90's BTCC question...

[Partyvan]

Does anybody happen to know why the Mondeo BTCC car of the mid 90's used a V6, where the norm was a 2.0 16v 4 cylinder?

[Partyvan]

Obligatory in-car video...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VHneEx5oHo

[Zarco]

IIRC it was a weight distribution thing. Think the V6 could sit further back in the chassis. Something along those lines.

I may have completely made that up

I'm sure Ford had the biggest budget and did loads of trick tweaks to the Mondeo.

That video - BTCC was the st back then. Just can't get excited by it now.

[Speed Badger]

More, smaller cylinders would give you more revs & more power. Plus all the other Ford engines were a bit pony at that time!

[EDLT]

It may have helped with centre of gravity too, the engine was mounted so low that the driveshaft ran through the middle of the v

[chunder27]

Was a good engine initially Mazda based I think, hence the Xedos too using the same lump.

But the cars had awful front tyre wear after the first year, Radisich was always quick but would invariably drop back.

Prodrive fixed it all later on, but the real boom times were gone

[Partyvan]

Driveshaft through the V. Legendary!

[FourWheelDrift]

They were planned to be rear wheel drive too using the technical loophole of the rear drive (and front) Mondeo 4x4. But Rouse changed to front wheel drive, I think this is why it's appearance was delayed until the 7th round of the 1993 season.

[Zarco]

Well done EDLT.

[Coatesy351]

EDLT said:

It may have helped with centre of gravity too, the engine was mounted so low that the driveshaft ran through the middle of the v

I'm sure the early rouse ones weren't like that though.

[GOATever]

Regarding the benefit of having 6 cylinders, there really wasn't any aside from perhaps a slight torque advantage. I have read that due to additional losses from the extra 2 cylinders the rev limit on the 6's was raised to 9000rpm, from 8500rpm for all of the other engines (including the volvo 5's). I think the biggest benefit for Ford was that it was something different to the others and sounded fantastic. Very much a case of race on a Sunday, sell on a Monday.

[clubracing]

I think overall the V6 was a disadvantage compared to the 4 cylinder competition, particularly in terms of packaging and engine location which eventually resulted in them using the solution of drive shaft through the V of the cylinder banks, but of the engines that were available from the Ford range it was the best compromise for the regulations.

Here's a period article with some comments from Any Rouse about the engine choice https://www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/set...

[Ditchfinder General]

Partyvan said:

Obligatory in-car video...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VHneEx5oHo

Lottery win car: Mazda MX-6 in black with that Mondeo engine. That would make my daily commute over the mountain section of the TT course a bit more.. interesting.

[Bullitt Five-Oh]

GOATever said:

and sounded fantastic.

I don't know man, it sounds more like a rice car than a race car.