BRM / Brm v16

Developing the BRM V16 vehicle to take part in sports
Some spotlight
The BRM V16 had a 1.5 litre engine that is supercharged and manufactured by British Racing Motors chiefly for participating in sporting activities. Even though it delivered the best performance at its time, it disappointed its fans because of its substandard reliability. It had almost no competitors in the market.
Technical specifications
The V16 cylinders were designed by the engineer Peter Berthorn. The engine produced a displacement of 1487.76cc with a maximum horse power of 550 at about 12000 rpm. The centrifugal supercharger and the dual carburetors provide the maximum boost to the fuel system. The coil is ignited by a spark plug for every cylinder and runs mainly on alcohol fuel. There are two valve gears for every cylinder with overhead camshafts. The crankshafts were counterbalanced by both the plain and roller bearings. The alloyed cylinder block and the crankcase are lined with cast iron and circumscribe a 135 degree angle.
Developing the vehicle
The engine of the vehicle was designed by a team of well trained professional experts. It was initially perceived as two consecutive V8 engines of 750cc.The central gear and the cam drives made the driving an enjoyable experience for the driver. The crankshaft and the standard motoring parts are the chief engine components that were made out of steel. The engine had a two stage centrifugal supercharger. Testing for proper functioning of the equipment was done by mounting it to the front part of the supercharger. The flame trips allow for the manifold of the inlets so as to prevent the backfiring of the air fuel mixture which would otherwise trigger an explosion. This feature was relatively new and was essential for powering the powering of the piston aero engines. There is also room for a special twin carburetor system.
Some further developments
The designing of the gear box represented the German orthodox techniques. The idea of the rear suspension mechanism of the vehicle and the trailing front arm was obtained from that of Mercedes Benz. The three leading springs of the drum brakes served the purpose of shock absorbers. The air struts Lockheed were made out of silicon oil with an adjustable damping action on all the four wheels. The styling of the body panels were done in accordance with the standard motoring features. The radiators were later enlarged and provided with a ventilated bonnet.
Sporting activities
The BRM V16 made its debut on the Formula One Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone as early as the fifties decade. In the first few stages the vehicle suffered engine problems such as cracking of cylinders and connecting rod buckling. There were major piston failures also in the first few occasions. It took part in a championship organized by the Daily Express and was fully prepared to overcome all the engine challenges that it faced previously. The short sprint event of Good wood witnessed two major victories of the car for two consecutive races. The British Grand Prix saw the participation of two cars belonging to the same V16 range. However, in the later events the cars were withdrawn following some technical issues related to the gearbox.