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Cosworth DFV
Cosworth DFV
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Cosworth DFV
Overview
ManufacturerUnited Kingdom Ford-Cosworth
DesignerKeith Duckworth
Mike Costin
Production1967–1983
Layout
ConfigurationV8, naturally-aspirated, 90° cylinder angle
Displacement2,987.1 cc (182.28 cu in)
Cylinder bore85.6742 mm (3.37 in)
Piston stroke64.77 mm (2.55 in)
Cylinder block materialAluminium alloy
Cylinder head materialAluminium alloy
Valvetrain32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder
Combustion
Fuel systemMechanical indirect fuel injection
Fuel typeGasoline
Oil systemDry sump
Output
Power output400–530 hp (298–395 kW)
Torque output221–280 lb⋅ft (300–380 N⋅m)
Dimensions
Dry weight168 kg (370.4 lb)
Chronology
SuccessorFord-Cosworth HB

The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. The name is an abbreviation of Double Four Valve, the engine being a V8 development of the earlier four-cylinder FVA, which had four valves per cylinder.[1]

Its development in 1967 for Colin Chapman's Team Lotus was sponsored and funded by major American automotive manufacturer Ford. For many years it was the dominant engine in Formula One, with the whole engine program funded by Ford's European division, Ford Europe and engines badged as "Ford" for Formula One championship races. DFVs were widely available from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s and were used by every specialist team in F1 during this period with the exception of Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Renault, BRM and Matra, who all designed, produced and ran their own engines. Variants of this engine were also used in other categories of racing, including CART, Formula 3000 and sports car racing.

The engine is a 90°, 2,993 cc V8 with a bore and stroke of 85.67 × 64.90 mm (3.373 × 2.555 in). It reliably produced over 400 bhp, specifically reaching 408 bhp at 9,000 rpm, and 270 ft⋅lbf (370 N⋅m) of torque at 7,000 rpm. By the end of its Formula 1 career, it achieved over 500 bhp, with a peak of 510 bhp at 11,200 rpm.

The 1983 DFY variant had an updated bore and stroke of 90.00 × 58.83 mm (3.543 × 2.316 in), maintaining a displacement of 2,993 cc. It produced 520–530 bhp at 11,000 rpm and 280 ft⋅lbf (380 N⋅m) of torque at 8,500 rpm.

Background

[edit]

In 1965, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, that administered Formula One racing, agreed to raise the series' maximum engine capacity from 1.5 litres (92 cu in) to 3.0 litres (183 cu in) from 1966. Up until that point, Colin Chapman's successful Team Lotus cars had relied on power from fast revving Coventry Climax engines, but with the change in regulations Coventry Climax decided for business reasons not to develop a large capacity engine.

Chapman approached Keith Duckworth, previously a gearbox engineer at Lotus but now running his fledgling Cosworth company with Mike Costin, who commented that he could produce a competitive three-litre engine, given a development budget of £100,000.[2]

Chapman approached the Ford Motor Company and David Brown of Aston Martin for funding, each without initial success. Chapman then approached Ford of Britain's public relations chief, former journalist Walter Hayes, with whom he had developed a close working relationship from the early 1960s. Since Hayes had joined Ford in 1962 the pair had previously collaborated in the production of the successful Lotus Cortina, introduced in 1963.[2] Hayes arranged dinner for Chapman with Ford employee Harley Copp, a British-based American engineer who had backed and engineered Ford's successful entry into NASCAR in the 1950s.[2] Hayes and Copp developed a business plan, which was backed by Ford UK's new chairman Stanley Gillen, and approved by Ford's Detroit head office as a two-part plan:

  • Stage one would produce a four-cylinder FVA twin-cam engine for Formula Two
  • Stage two would produce a V8 engine for Formula One, by May 1967

Formula One

[edit]

The project was revealed by Hayes in a PR launch in Detroit at the end of 1965, but the engine was not ready until the third race of the 1967 season, on the 4 June at Zandvoort. Its debut proved successful. Graham Hill, who was in the team at the specific request of Ford and Hayes,[2] put his DFV-powered Lotus 49 on pole position by half a second and led for the first 10 laps but was then sidelined by a broken gear in the camshaft drive. Team-mate Jim Clark moved up through the field in his identical car and came home to win. However, this dominant performance belied a serious fault in the timing gear.[3] Clark took three more wins that season, but reliability problems left him third in the Drivers' Championship, 10 points behind champion Denny Hulme. The progress of the engine was documented in a film produced by the Ford Motor Company's film section, entitled 9 Days in Summer.

Initially, the agreement between Ford, Cosworth and Lotus was binding on all parties, and Ford as the funder had no plans to sell or hire the DFV to any other teams. However, it occurred to Hayes that there was no competition: the Ferrari engine was initially underpowered; the BRM complex and too heavy; the Maserati unreliable; the Honda overweight; while Dan Gurney's Weslake motor was powerful but unreliable.[4] Only Brabham's Repco V8 engine provided a usable combination of power, lightness and reliability, but its age and design left little room for further improvement. Hayes concluded that Ford's name could become tarnished if the Lotus were to continue winning against only lesser opposition, and that they should agree to use the unit in other teams, and hence potentially dominate Formula One.

At the end of 1967, Copp and Hayes gently explained to Chapman that he would no longer have monopoly use of the DFV and in August 1967 it was announced that the power unit would be available for sale, via Cosworth Engineering, to racing teams throughout the world.[5] Hayes released the DFV initially to British team Matra International, headed by Ken Tyrrell with Jackie Stewart as a driver. What followed was a golden age, where teams big or small could buy an engine which was competitive, light, compact, easy to work with and relatively cheap (£7,500 at 1967 prices[6] or about £90,000 in 2005 money[7]). The DFV effectively replaced the Coventry Climax as the standard F1 powerplant for the private (mostly British) teams.

The classic DFV engine – Hewland gearbox combination, mounted in the rear of a 1978 Tyrrell 008

Lotus, McLaren, Matra, Brabham, March, Surtees, Tyrrell, Hesketh, Lola, Williams, Penske, Wolf and Ligier are just some of the teams to have used the DFV. In 1969 and 1973 every World Championship race was won by DFV-powered cars, with the engine taking a total of 155 wins from 262 races between 1967 and 1985.

The DFV-powered cars won also the Constructor championship, fighting with the Ferrari who won from 1975 to 1977 and in 1979.

The advent of ground effect aerodynamics on the F1 scene in 1977 provided a new lease of life for the now decade-old engine. The principle relied on Venturi tunnels on the underside of the car to create low pressure regions and thus additional downforce. Previously, teams running Ferrari and Alfa-Romeo flat-12 engines had enjoyed a handling advantage due to the low centre of gravity in such a configuration. However, for ground effect, the wide engine was completely the opposite of what was required as the cylinder heads protruded into the area where the Venturi tunnels should have been.

In contrast, the V-configuration of the Cosworth engine angled the cylinders upwards and left ample space under the car for the necessary under-body profile[8] which massively increased downforce and gave more efficient aero balance, thus increasing cornering potential and straight line speed. Ground effect British cars and DFV engines effectively killed off the V12/flat 12 engines of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo which many pundits had believed in the mid-1970s would dominate F1 well into the mid-1980s. Drivers Mario Andretti in 1978, Alan Jones in 1980, Nelson Piquet in 1981 and Keke Rosberg in 1982 used a combination of British ground effect chassis and a DFV engine to claim the Drivers' Championship while DFV-powered cars took the Formula 1 Constructors' World Championship in 1978, 1980 and 1981.

The onset of the turbo era in the early 1980s put an end to the DFV's F1 activities, as even with modifications the 15-year-old engine could not hope to compete with the vast power being put out by the new 1.5-litre turbocharged engines. However, in the early days of turbo F1 cars (1979–1982) the Renault, Ferrari and Toleman were unable to offer consistent opposition to the Cosworth DFV British teams. The early turbo Renault, though powerful (particularly so on high altitude tracks such as Interlagos, Kyalami, Jarama, Dijon-Prenois and the Österreichring) were much heavier, cumbersome, complicated and significantly, much more unreliable than the British Cosworth DFV teams.

