Dodge/Chrysler improves chances at LeMans

[KC]

To further improve their chances of a good performance at LeMans this year, Chrysler has hired 4 time LeMans winner Yannick Dalmas and Team ORECA hotshoe Olivier Beretta to drive their 6.0 liter V8 engined Dallara designed LMP. Team ORECA has teamed up with chassis engineers in Detroit and long time chassis maker Dallara to produce the all new LMP car. The Mopar engine has been tuned to develop 585hp with LeMans restrictors installed. This same engine block has produced over 1800 horsepower in Mopar's drag racing program and 800 horsepower in Mark Kinser's World of Outlaw's sprint car. The new iteration of the engine is 30 pounds lighter and reliability has been improved.

Dalmas has won the endurance classic four times with Peugeot, McLaren, Porsche and BMW. Beretta has continued his relationship with Team ORECA that has netted him four sportscar titles in America and Europe in three years with the all-conquering Viper GTS R/T. Team ORECA's record in GTS speaks for itself, but only time will tell if they can join the powerful factory efforts at the front of the grid.

[marcus]

I dont think anyone is doubting the car will have plenty of power at all...just whether they can get it all to the road will be the question..and i guess there is a question mark over the car but they have attracted good quality drivers who must know a bit more about it than us ..i think they will do OK..may not be right up the front but may throw in a surprise.


car looks nice as well

[clk-lm]

does 585 BHP sound a lttle down on power. i thought most lmp's ran in excess of 600+ BHP. have i been under the wrong impression.

[jimclark]

...but weren't the 333SPs constructed by Dallara?

[Marshal]

Yep, sure was.

[jimclark]

...some remain. Yaahoooooo!!!!! Thanks.

[meatballeyes]

Originally posted by clk-lm
does 585 BHP sound a lttle down on power. i thought most lmp's ran in excess of 600+ BHP. have i been under the wrong impression.

no, you have not. many engines that are at the current maximum lmp class displacement (6.0litres) are "officially" reported as making less than 600hp. the departed bmw v12 lmr ran a 6.0litre mill, and was also listed in the "high fives" as well.

air restrictors are a funny thing. large displacement engines get smacked with smaller diameter restrictors, and end up with less high rpm hp, but lots of low rpm torque.

smaller displacement atmo engines (4.0litre judd v10, new 4.0litre panoz v8) get larger diameter restrictors and make more high rpm hp (620-ish?). the trade off is that smaller displacement engines cant make the low rpm torque. thats why the judds have to rev to 11000 rpm - all of their power is up there.

turbocharged engine displacement is currently limited to 4.0litres. if designed correctly they can have the best of both worlds - low rpm torque and high rpm hp (think: audi 3.6litre twin turbo). the problem with turbo engines is that they get smacked with very small diameter restrictors. doesnt seem to slow down the audis though.

hope this helps!

[marcus]

Chrysler have been out testing their car with a Judd V10 instead of mopar power..apparently that is being modified to become a stressed component of the Chassis (tech talk i think )

Also Karl Wendlinger has sigened up to drive for the team and that would make this a very strong combination on the drivers side of things with Wendlinger,Dalmas and beretta all being fast and experienced.

lets hope they do well and get the Mopar engine up and running soon.

[seymourgoode]

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