22 How powerful were the `turbo' F1 cars ?
Description
This article is from the Motorsport FAQ, by A H Henry bspahh@midge.bath.ac.uk with numerous contributions by others.
22 How powerful were the `turbo' F1 cars ?
The most powerful of the turbo-era F1 engines was BMW's in-line four
which saw over 1100bhp in race trim at 5.0 bar boost in 1985 and '86.
In his book `The 1000bhp Grand Prix Cars," Ian Bamsey writes that
`Through '85 BMW's boost kept on climbing, to exceed 5.0 bar: power
went to 1100bhp - and beyond. It had become impossible to measure:
the BMW dyno went no higher.' Also, `At Monza in 1986 Berger saw a
5.5 bar flash reading from his BMW/Mader-Benetton ... estimated over
1300bhp.'
In the same time period, TAG/Porsche only reached 950bhp, Ferrari
910- 920bhp, and Renault over 1100bhp. Figures for Honda are hard to
come by.
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