The extra power and torque of a turbo engine put much more strain on the gearbox, driveshafts and brakes on the Renaults and Ferraris, and during the early 1980s the sight of a Renault or Ferrari wilting under the strain of its extra power was a common sight. The turbo engine was also hampered by "throttle lag", a delay in throttle response which made the turbo cars very slow on tight, twisty circuits such as Monaco, Long Beach, Zolder, Montreal, Brands Hatch and Detroit, whereas the normally-aspirated Cosworth DFV enjoyed pin-sharp response and accuracy. Also, the light and agile British cars exploited ground-effect technology so well that even on fast tracks such as Buenos Aires, Silverstone, Hockenheim the DFV engine was able to win. For a few years, between 1977 when Renault debuted the powerful but unreliable turbo engine and 1982 when the DFV-powered teams began to negotiate deals for turbo engines of their own, a competitive equilibrium was established.[9] Michele Alboreto took the DFV's last F1 win in a Tyrrell at the Detroit Grand Prix in 1983, and Martin Brundle was the last person to race in F1 with a DFV, also in a Tyrrell at the Austrian Grand Prix in 1985.

Some Cosworth-using constructors developed their engines in house during a Grand Prix season, such as John Nicholson's Nicholson McLaren operation or Williams F1 using John Judd's workshops to uprate the standard 480 BHP that the DFV was producing in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Uprated pistons, camshafts and valves meant Williams and McLaren's DFVs were producing over 510 BHP at around 11,000 RPM by the early 1980s, which meant the power deficit to the turbocharged Renaults and Ferraris was only around 30–40 BHP in race trim. Since a DFV only needed a 190-litre fuel tank, compared to the 220+ litre sized fuel tank required by a turbo engine, it meant the power to weight ratio of a McLaren MP4 or Williams FW07/08 with their specialist DFV engines were comparable to their turbocharged opponents, albeit with better fuel consumption and much less strain on the rear tyres, gearboxes and rear axle, meaning softer compounds could be used and last longer by both Williams and McLaren, which gave a significant benefit to both grip and tyre durability.

As of mid-1982, 375 engines had been built. The cost of a complete engine at that time, purchased directly from Cosworth, was £27,296, approximately equivalent to £122,000 in 2023.[10]

Other formulae

[edit]

Sportscar racing

[edit]

The DFV was used in sportscar racing with some modest success. The design of the crankshaft caused vibrations that resulted in reliability problems in endurance racing. In 1968, new rules for the Sports Prototype class limited engine displacement to 3 litres and Ford (UK) sponsored the DFV-powered Ford P68 as their entry under the new rules. However, this car, and its derived sister the P69, failed to finish a single race during the two seasons that they competed. In 1971 a DFV-powered Ligier JS3 was able to finish first and second in two short-distance events, the best DFV-powered Sports Prototype showings to date, but was only able to achieve a non-classified finish at Le Mans after mechanical troubles. The next years would show that even that unsatisfactory result was beating the odds. The DFV came into wider use in 1972, when all purpose-built racers fell under the 3-litre engine limit. Eric Broadley's Lola, having previously focused on the 2-litre smaller class, designed their T280 model fitted with a Cosworth engine, which was very fast though it often failed to finish. Thirteen starts of DFV-powered vehicles at the Le Mans 24 Hours during 1972–74 yielded three finishes, two of which failed to complete 300 laps. The best result for DFV-powered vehicles at Le Mans was in 1975, when fuel consumption rules had the field using low power tuning and slower engine speeds, which slowed the race pace and mitigated the DFV's vibration problem. The top three finishers were powered by DFVs, with the Gulf-sponsored Mirage driven by Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell finishing first.

1976 saw a slightly faster pace for the Mirage and the DFV-powered De Cadenet Lola, but they were eclipsed by the new turbocharged Porsche 936, driven by Ickx and Gijs van Lennep, in first place. After two years with DFV-powered vehicles failing to run competitive distances, a DFV-powered Rondeau was the surprise winner in the 1980 race. Jean Rondeau and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud nursed a two lap lead over the Jacky Ickx / Reinhold Joest Porsche 908/80 charging back from earlier mechanical setbacks. Another Rondeau occupied the third spot, nine laps behind the winner. In 1981 Rondeau slightly improved on the pace of the previous year but, as in 1976, DFV-powered vehicles were again outclassed by a Porsche 936, driven this time by the old Mirage winning team of Ickx and Bell. The 1981 distance result, 340 laps, was the best ever achieved with the DFV. The DFV faded from relevance over 1982–1984, showing just two finishes of over 300 laps from fourteen starts at Le Mans.

Australian race driver Bap Romano used an ex-F1 Cosworth DFV engine (formerly used by McLaren) in his Australian designed and built Kaditcha Group A Sports Car through 1983 and 1984 in the Australian Sports Car Championships. After finishing 6th in the 1983 ASCC, winning the final round of the series, he would go on to dominate the 1984 championship. The renamed Romano WE84 won four of the five rounds and in all bar heat two of the opening round when the car was a non-starter due to an accident in the first heat, scored fastest lap while also sitting on pole for every round. The DFV in the Romano was later replaced in late 1984 by the Cosworth DFL engine.

Use of post-DFV variants

[edit]

1982 saw the introduction of 3.3 and 3.9 litre DFLs, endurance racing versions of the DFV, in the World Endurance Championship. That year, the 3.3 litre variant powered the new Rondeau M382 to three podium finishes with a win in the 1000 km Monza event and a strong second place standing behind Porsche in season points. The DFLs proved insufficiently reliable for C1 class racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, achieving only three finishes in 34 starts during 1982–1984, with none achieving 300 laps. After 1982 the DFLs were never reliable or competitive in the C1 class and finished consistently behind C2 cars at Le Mans. The 3.9 litre version was completely rejected by 1985. The last start for a DFL in the C1 class at Le Mans was in 1988. 1984 saw success for the 3.3 litre version in the fuel-restricted C2 class, where low power tuning mitigated its reliability issues, with two class wins on the World Championship circuit. The 3.3 litre DFL became the most used engine of the C2 class, achieving four class championships, five class wins at Le Mans between 1985 and 1990 and the best distance of any Cosworth engine at Le Mans, at 351 laps, in 1988. Reliability of the C2 class was still considered unsatisfactory, however, and as the 1980s ended, the issue led the FIA to seek a new formula to replace the C2 class. 1989 saw the introduction of the 3.5 litre DFZ variant as a C1 class engine. It had the honor of being the first Cosworth engine to finish ahead of the C2 winner at Le Mans, but it was an inconsistent finisher and not competitive within the C1 class. It proved a consistent finisher and winner in the FIA Cup class, the low powered replacement of the C2 class, in 1992. The 3.5 litre DFR variant yielded more consistent results as a C1 engine for the Spice team in 1990 and the Euro Racing team in 1991, with two third-place finishes for the former, but they were never able to challenge the Peugeots, Jaguars and Sauber Mercedes for the top spot.

Formula 3000

[edit]

The DFV was also the engine for which the Formula 3000 series was created in 1985, and thus it won every race that year. The DFV and its variants continued racing in F3000 for a decade, Pedro Lamy taking the last win for a DFV in top-class motorsport, at Pau in 1993, its 65th F3000 win in 123 races.

Variants

[edit]

DFW

[edit]

The first variant produced from the DFV was a reduced-capacity unit for the Australia and New Zealand-based Tasman Series races of 1968–69. The changes between the DFV and DFW specification were limited to a reduced stroke, taking capacity to 2491 cc and reducing power output from the DFV's 420 bhp (313 kW; 426 PS) in 1967 to ~360 bhp (268 kW; 365 PS) (after winning the Surfers Paradise round of the 1968 Tasman Series, Jim Clark told that other than lacking the top end power of the DFV, there really wasn't a big difference in performance between the DFV and DFW).[11][12] In Tasman Series racing, other 2.5L engines that the DFW was generally up against were the Australian made Repco V8, the Alfa Romeo V8 (as seen in Alfa's T33/2 endurance racing sports car), a 2.5L version of the BRM V8 engine, the 2.4L Ferrari V6, and the older 2.5L Coventry Climax FPF, the Australian versions of which were actually made under licence by Repco. On tighter tracks such as Wigram (NZ) and Warwick Farm (AUS), there was also the smaller capacity (1.6 L (1,598 cc)) Cosworth FVA to contend with.

