Irish Guy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2023
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- Location
- USA
- Vehicles
- 2022 Porsche GT3; 2022 Porsche Panamera GTS
- Thread starter
- #16
I always enjoy reading your engineering perspective on this forum!This made me smile!
Apart from the familiar noise a V8 IC engine is inferior to an electric motor in every objective way.
It needs a clutch since it is incapable of producing torque from stationary.
It needs a multi ratio gearbox because the physics of gas flow and combustion combined with the limitations of practical manufacture mean the torque/rpm curve is very narrow meaning it is almost never operating at high performance at any road speed - it does lead to variable acceleration rates not only from ratio to ratio but also depending on rev range, which is a weakness technically but familiar, I suppose.
It is heavy and complex, hideously so if turbocharged.
It has temperatures within high enough to degrade its lubricant.
Overall demonstrably shit compared to an electric motor.
OTOH the battery means the car is heavy, so despite an electric motor being in every other way superior to any IC engine for a real sports car the weight it ends up having to carry negates most of the huge shortcomings of an IC engine
From an engineering standpoint an EV is better for road use and an IC engine better for racing.
Formula 1 only uses hybrid engines as part of its marketing propaganda and to keep car companies paying. None of the car designers like the change and nor do the mechanics. The best F1 cars had normally aspirated multi cylinder engines in our (me and all the other F1 car designers I know) opinion. OTOH we used to use about 160kg of fuel for a race and now, with the sameish power, it is 100kg so pretty efficient if heavy.
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