Toyota's change from V10 to V8

By Toyota Media
February 18 2006

The introduction of 2.4-litre V8 engines is of course the major technical novelty facing Panasonic Toyota Racing in 2006. The change represented a major challenge for Luca Marmorini and his team, as well as a number of other changes in the engine regulations for 2006.

The FIA now require as mandatory the adoption of a 90-degree vee angle, as well as a minimum weight of 95kg. With other specifications also concretely fixed, it's the first time that engine designers have been so restricted in terms of engine development.

Mike Gascoyne does not believe the switch to V8 engines will negate overall lap times in the long-term: "Needless to say the cars will have less power and we expect to see lap times in the region of two seconds slower," he says, "but there will be softer rubber and the usual pace of car development, which will see this deficit reduced all the time. Will someone actually go quicker than they did last year? In some places they will probably come close even with a V8 engine."

The change of engine has of course had a major impact on the chassis side – for example, it is 10cms shorter and has different cooling requirements – but it has had other wide reaching effects on the way the TF106 (and its tyres) have been developed.

"We have roughly 200bhp less, so it's a massive difference in terms of energy input into the rear tyres," says Pascal Vasselon. "It's a massive difference as well in terms of top speed, so for sure the development of compounds and aero efficiency is affected. If you want to simplify it, apart from the engine, the performance of the car is mainly about the combination and correct usage of two maps: the aerodynamic map and the tyre map."