The DFW is was the smallest capacity variant of the DFV that was officially produced by Cosworth. The engine was a direct replacement for its DFV parent in Lotus 49s. The small engine proved just as competitive as the larger version; and Jim Clark took four race victories in 1968, though Clark also noted after the Surfers round on a track that suited higher powered cars, the lower power of the DFW was not quite suited to the full size Lotus 49T built for Formula One (highlighting the lack of top end punch along with the heavier F1 car, for the first half of the Surfers race Clark was in a dogfight for the lead with the smaller, more nimble Formula 2 chassis Ferrari of Chris Amon and its 285 bhp (213 kW; 289 PS) V6 engine, a scenario they would repeat when Clark beat Amon by just 0.1 seconds to win the 1968 Australian Grand Prix at another noted power circuit, Sandown in Melbourne). The DFW also saw one win for Piers Courage driving a Brabham BT24 for Frank Williams Racing, and two victories for Jochen Rindt in the 1969 Tasman Series (Rindt had replaced Clark at Lotus after the Scotsman's tragic death in a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim just over a month after winning the Tasman in 1968). Derek Bell drove a DFW version of the Brabham BT26 to second place in the 1970 New Zealand Grand Prix, and for the 1971 Tasman Series previous champion Chris Amon drove a DFW-powered version of his current Formula One chassis, the March 701, to another podium finish, but in both years the Formula One-derived engine was largely outmatched by Formula 5000 entrants with their 5.0L Repco-Holden and Chevrolet V8's producing some 480–500 bhp (358–373 kW; 487–507 PS) in 1971.

After the demise of the 2.5L component of the Tasman Formula following the 1971 season, the four DFW engines were converted back to DFV specification.

Formula One

[edit]

The DFV had three major upgrades over its life in the top formula, with the development of first the DFY and then the DFZ, followed by a major redesign to produce the final DFR type.

DFY

[edit]
Cosworth DFY[13]
Overview
ManufacturerUnited Kingdom Ford-Cosworth
Production1983–1985
Layout
ConfigurationV8, naturally-aspirated, 90° cylinder angle
Displacement3.0 L (2,992.6 cc)
Cylinder bore90 mm (3.5 in)
Piston stroke58.8 mm (2.3 in)
Cylinder block materialAluminium alloy
Cylinder head materialAluminium alloy
Valvetrain32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder
Combustion
Fuel systemElectronic and mechanical indirect fuel injection
Fuel typeGasoline
Oil systemDry sump
Output
Power output510–530 hp (380–395 kW)
Torque output280 lb⋅ft (380 N⋅m)
Dimensions
Dry weight150 kg (331 lb)

With the introduction of turbocharged engines towards the end of the 1970s, Cosworth's naturally aspirated DFV began to lose its predominance. In an attempt to recover some of the performance deficit Cosworth designer Mario Illien reconfigured the cylinder aspect ratio to allow the engine to rev more freely, and combined this with a narrow-angle valve set-up and Nikasil Aluminium liners. The changes upped power output to ~520 bhp,[11] and between 11000-12000 RPM but this was not sufficient to keep pace with the turbo cars at most tracks, and it was only through a modicum of luck that Michele Alboreto was able to take what would prove to be the DFV-family's final F1 victory, at the 1983 Detroit Grand Prix. The DFY lived on with back-marker teams until the end of the 1985 season, when Cosworth switched their efforts to supporting the new turbocharged Ford GBA V6.

DFZ

[edit]
Cosworth DFZ[13]
Overview
ManufacturerUnited Kingdom Ford-Cosworth
Production1987–1988
Layout
ConfigurationV8, naturally-aspirated, 90° cylinder angle
Displacement3.5 L (3,494 cc)
Cylinder bore90 mm (3.5 in)
Piston stroke68.65 mm (2.7 in)
Cylinder block materialAluminium alloy
Cylinder head materialAluminium alloy
Valvetrain32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder
Combustion
Fuel systemElectronic and mechanical indirect fuel injection
Fuel typeGasoline
Oil systemDry sump
Output
Power output575–590 hp (429–440 kW)
Torque output320 lb⋅ft (434 N⋅m)[14]
Dimensions
Dry weight155 kg (342 lb)

The announcement at end of the 1986 season that turbocharged cars would be banned from 1989, and the introduction of the Jim Clark Cup and Colin Chapman Trophy championships for naturally aspirated cars for 1987, prompted Cosworth to revive their elderly engine design. This resulted in the DFZ, essentially an updated version of the final DFY design. However, the capacity increase for the new 3.5L naturally aspirated formula running alongside the 1.5L turbos in 1987 allowed Cosworth to increase the power output of the unit to 575 bhp (429 kW; 583 PS).[11] The engine was intended as a temporary measure to tide smaller teams over until the turbos were banned at the end of the 1988 season. Tyrrell, AGS, March, Lola and Coloni chassis were all powered by Cosworth in 1987. Jonathan Palmer of Tyrrell eventually won the drivers' Jim Clark Cup, and his team took the constructors' laurels in the Colin Chapman Trophy. The engine remained in service with minor teams until the end of 1988 and development saw a slight power increase to 590 bhp (440 kW; 598 PS). The DFZ did not race in Formula One beyond 1988 as the general release of the DFR engine made it obsolete.

The engine did however have a second brief lease of life in sportscar racing, when the FIA announced plans to transition towards using 3.5 L F1-style engines in Group C in the early 1990s. In 1990 Spice Engineering adapted its existing Group C design to take a 3.5L DFZ instead of the previously used 3.3 L DFL engine. However the new engine caused significant problems due to vibration, which resulted in the breakage of components and a significant increase in running costs - Gordon Spice estimated that the DFZ-powered car was about four times more expensive to run than the DFL-engined one.[15] The DFZ was successfully used in FIA Cup class racing in 1992, with that low-powered class being the last appearance of the DFV family in sportscar racing.

DFR

[edit]
Cosworth DFR[13]
Overview
ManufacturerUnited Kingdom Ford-Cosworth
Production1988–1993
Layout
ConfigurationV8, naturally-aspirated, 90° cylinder angle
Displacement3.5 L (3,494 cc)
Cylinder bore90 mm (3.5 in)
Piston stroke68.65 mm (2.7 in)
Cylinder block materialAluminium alloy
Cylinder head materialAluminium alloy
Valvetrain32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder
Combustion
Fuel systemElectronic indirect fuel injection
Fuel typeGasoline
Oil systemDry sump
Output
Power output580–630 hp (433–470 kW)
Torque output320–400 lb⋅ft (434–542 N⋅m)[14]
Dimensions
Dry weight155 kg (342 lb)
Chronology
PredecessorCosworth GBA
SuccessorFord-Cosworth HB

From 1987 Benetton had been operating as the works Ford team, essentially taking over the role from the now defunct Haas Lola team. With the abandonment of turbocharging it was clear that the venerable DFV/Y/Z design was nowhere near being competitive with far newer offerings from Honda and Renault who were building V10 engines for 1989 and beyond, and Ferrari who were building what they knew, a V12 (Lamborghini entered F1 in 1989 and like Ferrari, also went down the V12 path). To counter this, drastic changes were made for the DFR of 1988. Although superficially a DFV-design, almost the only feature carried over from previous versions into the DFR was the basic 90° V8 engine architecture. The DFR became available to all customers in 1989, with the Benetton team also using this engine until the 1989 British Grand Prix. The DFR struggled on until the 1991 season finally being eclipsed by the higher revving abilities of new pneumatic valve gear engines such as the HB, and was last used in that year's Australian Grand Prix by the Footwork, Fondmetal, Larrousse and Coloni teams, nearly a quarter of a century after the DFV's first race. By the time of its demise, continued improvement had pushed the DFR power output to nearly 630 bhp (470 kW; 639 PS),[11] 60% higher than the original 1967 DFV.

