Comments on: Video: Road cars with F1 engines

By: Craig

Craig — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:02:15 +0000

That Alfa is the ultimate Q-car, it looks totally like a normal model!

Imagine sitting beside it at the lights thinking you could beat it away no problems and then BAM!!! off it shoots!

Though I would imagine the noise from it would be a bit of a giveaway…

I agree that it’s been too long since we saw something like this and someone should be planting an F1 engine into one of their models ASAP – perhaps Renault again with a proper Megane Sport, or BMW with a 1-series with engine instead of a rear seat…

Toyota on the other hand seem to have gone the other way and put an engine from their roadgoing car (an Aygo I think) into their F1 car judging by their recent performance!

By: Loki

Loki — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:09:59 +0000

I remember having a picture of the Espace F1 on one of my folders in school and I got ripped for it! I saw it years later at a Forumla Renault event, it was uber sexy.

I have to say though, that Alfa 164 Procar has just made one of my most desired (and unattainable) Alfa’s, never even knew it existed! I wonder how good they were at corners, no touring car aerodynamics or anything, it really does look like a standard Alfa 164!

By: Seb Carter

Seb Carter — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:33:46 +0000

Yeah Ferrari also transfer their technology from f1 to their range of cars. The F430 has the same E diff from Schumacher’s 2003 car. Another quasi example is the Porsche Carrera GT. I believe the V10 in that car was designated for F1 but somehow managed to makes its way into it. Mind you those cars are basically race cars for the road so i suppose thats a logical step.

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:47:33 +0000

The manufacturers didn't go for it. Some people think the whole Procar thing was just a ploy to attract more manufacturers into F1 in the late '80s when the expense of the turbo era had driven many of them away. There's more on it in Terry Lovell's biography of Bernie Ecclestone, "Bernie's Game".

By: Robert McKay

Robert McKay — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:45:07 +0000

What happened to Procar?

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:46:31 +0000

I agree, but it’s down to the manufacturers.

For example BMW make a lot of the technology transfer between its F1 V8 and its range of engines. But I want to see how a BMW M3 would go with the P86/8 pulled out of their F1 car and dropped in…

By: Seb Carter

Seb Carter — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 07:56:23 +0000

F1 really should do this more often. i love the idea of allowing formula one technology to be put into normal road going cars. the Espace looked fantastic! imagine if F1 had homologation rules like the World Rally Championship did. i shall dream…