These Are the Best Race Engines of All Time

Photo: Jiří Sedláček, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Came to post Cossie DFV, but was beaten to it…then thought of the engine from the 917, and someone had that already…then thought of….point is, there are a bunch that can be argued here (though DFV wins through ubiquity, longevity, reliability, etc.). I’m going to propose two choices that aren’t so obvious, but their impact is extensive: the Coventry Climax 4-cyl, and the VW boxer engine.

Both are (or were) astoundingly cheap, very reliable, easily worked on by anyone with basic tools…yet able to make amazing power for their size by true expert engine modifiers, and they were found in a bazillion race cars for decades. And not just entry-level, either…though they were both great motors for those kind of series (Formula VW, etc.). These engines were used in ‘serious race cars’ as well!

An argument could be made for the Jaguar XK engine, too…especially if you factor in success/entries. Probably a bunch of other great engines I’m missing, too….it’s hard to just state one as unequivocal. But, again, the DFV will probably win this argument, all possible factors considered. You can’t dominate ‘the pinnacle of motorsport’ (where innovation seems to occur on a race-by-race basis) for 14 frickin years without being something special!

VW’s little flat four may not have made incredible power, or been The Winningest Race Engine, but its relatively cheap cost and the fact that Volkswagen made approximately one point three billion of them made them perfect for getting people into motorsports.

Submitted by: Osmodious