The DFR enjoyed success in 1988 with Benetton. The team was the best performed non-turbo team of the season finishing third in the Constructors' Championship behind Ferrari (turbo) and the all-conquering McLaren-Honda. Thierry Boutsen recorded five podium finishes and Alessandro Nannini scored two podiums. The DFR was also the most powerful non-turbo of the season with a reported 620 bhp (462 kW; 629 PS). This compared to the 590 of the DFZ and the new Judd V8 with a reported 600 bhp (447 kW; 608 PS). This still lagged behind the Honda and Ferrari turbos which were producing over 650 bhp (485 kW; 659 PS) each.

The 3.5 L DFR engine was later used in the Allard J2X-C Group C sports car, in 1992.[16][17][18][19][20]

North American series

[edit]
Cosworth DFX
Cosworth DFS

DFX

[edit]
Cosworth DFX[21][22]
Overview
ManufacturerUnited Kingdom Ford-Cosworth
Production1976–1987
Layout
Configuration90° V8
Displacement2.6 L (2,643 cc)
Cylinder bore85.67 mm (3.373 in)
Piston stroke57.3 mm (2 in)
Valvetrain32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder
Compression ratio11.2:1
Combustion
TurbochargerCosworth
Fuel systemElectronic fuel injection
Fuel typeGasoline
Oil systemDry sump
Output
Power output720–840 hp (537–626 kW)
Torque output340–490 lb⋅ft (461–664 N⋅m)[14]

A 2.65 L turbocharged version of the DFV was developed privately by the Vels Parnelli Jones team for the 1976 USAC IndyCar season, in the face of opposition from Duckworth.[23] The Parnelli-Cosworth car took its first victory at the 1976 Pocono 500, the fifth race of the season, driven by Al Unser.[23] Unser and his Cosworth-powered Parnelli took two further victories before the end of the year, in Wisconsin and Phoenix, and finished the championship in fourth position.

Duckworth had been a guest of the Vels Parnelli team during the Pocono victory, as Parnelli Jones and Vel Miletich wanted to establish the team as the North American distributor for the turbocharged, Indycar-specification engine.[23] However, shortly after the maiden race victory Cosworth poached two key engineers from the Parnelli team and set up facilities in Torrance, California, to develop and market the engine themselves.[23] Henceforth it became known as the DFX. It went on to dominate American Indy car racing in much the same way the DFV had dominated Formula One. The engine won the Indianapolis 500 ten consecutive years from 1978 until 1987, as well as winning all USAC and CART championships between 1977 and 1987 except for one. For a brief time in the early 1980s, some of the DFX engines were badged as Fords. The DFX powered 81 consecutive Indy car victories from 1981 to 1986, and 153 victories total. By the time it was replaced, the DFX was developing over 840 bhp (630 kW).[11]

DFS

[edit]

In 1986 GM financed the British Ilmor firm to build a competitor to the DFX in American Indy car racing. Mario Illien's Ilmor-Chevrolet Indy V-8, which owed not a little to the DFY of five years earlier, quickly took over dominance of the sport.

Ford responded by commissioning Cosworth to redesign the DFX to include a number of DFR improvements. In 1989, they introduced an updated "short stroke" version of the Indy car engine which would be referred to as the "DFS" ("S" for short stroke).,[24] and the Nikasil Aluminium liners, adopted on DFY in 1983.

The engine was fielded by two teams in its first season: Kraco Racing (Bobby Rahal) and Dick Simon Racing (Arie Luyendyk), and its development was an effort to regain dominance of the sport. At Indy, neither car qualified in the front two rows, but both started in the top ten. On race day, both drivers dropped out with engine failures. Rahal won one race in 1989 at the Meadowlands. However, the Kraco team merged with Galles at season's end, dropped the program, and switched to Chevrolets.

In 1990, the factory development was continued by Scott Brayton and Dominic Dobson,[25] but neither won any races. The engine was utilized by other CART teams in 1991–1992, and was retired after the introduction of the Ford Cosworth XB with only one victory, that being Rahal's in 1989.

DFL

[edit]
Cosworth DFL[26][27][28]
Overview
ManufacturerUnited Kingdom Ford-Cosworth
Production1981–1984
Layout
ConfigurationV8, naturally-aspirated, 90° cylinder angle
Displacement4.0 L (3,954.4 cc)
3.3 L (3,298 cc)
Cylinder bore90 mm (3.5 in)
Piston stroke77.7 mm (3.1 in)
64.8 mm (2.6 in)
Cylinder block materialAluminium alloy
Cylinder head materialAluminium alloy
Valvetrain32-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder
Compression ratio12.0:1-12.5:1
Combustion
Fuel systemElectronic indirect fuel injection
Fuel typeGasoline
Oil systemDry sump
Output
Power output490–700 hp (365–522 kW)
Torque output340–510 lb⋅ft (461–691 N⋅m)[14]

In 1981 a variant of the DFV named the DFL (for long-distance) was produced specifically for use in the new Group C sports car racing class. The engine was modified to larger capacity 3,298 cc (201.3 cu in) and 3,955 cc (241.3 cu in) versions (despite technically being 4.0 Litres, the 3955 cc version was always referred to as a 3.9 Litre), both with wider bore and longer stroke dimensions than the standard DFV. Both versions were plagued by reliability issues worse than with the DFV they were supposed to replace. The 3.3 L version powered Rondeau to the second points standing in the World Sportscar Championship season of 1982, but it was insufficiently reliable to be competitive in the longer events. Thereafter, the 3.3 L DFL in the C1 class was unsuccessful, with those who managed to actually finish invariably ending up behind C2 cars. The new fuel-restricted C Junior (C2) class in 1983 opened a niche for successful use of the 3.3 L version, where low power tuning brought its reliability to a level where it could succeed. In the C2 category it powered many privateer cars, mostly Spices and Tigas, to class victories around the world, including five at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1985 and 1990. The 3.9 L version never achieved the same success as its smaller sibling, with most users finding incurable engine vibrations and it was out of competition use by 1985. It was used to power the famous Ford Supervan and Supervan 2 promotional projects, as well as the Australian designed and built Romano WE84 in the Australian Sports Car Championship, which ran the 3.0 L DFV in the championship before upgrading to the 3.9 L DFL for the 1984 World Endurance Championship round at the Sandown Raceway in Melbourne, where it finished 100 laps behind the class winner.

In August 1982, a turbocharged version of this engine was tested briefly on the Brands Hatch Circuit mounted on a Ford C100.[29][30][31]

P86 750cc motorcycle engine

[edit]

In 1973 Norton approached Cosworth to help build a new engine that could be used for both street and racing motorcycles. The idea was to create a 750-cc parallel-twin version of the DFV, with liquid-cooling, 4-valve head, dual overhead cams and flat combustion chambers.[32] Expected power was to be 65–75 hp for road bikes, and at least 100 hp for the racing bikes.[32]

The P86 had a bore of 85.6 mm and a stroke of 64.8 mm, giving a capacity of 746 cc.[32] A timing belt was used to drive the cams, rather than the gear train used on the DFV.[32] The P86 shared the same combustion chamber, head designs, pistons and rods from the DFV.[32]

Norton specified that the P86 must run through a single carburettor source, which led to a 360° firing interval, with both pistons rising and falling as a pair.[32] As this led to increased vibration, a dual counterbalancing system was developed, in conjunction with a heavy flywheel.[32] In an engine weighing 195 lb, 75 lb of that was a rotating mass inside, which was a lot of inertia to be driven.[32]

The P86 had downdraught ports like the DFV, but used two Amal carburettors, rather than the fuel injection of the DFV. The carburettors and angle in relation hampered fuel delivery and power output.[32]

Dyno testing showed that the P86 developed 90 hp, down on the projected 100 hp, while the massive amount of rotating weight inside the engine (counter balancers and flywheel) hindered throttle response.[32] The overall weight of the engine meant that it was never going to be as light as equivalent engines from Japanese manufacturers. The belt driven timing system was inaccurate, while the belts themselves were fragile and prone to breaking.[32]

The P86 was fitted in a Norton 'frameless' chassis that made its racing debut in 1975, but results were poor, due to the lack of power. When Norton Villiers Triumph was split up in 1976, an offshoot company called NVT Engineering disbanded the testing and racing departments, and the existing bikes and spare engines (30 in total) were sold off.[32]

