F3000 due for a new engine?

[SALEEN S7R]

Ive been watching F3000 since 1999, and to my knowledge they have never changed the Zytech engines, whilst im not saying theres anything wrong with the power output of the engines, the once big gap between them in power to cars like Formula Nissan has decreased dramatically. After all the formula nissan boys are getting a 30bhp increase to 450bhp next season which according to f3000.com is only 10bhp short of the F3000 cars.

Ive noticed that most things about F3000 has changed ie the chasis and the tyre sizes, but no engine change, F3000 in my opinon needs a power boost, compare it to Formula Nippon where those cars produce up to 515bhp. Im not bagging F3000 as im one of its biggest fans, but now they are slipping so far behind F1 in terms of performance with the F1 boys producing double the power next year (the top ones at least.) In 1999 the power differnce wasnt too great or in 2000 but recently they seem to have got left behind a bit.

Has anyone got any news on Zytechs plans for a new F3000 engine?

Chris.

[sceptic]

Zytek produced a new F3000 engine this year, which will be used again next year and in 2004.

Zytek have not released any technical data about the new engine, so the figures quoted on any website (including Zytek's own website) are for the '99 spec engine.

The earliest another new engine could be produced is 2005, because of the stabilisation rules.

[SALEEN S7R]

There was no new engine this year, to the best of my knowledge not in the FIA Internatioal Series at least. The only changes that happened this year as far as I know was the new chasis and the tyre sizes. Maybe a new engine has been developed for 2003 but there hasnt been anything since 2000 im sure of that.

Also if there was a new engine this year the lap times would have been significantly faster than last year ok they were 1.5 secs a lap faster maybe on averege than the 2001 spec car but that was just down to the new Lola chasis and having wider slicks, no engine development if there had been the differnce would sureley have been closer to 2.5 seconds a lap.

[SALEEN S7R]

My apoligies sceptic i misread ur post, I thought u said they had used the engine this year.

[DanFlag]

Like I was saying in another thread, I spoke with Bruno St-Jacques (tested for Coloni in the European Minardi F3000 car recently) and Bertrand Godin (1998 driver for Durango) at the recent annual Gilles Villeneuve Museum banquet (http://www.gilles.villeneuve.com/2002/banquet_2002.htm) and they told me the cars (LOLA B2/50) are great and much more powerful than the Formula Atlantic here in North America, which is one of the closest things to compare an F3000 car with.

I in fact asked him how did he felt driving a 480hp car, Bruno told me it's still 450hp.