Many F1 fans fear that the distinctive sound of the Formula 1 car will vanish amidst the the ongoing changes to engine specifications, which reduced the monstrous V12s that were used in the past to the V6s that will be used in 2014.
Here's some tidbits of what the FIA has to say about it as of yet:
So, what's the forum's opinion?Q: Will a V6 use more fuel, or have inferior economy compared with the original proposal?
A: No. To push the engineers to develop engine efficiency, the technical regulation imposes a fuel flow control. When evolving the regulation to fit with the manufacturers' new request this parameter has not been changed. Thus the efficiency requirement will be unchanged.
Q: Why has the rev limit been increased from 12,000rpm to 15,000rpm. Is this purely to enhance the sound of a Formula One car?
A: No. This parameter has been updated from 12000rpm to 15000 rpm to allow engineers more flexibility in power and energy management. However, as a consequence of the new architecture (V6) and the change in rev-limit, the engine will sound different, but will remain representative of Formula One.
Q: Will these energy recovery systems and other efficiency devices ultimately influence the development of road cars?
A: Yes. The clear need for the automotive industry to reduce emissions means energy management will increasingly become a key factor in the development of more efficient powertrains. Kinetic energy recovery is already applied in Formula One and the introduction of exhaust energy recovery will add another technology route to be explored. Formula One will also return to its role as a developer of turbo-charger technology. This research will have real-world benefits, contributing valuable knowledge that will be of use to future road car development.