The P86 made a brief comeback 10 years later at the 1986 Battle of the Twins, held at the Daytona International Speedway. The Quantel entry featured one of the surviving P86 engines – reworked, fitted with fuel injection and bored out to 823 cc.[32] Ridden by Paul Lewis, the Quantel finished 2nd, and would win the event in 1988 ridden by Roger Marshall.[32][33]

Major successes

[edit]

DFV normally aspirated 3.0-litre 90° V8

Formula One Drivers' Champions (12):

Formula One Constructors' Champions (10):

  • 1968 Lotus
  • 1969 Matra
  • 1970 Lotus
  • 1971 Tyrrell
  • 1972 Lotus
  • 1973 Lotus
  • 1974 McLaren
  • 1978 Lotus
  • 1980 Williams
  • 1981 Williams

Le Mans 24 Hours winners (2):

Formula 3000 Champions (6):


DFX turbocharged 2.65-litre 90° V8

Indy 500 winners (10):

USAC Champions (3):

CART Champions (9):

Partial Formula One Championship results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Formula One Championship results
Year Entrant Chassis Engine Tyre Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points WCC
1967 Team Lotus Lotus 49 Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F RSA MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA USA MEX 44 2nd
United Kingdom Jim Clark 1 6 Ret 1 Ret Ret 3 1 1
United Kingdom Graham Hill Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret 2 Ret
Canada Eppie Wietzes DSQ
Italy Giancarlo Baghetti Ret
Mexico Moisés Solana Ret Ret
1968 Team Lotus Lotus 49 Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX 62 1st
United Kingdom Jim Clark 1
United Kingdom Graham Hill 2
Gold Leaf Team Lotus Lotus 49
Lotus 49B
1 1 Ret 9 Ret Ret 2 Ret 4 2 1
United Kingdom Jackie Oliver Ret 5 NC DNS Ret 11 Ret Ret DNS 3
United States Mario Andretti DNS Ret
Canada Bill Brack Ret
Mexico Moisés Solana Ret
Rob Walker Racing Team Switzerland Jo Siffert Ret Ret 7 Ret 11 1 Ret Ret Ret 5 6
Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren M7A G New Zealand Denny Hulme 2 5 Ret Ret 5 4 7 1 1 Ret Ret 49 2nd
New Zealand Bruce McLaren Ret Ret 1 Ret 8 7 13 Ret 2 6 2
Anglo American Racers United States Dan Gurney Ret 4 Ret
Matra International Matra MS9 D United Kingdom Jackie Stewart Ret 45 3rd
Matra MS10 4 1 3 6 1 Ret 6 1 7
France Jean-Pierre Beltoise 5
France Johnny Servoz-Gavin Ret 2 Ret Ret
1969 Matra International Matra MS10
Matra MS80
Matra MS84
Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 D RSA ESP MON NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX 66 1st
United Kingdom Jackie Stewart 1 1 Ret 1 1 1 2 1 Ret Ret 4
France Jean-Pierre Beltoise 6 3 Ret 8 2 9 12 3 4 Ret 5
France Johnny Servoz-Gavin 6 NC 8
Motor Racing Developments Ltd. Brabham BT26A G Australia Jack Brabham Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret 2 4 3 49 (51) 2nd
Belgium Jacky Ickx Ret 6 Ret 5 3 2 1 10 1 Ret 2
Frank Williams Racing Cars D United Kingdom Piers Courage Ret 2 Ret Ret 5 Ret 5 Ret 2 10
Silvio Moser Racing Team Brabham BT24 G Switzerland Silvio Moser Ret Ret 7 Ret Ret 6 11
Gold Leaf Team Lotus Lotus 49B
Lotus 63
F United Kingdom Graham Hill 2 Ret 1 7 6 7 4 9 Ret Ret 47 3rd
Austria Jochen Rindt Ret Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret 2 3 1 Ret
United States Mario Andretti Ret Ret Ret
United Kingdom Richard Attwood 4
United Kingdom John Miles Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret
Rob Walker Racing Team Lotus 49B Switzerland Jo Siffert 4 Ret 3 2 9 8 11 8 Ret Ret Ret
Team Gunston Lotus 49 D Rhodesia John Love Ret
Ecurie Bonnier Lotus 63 F Sweden Jo Bonnier Ret
Lotus 49B Ret
Pete Lovely Volkswagen Inc. United States Pete Lovely 7 Ret 9
Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren M7A
McLaren M7B
McLaren M7C
G New Zealand Denny Hulme 3 4 6 4 8 Ret Ret 7 Ret Ret 1 38 (40) 4th
New Zealand Bruce McLaren 5 2 5 Ret 4 3 3 4 5 DNS DNS
McLaren M9A United Kingdom Derek Bell Ret
Team Lawson McLaren M7A D South Africa Basil van Rooyen Ret
Antique Automobiles McLaren M7B G United Kingdom Vic Elford 10 5 6 Ret
1970 Gold Leaf Team Lotus Lotus 49C
Lotus 72
Lotus 72B
Lotus 72C
Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA MEX 59 1st
Austria Jochen Rindt 13 Ret 1 Ret 1 1 1 1 Ret DNS
United Kingdom John Miles 5 DNQ DNQ Ret 7 8 Ret Ret Ret DNS
Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi 8 4 15 DNS 1 Ret
Sweden Reine Wisell 3 NC
Garvey Team Lotus Spain Alex Soler-Roig DNQ
World Wide Racing DNS DNQ
Rob Walker Racing Team Lotus 49C
Lotus 72C
United Kingdom Graham Hill 6 4
Brooke Bond Oxo Racing – Rob Walker 5 Ret NC 10 6 Ret DNS NC Ret Ret
Team Gunston Lotus 49 D Rhodesia John Love 8
Scuderia Scribante Lotus 49C F South Africa Dave Charlton 12
Pete Lovely Volkswagen Inc. Lotus 49B United States Pete Lovely DNQ DNQ NC DNQ
Tyrrell Racing Organisation March 701 D United Kingdom Jackie Stewart 3 1 Ret Ret 2 9 Ret Ret Ret 2 48 3rd
France Johnny Servoz-Gavin Ret 5 DNQ
France François Cevert Ret 11 7 7 Ret 6 9 Ret Ret
March Engineering F New Zealand Chris Amon Ret Ret Ret 2 Ret 2 5 Ret 8 7 3 5 4
Switzerland Jo Siffert 10 DNQ 8 7 Ret Ret Ret 8 9 Ret Ret 9 Ret
STP Corporation United States Mario Andretti Ret 3 Ret Ret Ret
Antique Automobiles Racing Team G Sweden Ronnie Peterson 7 NC
Colin Crabbe Racing 9 Ret 9 Ret Ret NC 11
Hubert Hahne F West Germany Hubert Hahne DNQ
Motor Racing Developments Ltd. Brabham BT33 G Australia Jack Brabham 1 Ret 2 Ret 11 3 2 Ret 13 Ret Ret 10 Ret 35 4th
Auto Motor und Sport West Germany Rolf Stommelen Ret Ret DNQ 5 DNQ 7 DNS 5 3 5 Ret 12 Ret
Team Gunston Brabham BT26A South Africa Peter de Klerk 11
Tom Wheatcroft Racing United Kingdom Derek Bell Ret
Gus Hutchison United States Gus Hutchison Ret
Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren M14A G New Zealand Denny Hulme 2 Ret 4 4 3 3 Ret 4 Ret 7 3 35 5th
New Zealand Bruce McLaren Ret 2 Ret
United Kingdom Peter Gethin Ret Ret 10 NC 6 14 Ret
United States Dan Gurney Ret 6 Ret
Ecurie Bonnier McLaren M7C Sweden Jo Bonnier DNQ Ret
Team Surtees F United Kingdom John Surtees Ret Ret Ret 6
Surtees TS7 Ret 9 Ret Ret 5 Ret 8 3 8th
United Kingdom Derek Bell 6
Frank Williams Racing Cars De Tomaso 505/38 D United Kingdom Piers Courage Ret DNS NC Ret Ret 0
United Kingdom Brian Redman DNS DNQ
Australia Tim Schenken Ret Ret NC Ret
Tyrrell Racing Organisation Tyrrell 001 D United Kingdom Jackie Stewart Ret Ret Ret 0
Silvio Moser Racing Team Bellasi F1 70 G Switzerland Silvio Moser DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret DNQ 0
1971 Elf Team Tyrrell Tyrrell 001
Tyrrell 002
Tyrrell 003
Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G RSA ESP MON NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA 73 1st
United Kingdom Jackie Stewart 2 1 1 11 1 1 1 Ret Ret 1 5
France François Cevert Ret 7 Ret Ret 2 10 2 Ret 3 6 1
United States Peter Revson Ret
STP March Racing Team March 711 F Sweden Ronnie Peterson 10 Ret 2 4 2 5 8 2 2 3 33 (34) 4th
Spain Alex Soler-Roig Ret Ret DNQ Ret Ret
Italy Nanni Galli DNS 11 Ret 16 Ret
Austria Niki Lauda Ret
United Kingdom Mike Beuttler NC
Clarke-Mordaunt-Guthrie Racing Ret DSQ NC Ret
Frank Williams Racing Cars March 701
March 711
France Henri Pescarolo 11 DNS 8 13 Ret 4 Ret 6 Ret DNS Ret
France Max Jean NC
Team Gunston March 701 G Rhodesia John Love Ret
Gene Mason Racing March 711 F United States Skip Barber DNQ NC Ret NC
Jo Siffert Automobiles March 701 France François Mazet 13
Shell Arnold Team France Jean-Pierre Jarier NC
Gold Leaf Team Lotus Lotus 72C
Lotus 72D
F Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi Ret Ret 5 3 3 Ret 2 7 NC 21 5th
Sweden Reine Wisell 4 NC Ret DSQ 6 8 4 5 Ret
South Africa Dave Charlton Ret
Villiger Cigar Team Herbert Müller Lotus 72 Switzerland Herbert Müller DNA
Pete Lovely Volkswagen Inc. Lotus 69 United States Pete Lovely NC NC
Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren M14A
McLaren M19A
G New Zealand Denny Hulme 6 5 4 12 Ret Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret 10 6th
United Kingdom Peter Gethin Ret 8 Ret NC 9 Ret Ret
United Kingdom Jackie Oliver Ret 9 7
Ecurie Bonnier McLaren M7C Sweden Jo Bonnier Ret DNQ DNS 10 16
Austria Helmut Marko DNS
Penske-White Racing McLaren M19A United States Mark Donohue 3 DNS
United Kingdom David Hobbs 10
Brooke Bond Oxo Team Surtees Surtees TS7
Surtees TS9
F United Kingdom John Surtees Ret 11 7 5 8 6 7 Ret Ret 11 17 8 8th
Auto Motor und Sport Team Surtees West Germany Rolf Stommelen 12 Ret 6 DSQ 11 5 10 7 DNS Ret
Team Surtees United Kingdom Brian Redman 7
United Kingdom Derek Bell Ret
United Kingdom Mike Hailwood 4 15
United States Sam Posey Ret
Netherlands Gijs van Lennep DNS
Stichting Autoraces Nederland Surtees TS7 8
Motor Racing Developments Ltd. Brabham BT33
Brabham BT34
G United Kingdom Graham Hill 9 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret 9 5 Ret Ret 7 5 9th
South Africa Dave Charlton Ret
Australia Tim Schenken 9 10 Ret 12 12 6 3 Ret Ret Ret
Team Gunston Brabham BT26A South Africa Jackie Pretorius Ret
Ecurie Evergreen Brabham BT33 United Kingdom Chris Craft DNQ Ret
Jolly Club of Switzerland Bellasi F1 70 G Switzerland Silvio Moser Ret 0
1972 John Player Team Lotus Lotus 72D Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F ARG RSA ESP MON BEL FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA 61 1st
Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi Ret 2 1 3 1 2 1 Ret 1 1 Ret 11
Australia David Walker DSQ 10 9 14 14 18 Ret Ret Ret Ret
Sweden Reine Wisell Ret 10
Scribante Lucky Strike Racing South Africa Dave Charlton Ret DNQ Ret Ret
Elf Team Tyrrell Tyrrell 002
Tyrrell 003
Tyrrell 004
Tyrrell 005
Tyrrell 006
G United Kingdom Jackie Stewart 1 Ret Ret 4 1 2 11 7 Ret 1 1 51 2nd
France François Cevert Ret 9 Ret NC 2 4 Ret 10 9 Ret Ret 2
France Patrick Depailler NC 7
Yardley Team McLaren McLaren M19A
McLaren M19C
G New Zealand Denny Hulme 2 1 Ret 15 3 7 5 Ret 2 3 3 3 47 (49) 3rd
United States Peter Revson Ret 3 5 7 3 3 4 2 18
United Kingdom Brian Redman 5 9 5
South Africa Jody Scheckter 9

