Motorsport is often associated with groundbreaking technology. But it is ultimately about winning.
And if old technology is needed, then that is indeed also an approved path: Which is why in 1994 Mercedes-Benz decided to build a brand new 1000-horsepower push rod engine.
It is a very interesting subject, motorsport and rules: The very best thinkers sometimes see things that no one else has seen. As in the nineties CART series in America. At the forefront of the field, Ford and Chevrolet tried to torment the last horsepower of their 2,65-litres turbocharged V8’s, which were at the forefront of development and the field with their more than 800 horsepower.
For the series’ most prestigious races, production-based engines could in some cases stick their heads out and just show the flag. Before they exploded. Buick, for example, has long maintained their custom-made V6’s. The background was that the strategists of the CART series at one point in the eighties had thought that it would then be an advantage for the small engine manufacturers (of which they would like more to take part in motorsport) if they could build something based on a production engine. But as we know today with the clear light of hindsight, there is a big difference between road and racing engines, and the former will inevitably always an inferior racing engine: So in return for their innate disadvantages these productionbased engines could run with 3,4 litres of engine displacement AND greater turbo pressure to boot. The theory being that this which would then equalize the push rods and only two valves per cylinder-productionbased engine. It worked for Buick, who were usually quick until they broke.
At some time in the early nineties, the rules towards the use of street engine components were then relaxed. And suddenly the engine manufacturer Ilmor realized that you could in fact build a brand new engine that was in one and all a pure racing engine – only one utilizing the ancient technology of push rods and only two valves per cylinder, but still possessing greater potential than the pure racing engines of 2,65 liters.
And so they did. Ilmor had realized beforehand that the project would be perceived as an offence toward the spirit of the regulations. And indeed it was. But hey, this was about winning the Indy 500. So they drove the project further on in 1993 in the deepest secrecy – and along the way Mercedes-Benz came into the picture. The engine was therefore named Mercedes-Benz 500l and was installed in the very successful Penske PC-23.
In fact the whole thing was so immensely secret that no one really knew anything until a few days before the Indianapolis – and as expected by Ilmor there was a scandalous mood among the competitors. Especially because Ilmor’s theory turned out to hold true: Rumour has it that the engines delivered more than a 1000 horsepower and that the car went over 412 km/h at the top – a huge advantage over everyone else. Pole position, dominant victory and an eternal place in the history books therefore went to Penske-Mercedes-Benz.
For the winner takes it all. No matter how.
ViaRETRO-bonusinformation: The loophole in the rules was closed for the 1995 season, and then Penske were no longer competitive after spending a year building a winning car for just one season.Â