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I apologize to you both. I should have read closer. I feel like a moron now.
I agree that the 4.0 liter lump used in the IRL right now is part of the handling problem with the current IRL cars. However, a huge portion of that blame goes to the humongous gearbox used. It is twice as large as the boxes used in CART right now. That size difference does not include the crush box mounted on the back of the box either. The IRL uses this common gearbox as a way to make them ultra-reliable and common for all the teams. Reynard and Lola supply the gearboxes with their chassis and they have streamlined them and perfected them over time to the current evolution.
However, after a long time to think about it, I dont think the V10 option is going to be viable. The F1 manufacturers don't care what it costs to develop the engines and if CART mandates their usage then many of the teams may be forced out as they won't be able to purchase or lease engines at the rates that F1 spends. Sure they would be cheaper with aluminum rods and mechanical valvetrains, but the idea of cost reduction to a CART team and to an F1 manufacturer is radically different. The FIA has been after the manufacturers to agree to cost reduction strategies for the last 5 years and they have fought tooth and nail to make it more expensive every single time. I don't see how an alliance with F1 is going to be cheaper for CART in the long run.
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