The Caparo T1 engine is a 3.5-liter, naturally-aspirated, V-8 racing engine, designed, developed, and made by Menard, and used in the Caparo T1 sports car, between 2006 and 2015. The engine itself is derived from the Nissan/Infiniti IndyCar engine, only slightly detuned.[4][5][6]
| Caparo T1 engine | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Menard Nissan |
| Production | 2006–2015 |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | 90° V8 |
| Displacement | 3.5 L (214 cu in) |
| Valvetrain | 32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder |
| Combustion | |
| Turbocharger | Naturally-aspirated |
| Fuel system | Direct fuel injection |
| Management | Pectel SQ6 ECU[1][2][3] |
| Fuel type | Gasoline / Methanol |
| Oil system | Dry sump |
| Output | |
| Power output | 575–700 hp (429–522 kW) |
| Torque output | 310–350 lb⋅ft (420–475 N⋅m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Dry weight | 256 lb (116 kg) |
The T1 sports a 116-kilogram (256 lb),[7] 32-valve, 3,496-cubic-centimetre (3.5 L), all-aluminium, naturally-aspirated, Menard V-8, with cylinder banks mounted at 90°, and lubricated via a dry-sump oil system.[8] The engine has gone through several designs, previously including a smaller 2.4-litre supercharged unit. The production design generates a maximum power of 575 horsepower (429 kW; 583 PS) at 10,500 revolutions per minute and a maximum torque of 310 pound-feet (420 N⋅m) at 9,000 revolutions per minute,[9] giving the car a power-to-weight ratio of 1,223 horsepower per tonne (912.8 kW/t). In addition, the engine has been reported to successfully reach 700 horsepower (522 kW; 710 PS) on methanol fuel.[10] The engine is controlled via a fully tunable Pectel SQ6 engine control unit and the throttle is controlled via a throttle-by-wire system.[7][11][12][13][14]