Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
:facepalm: *2. I didn't. The age refers to the design and was originally brought up by another poster, not myself. Seriously, this is not a discussion, you're just flaming me. Pack it in.
My point was that it wasn't the tech that allows an F1 engine to make the power, it's the compromises that can be made when you can purpose build something to do a single thing. When you don't have to make it last a long time, there are a lot of things you can do to make it much more powerful. Both F1 and Top Fuel do these things. Neither races I would call long.
To compare them to computers, top fuel is LN overclocking, F1 is dry ice. Both of which I would call equally feasible for use in a normal PC: not at all. One is just slightly more temperamental than the other.
Every racing series that has attracted big money has ended up having engines that are tweaked near the limit of the rule book and the application. It's the nature of the competition. Why build a 600HP engine that can last 1000 miles if a race is only 100 miles? Sacrifice some durability and go for 650HP. Why make it idle at 700RPM? You never run at less than 5000 on the track, so put a wild cam in to make another 20HP and let it idle at 4000RPM. This isn't tech that allows you to do this, it's the compromises that you make in building a race engine.
Here's something to consider: Your average 2006 NASCAR engine makes 70 more HP than your average 2006 F1 engine. It is limited to "old tech", flat tappet cam, 600CFM carburetor, and some other quite restrictive limitations. To get this power they do much of the same research as F1. The primary difference is that the application is different, and given their longer races, longevity is more of a concern that must be addressed.
Again, DOHC has been around since the automotive industry was in it's infancy.
So I ask you, what is high tech about F1 engines? They are beautiful examples of metallurgy, engineering, and refinement. But it's still old tech. And the engine is still only good for one purpose.