MrPotatoHead wrote: ↑09 Sep 2017, 17:23
Mudflap wrote: ↑09 Sep 2017, 16:54
MrPotatoHead wrote: ↑09 Sep 2017, 16:33
The oil burning is as over hyped as the Mercedes split turbo.
This.
Every engine has dozens of such 'little' novelties - we just don't get to know about them.
They all add up but neither makes or breaks an engine.
I do sometimes wonder whether Honda and Merc actually regret going for the split turbo..
I doubt they regret it because it does have some packaging and intercooler piping benefits. The downside is it takes a lot more work to swap out the MGU-H / turbo assembly. A whole lot more work.
I do agree about the benefits - but they have really struggled to get it to work reliably. And then Botas' gave up the ghost. Not to mention all the failures Honda have and they don't even enjoy the advantage of a turbo unit that sits as low.
It looks as though in the grand scheme of things it poses more problems than it solves.
Which leads me to another point regarding Honda's design philosophy:
They seem to be inclined to find overly complex solutions to fairly simple problems - remember the hollow connecting rods which were meant to cure rod torsional vibration ? The likes of Cosworth somehow got away with higher engines speeds and standard rods.
Or the crazy piston designs which proved to be a dead end. Or the size zero concept.
Maybe there is a point where pragmatism trumps creativity - when you have to just stick something on dyno, prove it out and race it rather than chase the perfect design. Or else you risk wasting years without any real progress.