British Racing Motors V16
The British Racing Motors V16 was a supercharged 1.5-litre (90.8 cu. in.) V-16 cylinder racing engine built by British Racing Motors (BRM) for competing in Formula One motor racing in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Designed in 1947 and raced until 1954–55, it produced 600 bhp (450 kW) at 12,000 rpm, although test figures from Rolls-Royce suggested that the engine would be able to be run at up to 14,000rpm.
| BRM P15 V-16 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | British Racing Motors |
| Production | 1947–1955 |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | 135° V16 |
| Displacement | 1,487.76 cc (91 cu in) |
| Cylinder bore | 49.53 mm (1.95 in) |
| Piston stroke | 48.26 mm (1.90 in) |
| Valvetrain | 32-valve, DOHC, two valves per cylinder |
| Combustion | |
| Supercharger | Two-stage centrifugal |
| Fuel system | Carburettor |
| Oil system | Dry sump |
| Output | |
| Power output | 400–600 hp (298–447 kW) |
| Dimensions | |
| Dry weight | approx. 200–230 kg (441–507 lb) |
The very complex engine was exceptionally powerful for the time, but it initially proved a disappointment, possessing poor reliability so that cars either did not start or failed to finish races. In the 1952 Formula One season, after BRM withdrew their V16 engined cars before a race in Turin while attempting to enlist Juan Manuel Fangio, leaving only Ferrari as the main contestants with no effective competition, the racing organisers abandoned the Formula One series and ran the remaining year's races as Formula Two.