Engines - FX
• The next F1 engine was the ‘FX’, a 120° 3.5 litre V12 with
centre-exit 12-into-3 exhaust system (early 1990s)
• This was intended to
maintain a V8
engine’s BMEP level
over a V12 engine’s
speed range
– By means of 4
cylinder exhaust
tuning
Twisted Crank
for Even Firing
27 February 2003 13
Formula 1 Engines - FX
Crossover
Centre Power Exhaust
Take-Off System
(12-into-3)
Centre Fed Twin Water
Crankshaft Pumps
27 February 2003 14
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FX Architecture
Monobloc
Construction
2 Main Castings
Cross-over
Through-bolts
as per L9
Low Mounted
Intakes
2 Auxiliary
Drive Shafts
27 February 2003 15
Formula 1 Engines - FX
• This engine was to have raced in a Lotus F1 car
• Design and initial performance prediction work was
undertaken, but the project was not progressed to the
prototype stage
• Extensive data was gathered from a Cosworth DFR and
performance prediction of its performance correlated
very well; this suggested that FX would have had in the
region of 750bhp for 1992, its first racing season
• The project was stopped when the FIA changed the car
regulations to mandate faired-in rollover hoops; this
made the use of a high mounted airbox almost
impossible to avoid
27 February 2003 16
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T-Project
• Recently, we were involved in an extremely detailed
study for a modern F1 engine, including machining and
manufacturing facilities
• It was to have had a wide Vee angle of 110-120°
• The first race season was to have been 2003
• The outline design was to have been done with another
consultancy, whose cars were to have used it; Lotus
was to have been responsible for its detail design,
development and manufacture
• Although the current regulations stifle innovation in the
architecture of an engine, Lotus had some radical ideas
to pursue
27 February 2003 17
Future Directions for F1 Engines
• Bonded Covers
– To reduce mass and increase the torsional and bending
stiffnesses of the entire engine assembly
• Bonded Auxiliaries
– To reduce the size of auxiliary castings through not having to
incorporate fixings, and so to reduce mass and bulk
simultaneously
• High Speed AVT
– To improve fuel consumption and torque curve shape
– Remove throttles and save bulk in the intake system
– Improve engine response
– Reduce engine width and height and to lower its C of G
27 February 2003 18
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High Performance Engines
• T-Project was not progressed beyond the concept and
feasibility stages because of geographical problems
associated with the partner companies
• We believe we now have extremely good knowledge of
the internals, materials, manufacturing processes etc.
of a current F1 engine
• Lotus would still like to be involved in race engine
design and manufacture as it gives a good showcase
for innovation
• Perhaps the freest formula for innovation is the new
Four-Stroke MotoGP motorcycle road racing class
27 February 2003 19
Thank You for Listening
27 February 2003 20
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