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The Cosworth DFV (Double Four Valve) is a naturally aspirated 3.0-litre V8 developed by the British engineering firm in partnership with specifically for Formula One racing, debuting at the 1967 in a chassis and powering 155 Grand Prix victories over its 16-year production run until 1983. Initiated in late 1965 amid Ford's interest in returning to following their withdrawal from the Coventry-Climax engine program, the DFV's development was led by co-founder and funded by a £100,000 investment from Ford (equivalent to approximately £1.6 million in 2013 terms), with the engine completed in under a year without tools. The design evolved from 's earlier FVA 1.6-litre four-cylinder Formula 2 engine, incorporating a load-bearing aluminum block and heads that allowed direct integration into the for weight savings and . Technically, the DFV displaced 2,993 cc with a 90-degree V-angle, a bore of 85.7 mm, and a of 64.8 mm, featuring double overhead camshafts (DOHC) with four valves per cylinder at a 32-degree included angle, a flat-plane , and dry-sump ; it initially produced 400 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 270 lb-ft of at 7,000 rpm, evolving through continuous refinements to over 500 horsepower at 11,200 rpm by 1983 while maintaining a weight of around 370 pounds. Priced at £7,500 upon launch in 1968 (equivalent to about £113,000 in 2013 terms), the engine's cost decreased by 34% in real terms over its lifespan, making it accessible to customer teams and contributing to its widespread adoption across the grid. In racing, the DFV secured 12 Drivers' Championships for pilots including Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Niki Lauda, along with 10 Constructors' Championships for teams such as Lotus, Tyrrell, and Williams between 1968 and 1982, achieving a 65% win rate in eligible races and powering every from 1968 to 1982. Its debut season yielded four victories and four pole positions, with peak dominance in 1973 when it claimed 15 wins and 14 poles; the engine's final victory came in 1983 at the with Michele Alboreto in a Tyrrell, before turbocharged engines displaced it. Beyond , variants like the turbocharged DFX powered 10 consecutive wins from 1978 to 1987 and 153 victories overall, while the DFV itself contributed to 24 Hours successes, including overall wins in 1975 (Gulf-Mirage) and 1980 (Rondeau). The DFV's legacy endures as one of motorsport's most influential powerplants, enabling the rise of ground-effect aerodynamics in the late and early by providing reliable, high-revving performance that supported innovations; it remains in use for historic racing today with modern enhancements allowing up to 1,500 miles between rebuilds.

Development and Design

Historical Background

was founded in 1958 by engineers and , who had previously collaborated at , with the initial focus on tuning and developing high-performance engines for applications. The company's early projects included modifications to engines for and Formula 2 racing, building expertise in lightweight, high-revving designs that would inform later innovations. By the mid-1960s, was positioned to tackle engine development amid evolving regulations. The introduced a new 3.0-liter formula for the 1966 season, doubling the previous 1.5-liter displacement limit to encourage greater power and manufacturer involvement. In late 1965, commissioned to develop a new for the 3.0-liter formula, providing £100,000 in funding to support the project led by Duckworth, initially building on the firm's four-cylinder FVA design for Formula 2. The DFV—standing for Double Four Valve—emphasized a lightweight aluminum monobloc construction with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder to maximize breathing efficiency and power output while serving as a stressed member for improved rigidity. Development faced challenges, including piston cracking addressed through re-forging processes and oil breather issues resolved during bench testing in early 1966, with the first complete DFV engine undergoing dynamometer runs later that year. The engine made its racing debut at the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix in a Lotus 49 chassis driven by Jim Clark, marking a pivotal moment after intensive pre-race validation.

