Munich. Powerful and reliable: these two terms perfectly sum
up the demands placed on the V8 engines in the DTM. The six BMW
drivers have just one engine each for the entire season. With this
in mind, the engineers and mechanics at BMW Motorsport gave top
priority to absolute precision during the production phase. Here is
the lowdown on the BMW DTM engine, the BMW P66/1.
In 2017, DTM regulations allow a larger diameter – 2 x 29 millimetres
– for the air restrictors, through which the engine draws its
combustion air. This results in an increase in engine power to
over 500 hp.
The engine aspirates 260 litres per second – that is
2,000 times as much as a human breathes.
The pistons in the BMW P66/1 accelerate 600 times
faster than a lunar rocket.
The pistons in the engine cover a combined distance that is the
equivalent of travelling from Munich to Sydney over
the course of a season.
In one season, 1.3 million ignition sparks are
generated in one engine.
The water pump shifts about 19,000 litres per hour.
At this rate, it would take just 20 seconds to fill a bath.
All the power generated by the engine is transferred to the
powertrain and rear wheels through screws weighing just 130 grams.
The oil is pumped through the engine roughly 10,000
times in one season.
Over the course of the season, enough heat for 60 sauna
sessions is removed via the oil.
920 technical drawings were created for the engine.
Placed next to each other, this is enough to cover more than a full
tennis court.