Indy cars make use of the popular V8 engine configuration which is a high-performance engine that is popularly used in race cars and high-end vehicles.
One of the greatest strengths of V8 engines, compared to regular car engines, is their special packaging. When the engine is fully dressed, it assumes a cubic shape, allowing the engine to fit in perfectly to rear-wheel drive vehicles, and even to some FWD vehicles. Compared to an inline four that comes with the same single cylinder bore spacing, the V8 is slightly longer, but much shorter to an inline-six. V8 engine’s short length puts its center of gravity behind the car’s front axle. This in turn helps improve car handling while allowing the car’s hood to slope at the front, boosting aerodynamics. Aerodynamics is vital is Indy cars since this help drivers to put their cars to top speed.
V8 engine’s short length, meanwhile, offers Indy car’s a packaging advantage in comparison to an inline-six or a V12 engine. This is simply because of the fact that V8 engines are the smallest type of car engine featuring first and second order balance that permit large car engine displacements. High engine displacements can assist the car to generate high power-to-weight ratios. Despite this, the V8 engine is still more compact when compared to the V12 that also provide about the same amount of displacement. Moreover, V8 engines are much cheaper to produce compared to other engine types.
Although V8 engines is cheaper than the V12, a V12 featuring the same overall displacement is capable of generating more power in the expense of an added weight and size. Because of this, there are some Indy Car manufacturers that make use of supercharged V8 engines in order to achieve V12’s superb engine performance, but retain the V8 engine’s small size and fuel economy.
The V8 engine’s compact size allows it to be front mounted, but still installed at the back of the front axle. V8 engine remains as the popular choice for Indy Cars and other race cars. This is mainly because of its advantageous small size and light engine weight. The car can benefit from a lighter engine without compromising power output. The engine’s smooth running characteristic is considered by many as an asset while the unique exhaust sound it creates provide complexity and is essential to the performance of the car’s exhaust system.
For the upcoming 2012 Indy Season, it has been reported that a new engine plan will be introduced. Indy cars that will race next year will carry the 2.2L V6 turbocharged engine configuration. This engine is specially tuned to generate around 550-700Hp and would come with a 12,000 RPM limit. The new V6 engines are said to run on E85 fuel, which will replace the fuel grade ethanol being used in the Indy series from 2007 to 2011. The new engine will also have a ‘push to pass’ feature which will allow it to limit its power gain up to 100 horsepower.