Technical Specifications

The Cosworth DFV is a 90-degree with a bore of 85.7 mm and a stroke of 64.8 mm, resulting in a displacement of 2,993 cc. This oversquare design facilitated high engine speeds essential for performance. The engine features an aluminum alloy block and cylinder heads, contributing to its lightweight construction. Early versions produced approximately 400-410 brake horsepower at 9,000 rpm, powered by a Lucas mechanical system that delivered precise metering via shuttle valves controlled by linkage. The lubrication system employs configuration with three oil pumps—two for scavenging and one for pressure—to ensure consistent oil supply under high lateral loads and g-forces encountered in racing. Key innovations include gear-driven dual overhead camshafts per bank with quill shafts to absorb torsional vibrations, enabling four valves per with a 32-degree included angle for optimal airflow. The crossflow cylinder heads incorporate 35-degree downdraught ports and "barrel " combustion chambers with flat-top pistons and squish plateaus to enhance and flame propagation. Sodium-cooled exhaust valves were not standard in the original DFV but became common in subsequent high-performance evolutions. Interference-fit double valve springs and a torsional damper further improved reliability at elevated revs. Weighing approximately 159 kg dry (without clutch or starter), the DFV's —derived from the earlier FVA inline-four—allowed for straightforward component swaps and rapid assembly, with major overhauls achievable in under an hour by skilled teams. This emphasis on serviceability, combined with robust materials like molybdenum-filled rings, made it a benchmark for .

Primary Applications

Formula One Usage

The Cosworth DFV made its racing debut at the 1967 , where secured victory in the , marking the engine's first win and instantly revolutionizing by introducing a reliable, high-performance customer engine available to privateer teams. This success, funded by Ford's £100,000 investment, broke the monopoly of manufacturer-built powerplants like Ferrari's V12 and BRM's V12, enabling smaller outfits to compete at the highest level and sparking the era of off-the-shelf engines in F1. The DFV's immediate impact was evident as it propelled Lotus to multiple victories that season, including poles at every remaining race, and set the stage for widespread adoption. By the early 1970s, the DFV had become the dominant force in , powering leading teams such as Lotus, , Tyrrell, and Williams, with nearly all entries on the grid relying on it by 1973 except for Ferrari and BRM. This ubiquity stemmed from Cosworth's efficient production and , which delivered over 500 units during the engine's lifespan, allowing teams to focus on development while benefiting from consistent performance and parts availability. The engine's versatility shone through seasonal upgrades, with power outputs rising from around 400 horsepower at debut to over 450 by the mid-1970s through refinements in fuel injection and exhaust systems, maintaining its edge without major redesigns. The DFV's era of dominance peaked with 155 Grand Prix victories between 1967 and 1983, including 12 drivers' championships and 10 constructors' titles, as it adapted to evolving regulations like the 1977 introduction of ground-effect aerodynamics. Its compact V8 layout fit seamlessly into the narrow engine bays required for Venturi tunnels on cars like the and 79, generating substantial while preserving straight-line speed through reduced drag. Even as turbocharged engines from and Ferrari emerged in the late , the DFV's naturally aspirated reliability provided a in endurance and qualifying, enabling wins against more powerful but fragile rivals. As turbo technology proliferated in the early 1980s, the DFV began to phase out, with its final full-season dominance in 1982 and 1983 before transitioning to evolved variants under the 1.5-liter turbo formula. Cosworth's logistics ensured smooth supplies during this period, but the raw power of turbos ultimately sidelined the DFV, though its reliability lingered as an option until the 1986 turbo ban revived interest in naturally aspirated designs. The engine's legacy in F1 endures as the benchmark for customer powertrains that democratized success in the sport.

Other Racing Formulae

The Cosworth DFV found significant application in , particularly in categories during the late 1960s and 1970s, where it was detuned for greater endurance and reliability compared to its high-revving configuration. In 1975, a Gulf-Mirage GR8 , powered by a modified DFV producing around 450 horsepower at reduced rev limits, secured an overall victory at the , driven by and Derek Bell; this marked the engine's first and only outright win at the event, highlighting its adaptability despite initial vibration issues inherent to its flat-plane crankshaft design. The DFV also powered Jean Rondeau's Rondeau M379 to the 1980 overall win with Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, along with multiple class victories in the late 1970s, often in Group 6 s where added oil coolers and reinforced internals addressed the demands of prolonged racing. In the series, the DFV appeared in various chassis during the 1970s and early 1980s, including the Williams FW07C entered by Walter Lechner Racing in , where its 3.0-liter displacement complied with unlimited rules while delivering competitive power in unrestricted North American sports racing. Adaptations for these open-top prototypes emphasized delivery over peak horsepower, with detuning to around 400-450 to mitigate overheating and mechanical stress during high-speed sprints. The DFV served as the standardized engine in the series from its inception in 1985 until 1992, providing approximately 480 bhp at 9,500 rpm from DFV-derived units sealed by to ensure parity and control costs for this junior open-wheel category. This spec-engine approach, modified to 3.5-liter rules in later years for F3000, leveled the playing field and contributed to the series' role as a feeder, with drivers like claiming the 1992 title using the engine. Beyond major series, the DFV saw minor but notable use in hillclimbing events, such as the M26 tackling the Goodwood hill course, and club-level , where its proven performance and availability made it popular for modified single-seaters into the 1980s. Key challenges in non-Formula One applications included enhanced heat management for enclosed sports car bodies, which lacked the airflow of open-wheel designs, necessitating larger radiators and detuned mappings; additionally, its relative affordability—compared to turbocharged alternatives—supported cost-effectiveness in junior formulae like F3000, though maintenance demands remained high for reliability over long stints.

Engine Variants

Formula One Evolutions

The Cosworth DFV underwent several evolutions tailored to 's shifting regulations, particularly to accommodate ground-effect in the late 1970s and the transition to naturally aspirated engines after the turbo era. These variants maintained the core 90-degree V8 architecture of the baseline DFV while incorporating refinements in bore, stroke, and to boost power and rev limits without exceeding displacement caps. The DFY variant, introduced in , featured a reduced included angle (22.5° in the second series, from 32°) optimized for the era's ground-effect cars, delivering approximately 520 bhp at 11,000 rpm. This evolution addressed the packaging needs of low-slung chassis by improving airflow integration, primarily benefiting teams like Lotus and Williams in adapting to aerodynamic demands. The DFY included a shorter stroke and updated bore dimensions (90 mm bore, 58.8 mm stroke), pushing output to 520 bhp while retaining the 2,993 cc displacement. The DFZ emerged in 1987-1988 as a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated upgrade for the post-turbo 3.5L , achieving 580-600 through enlarged cylinders and advanced electronic fuel management systems. This design bridged the gap to the NA era, enabling and Williams to maintain competitiveness under the new displacement rules. The DFZ's integration of Lucas electronic engine management enhanced response and efficiency. The DFR, debuting in 1988 and running through 1991, represented the final major F1-specific iteration, incorporating to sustain revs beyond 13,000 rpm and delivering up to 620 . This innovation, mandated by evolving FIA rules on materials and reliability, eliminated traditional springs to reduce valvetrain inertia, while the engine's weight was trimmed to 120 kg to meet chassis balance requirements. The DFR's adaptations directly responded to the 3.5-liter formula, solidifying Cosworth's role in the naturally aspirated resurgence. A successor, the HB, continued the line in 1989-1990 as a 3.5L V8 producing around 650 .

