March edition of Modified Mag has a story on the Japanese GT Championship JGTC cars. The GT500 cars look to allow 3.0 turbo and 4.5 liter naturally aspirated factory style engines. I don't have the specifics on manifolding or camshafts or anything else that is needed to know how they make the rated power or even if the rated power is accurate. The power quoted is 473 horsepower @ 7600rpm and 376 torque @ 5600rpm at a 4,480cc displacement.
What does impress is that this is an FE engine which is Toyota's luxury engine designation and is not considered as favorable for power as the GE and GTE engines. This is due to the valve angles. The "F" engine have a narrow valve angle than that of the "G" engines. The wider angle appears to breath better and make more power. So, to have an "F" engine used in a race engine gives all of us encouragement for the naturally aspirated potentional of our engines.
Now, the GT300 class 1st place car is an Acura NSX with a 3.5 liter engine that is rated at 300hp and the number 2 car runs a Nissan VQ35DE engine (350Z engine) and is rated at 295hp @ 7400rpm and 290tq @ 5800rpm!!! This convinces me that at least in the 300 class the power ratings are pure BS. The production engines make more power than these ratings and the Nissan rating is obviously BS. 290tq at 5800rpm = 320hp and yet they rate the power at 295? Please.
So, is the 3UZ power correct? Underrated? Overrated? I need to find out more about this engine.
What does impress is that this is an FE engine which is Toyota's luxury engine designation and is not considered as favorable for power as the GE and GTE engines. This is due to the valve angles. The "F" engine have a narrow valve angle than that of the "G" engines. The wider angle appears to breath better and make more power. So, to have an "F" engine used in a race engine gives all of us encouragement for the naturally aspirated potentional of our engines.
Now, the GT300 class 1st place car is an Acura NSX with a 3.5 liter engine that is rated at 300hp and the number 2 car runs a Nissan VQ35DE engine (350Z engine) and is rated at 295hp @ 7400rpm and 290tq @ 5800rpm!!! This convinces me that at least in the 300 class the power ratings are pure BS. The production engines make more power than these ratings and the Nissan rating is obviously BS. 290tq at 5800rpm = 320hp and yet they rate the power at 295? Please.
So, is the 3UZ power correct? Underrated? Overrated? I need to find out more about this engine.