142.4 HP/Liter beating race engines?!?!
M-B/Penske Indy 500 engine: 950hp (conservative...actual in the 1000-1100hp range) from 2.65 Liters = 358.5 HP/Liter This engine was turbocharged with a pushrod actuated valve train. They run on methanol.
Winston Cup engines: 750-800hp from 5.7 Liters = 131.6 - 140.4 HP/Liter These engines are naturally aspirated with a pushrod actuated valve train. They run on a high octane version of pump gas.
I don't know specs for F1 engines, but the old school Indy Car engines were in excess of 300hp/liter...15 years ago. NWC motors would be better off with fuel injection. They'd probably see a boost of 50hp without any other mods to the motor. Tune it be a fuelie, and they may see 65-70hp more. I realize these comparisons are a little off, since the Ford engine is blown with fuel injection and an OHC valvetrain versus the small displacement, blown, pushrod, fuel injected CART engines and the large displacement, carbuerated, pushrod NWC engines. But, you get the idea. They are just now getting 140+ HP/Liter from a boosted engine. CART & NWC have been at or substantially above these levels for a long time, one with small displacement and high revs, the other with old school pushrods, carbuerators, and large displacement.
Oh, to clarify myself on the Ford engine choice. I didn't say the motor was bad, although there are better alternatives in cost, and power. I'm just saying that that motor choice in that car is poor. Even a LS6 from the C5 ZO6 would be out of place in that car. That's why I mentioned the BMW V-12. It's a solid piece that costs less than Ferrari or Lamborghini alternatives. It makes good power, is smooth, and sounds nice.
Oh, and I don't like Ford, just for the record.
Eeks! That was long.