North American Adaptations

The Cosworth DFX, introduced in 1975 as a turbocharged derivative of the original DFV, featured a reduced displacement of 2.65 liters to comply with USAC regulations for American open-wheel racing. This , funded by Ford, delivered up to 800 brake horsepower in qualifying configurations through its single and advanced system, making it a staple in competition from 1976 to 1991. Prominent teams such as Penske Racing and relied on the DFX for its balance of power and durability, securing numerous victories in the CART series and establishing Cosworth's technical presence in North American motorsport. In the late , adapted the DFX for CART's evolving rules, including reduced boost limits, prioritizing engine longevity and consistent performance over maximum output. These adaptations retained the core but incorporated refinements for the 2.65L capacity, producing reliable power in race conditions while minimizing wear during extended oval stints. This allowed -powered entries to remain competitive in the evolving CART landscape, with the engine seeing use through the early 1990s. The DFX demonstrated exceptional dominance at the , powering winners in nine consecutive races from 1978 to 1986, including multiple triumphs for driver with Penske Racing in 1979 and 1984. Specific modifications for oval racing included adaptation to for improved cooling and safety, as well as integration of USAC-mandated pop-off valves to cap turbo boost at 80 inches of mercury, preventing excessive manifold pressure and enhancing reliability on high-banking tracks. These engines contributed to 10 overall Indy 500 victories for between 1978 and 1993, underscoring their pivotal role in American open-wheel success. By the early 1990s, the DFX lineage faced phase-out following CART's 1994 shift toward purpose-built engines, driven by escalating development costs and efforts to achieve competitive parity among manufacturers. The introduction of pushrod designs like the Ilmor-Chevrolet, which exploited regulatory loopholes for stock-block V8s, highlighted the need for leveled performance, ultimately sidelining the overhead-cam variants in favor of more cost-effective alternatives.

Other Derivatives

The Cosworth DFV engine family inspired several non-standard derivatives adapted for road car and other uses, showcasing the versatility of its core design principles beyond competitive racing. The DFL, introduced in the early 1980s, represented a 3.3- or 3.9-liter evolution of the DFV tailored for endurance racing, including sports cars such as those competing at the . Emphasizing reliability and power for long-distance events, it incorporated modifications for sustained high output while retaining the V8's inherent efficiency and compactness. A particularly innovative offshoot was the P86 motorcycle engine, a 746cc parallel-twin derived from DFV technology, developed in the mid-1970s for the Norton Challenge prototype. It featured advanced valvetrain design and delivered around 95 bhp, blending racing-derived precision with potential production feasibility for high-performance biking. Beyond these, the DFV's robust architecture enabled rare non-automotive adaptations, such as marine propulsion systems and static display units in educational or exhibition settings, underscoring its broad engineering applicability.

Achievements and Legacy

Major Race Wins

The Cosworth DFV engine achieved its first major victory at the 1967 , where drove a to a dominant win on debut, marking the start of an era of unparalleled success in . Over the next two decades, the DFV and its evolutions powered 155 Grand Prix triumphs, more than any other engine design in F1 , with customer teams securing 10 Constructors' Championships between 1968 and 1982. This dominance extended to 12 Drivers' Championships for pilots including in 1968, in 1969, 1971, and 1973, in 1970, in 1972 and 1974, in 1976, in 1978, Alan Jones in 1980, in 1981, and in 1982. Beyond , the DFV's adaptability shone in other series, particularly through its turbocharged DFX variant tailored for oval racing. This engine delivered 10 consecutive victories from 1978 to 1987, a streak that included back-to-back wins for the Penske team in the with drivers (1979, 1984) and (1983, 1985), underscoring its reliability under extreme conditions. Overall, engines derived from the DFV family claimed 11 Indy 500 triumphs, powering a total of 153 race wins. In endurance racing, the DFV demonstrated versatility by securing outright victory at the 1975 with the Gulf GR8 driven by and , and another in 1980 with the Rondeau RE10. Derivatives also excelled in GTP-class events, contributing to multiple successes in the 1980s. The DFV's legacy is cemented by enduring records, including its status as the longest-serving engine in at 17 seasons from 1967 to 1983, and the most prolific single design with over 180 victories across all formulae.

Championship Results

The Cosworth DFV engine powered entries to remarkable success from its debut in 1967 through its final competitive use in 1991, securing 155 Grand Prix victories out of 262 races and 131 pole positions overall. It contributed to 12 drivers' championships between 1968 and 1982 for (1968), (1969, 1971, 1973), (1970), (1972, 1974), (1976), (1978), Alan Jones (1980), (1981), and (1982). Constructors' championships totaled 10 for Lotus-Ford (1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1978), Matra-Ford (1969), Tyrrell-Ford (1971), McLaren-Ford (1974), and Williams-Ford (1980, 1981, 1982). The engine's dominance peaked in seasons like 1969 and 1973, where DFV-powered cars won every race, and 1978, when all 17 Grands Prix were victories for DFV-equipped teams.
YearDrivers' Champion (Team-Engine)Constructors' ChampionDFV WinsDFV Poles
1967 (Brabham-Repco)Lotus-Ford23
1968 (Lotus-Ford)Lotus-Ford68
1969 (Matra-Ford)Matra-Ford99
1970 (Lotus-Ford)Lotus-Ford67
1971 (Tyrrell-Ford)Tyrrell-Ford99
1972 (Lotus-Ford)Lotus-Ford56
1973 (Tyrrell-Ford)Lotus-Ford77
1974 (McLaren-Ford)McLaren-Ford34
1975Niki Lauda (Ferrari)Ferrari23
1976 (McLaren-Ford)Ferrari56
1977Niki Lauda (Ferrari)Ferrari44
1978 (Lotus-Ford)Lotus-Ford78
1979Jody Scheckter (Ferrari)Ferrari57
1980Alan Jones (Williams-Ford)Williams-Ford67
1981 (Brabham-Ford)Williams-Ford55
1982 (Williams-Ford)Ferrari44
1983 (Brabham-BMW)Ferrari23
1984Niki Lauda (McLaren-TAG)McLaren-TAG00
1985 (McLaren-TAG)McLaren-TAG22
1986 (Williams-Honda)Williams-Honda43
1987 (Williams-Honda)Williams-Honda33
1988 (McLaren-Honda)McLaren-Honda00
1989 (McLaren-Honda)McLaren-Honda00
1990 (McLaren-Honda)McLaren-Honda00
1991 (McLaren-Honda)McLaren-Honda00
Note: Table summarizes DFV and evolutions (DFY/DFZ) contributions; non-DFV champions listed for context. Data covers primary DFV era through 1991. In IndyCar and CART racing, the DFV's North American adaptation, the turbocharged DFX variant, dominated championships including 1978 USAC (Tom Sneva), 1980 CART (Johnny Rutherford), 1981–1982 and 1984 (Rick Mears), 1983 and 1985 (Al Unser), and 1986–1987 (Bobby Rahal). The DFX powered all Indianapolis 500 winners from 1978 to 1987, achieving 10 consecutive victories, including Al Unser (1978, 1987), Rick Mears (1979, 1984), and others like Johnny Rutherford (1980, 1986). This streak underscored the engine's reliability in high-stress oval racing, with the DFX securing 81 consecutive IndyCar wins from 1981 to 1986.
YearIndy 500 Winner (Team-Engine)Avg. Speed (mph)Notes
1978 (Lola-Cosworth DFX)161.363First DFX Indy win
1979 (Penske-Cosworth DFX)158.899Rookie victory
1980 (Chapman-Cosworth DFX)142.862Rain-shortened
1981 (Penske-Cosworth DFX)139.084Controversial post-race DQ/reinstatement
1982 (Wildcat-Cosworth DFX)162.029Closest finish in history (0.16s)
1983 (March-Cosworth DFX)162.117-
1984 (March-Cosworth DFX)163.612Record speed at time
1985 (March-Cosworth DFX)152.982Spin-and-win
1986 (March-Cosworth DFX)170.722Fastest 500 to date
1987 (March-Cosworth DFX)162.175Oldest winner at 47
Table lists DFX-powered Indy 500 results for the consecutive win streak; speeds reflect official averages. The DFV also underpinned the series from its in 1985 through 1992, serving as the spec with near-universal adoption that ensured cost control and competitive parity, contributing to the series' stability as an F1 feeder category. In 1985, DFV-powered cars won every race, and the engine powered champions including (1985), Pedro Chaves (1986), (1987), (1988), (1989), Erik Comas (1990), (1991), and (1992). This era marked the DFV's final major championship successes before turbo and V10 regulations phased it out. Comparatively, the DFV exhibited exceptional reliability in F1, with production-standard design enabling high finish rates often exceeding 90% in races during its peak years, far surpassing contemporary rivals like Ferrari's flat-12. Its cost-effectiveness was legendary, with initial units priced at around $8,940 and subsequent customer engines at $15,000–$20,000, yielding an estimated cost per win under $100,000 when amortized over 155 victories and widespread use, democratizing F1 access compared to manufacturer engines.

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