NOVEMBER 23, 1998

Honda to build a V12?

WE hear whispers from Japan that the engineers at Honda Research & Development in Wako, near Tokyo, are considering building a V12 Formula 1 engine for the 2000 season, rather than a V10 as is being assumed by the Grand Prix circus. Experience with the Mugen Honda V10 engine and the advance of F1 engine materials mean that Honda could probably design and build a V12 which is not only the same weight - or lighter - than the current V10s but which would also have a lower center of gravity and would be only slightly longer. We believe that several other F1 engine manufacturers have been considering the switch and that design studies have been undertaken but the costs involved in a completely new engine have scared most away - at least for the moment.

The advantage of the V12 is that it would rev higher than the V10 and thus produce more horsepower.