375 hp, 2.6 Liter V8- neighborhood drive

The 375 hp, 2.6 Liter H1V8 is very well mannered and is easily driven on the street.

Some have commented that this engine would have little torque at low rpm and believe that a 10,000 rpm red-lined engine would be high strung and difficult to drive on the street. Actually the engine is very well behaved at low speed and there is plenty of torque and power below 5000 rpm. This video shows the low speed characteristics of the engine during a drive thru the neighborhood. Note that the rear wheels easily broke loose below 5000 rpm in 2nd gear. For reference, 2nd gear tops out at 92 mph and max. torque is at 7500 rpm.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Hayabusa V8
• H1V8
• motorcycle V8
• caterham
• track car

[jhartleyjr]

$30k +

[jhartleyjr]

Milage is 16 to 20 mpg.  Probably could tune it for a bit more./John

[Tarck452]

I awoke with a fierce case of the runs. I made a mad dash for the water closet, but I'm afraid I didn't quite make it and ended up shitting in the middle of the hallway. Then I went back to sleep...my mum is going to be pissed.

[brapboys503]

@Tarck452 You're a nasty little fucker. You should be grounded, lol!

[Easytiger007]

Nothing beats good old aluminium V8 aproach nor do sound!:) Of course if you wanna go very fast around track.....bike engines or something thats started life as one(almost) are way to go......not for the street though. I dont know much about thoose bolted together 4R bike engines who forming V8 apart from they cost stupid money with right gearbox and they do go fast in car....but normal bike engine isnt designed for 450kg-600kg car to live much long.

[paullubliner]

Interesting. I thought everyone these days opts for the cycle fenders. I prefer the clam shells and have them on my Seven as well. What chassis (year & type please) is this engine in as depicted here? How well would Caterham's 6 speed's ratios match the torque curves of this engine? I have an '86  "Big Tube" De Dion. Thanks.

[rambo1685]

Sounds awesome

[leloodallasmultipass]

@TheOfficialKC Anyway, I am just responding to the guy who asked for a v-12. I am not trying to make a case for a flat 8, though it might be a fun engine to play with.

[leloodallasmultipass]

@TheOfficialKC there have been a few flat-8s for porsche. the 907 and 908. maybe more. I think they did a few prototypes for 914s. I don't have time to look it up. every company has to decide whether they can devote resources to something. even Ruf. very few companies have plenty of time for anything. overhead has to be paid and brand needs to be maintained. they had to decide whether they could devote themselves to one thing or another- nothing is impossible.

[TheOfficialKC]

@leloodallasmultipass It could have a very low CG. But still the cars that will fit it. What would you put it in? It would have to be a custom frame. Or a Porsche, that already has a fine engine with enough HP capability. The market would be too small to justify it.

[TheOfficialKC]

@leloodallasmultipass RUF decided against the Flat-8 because of engineering. Not "we don't have time for this". They had plenty of time, they designed a whole new V8. It is just the inherent problem of a Flat-8 that they didn't do it. This is why there has never been a Porsche Flat-8, but they have made F-6 and F-12.You would have to do a flat-6 or flat-12.

[TheOfficialKC]

@zapwatt Seeing how the torque curve from 3000rpm to 6000rpm is a flat 200lb-ft, do you really think it will drop off that much to 2000? What would it have to be to have the weight/torque ratio of the ferrari?

At 2k the Ferrari is 13.6lb/lb-ft

In a 1600lb car the H1 would have to be making 117lb-ft. In a 1000lb car the H1 would have to make 73lb-ft.

Now, do you really think it will be producing that little torque? NO.

[leloodallasmultipass]

@TheOfficialKC I agree. the engine would fit in very few places but where it did fit, it would have a super-low CG potential. It may have some inherent flaws, though I am just taking your word for it, but I imagine they could be worked through. Ruf may have made a biz decision that was part engineering based and part "we don't have time for this" based.