Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel
We would be remiss to not point out, incidentally, that Ferrari and Porsche have moved on from the 8K RPM club to the 9K RPM club now. So they are playing in a different league. And 125hp/L too. In fact I've read that the new 458 Scuderia is going to hit 600hp from the 4.5L engine which is 133hp/L. Maybe we'll see 10000 RPM and 150hp/L before naturally aspirated engines finally fade away once and for all.
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When will NA engines fade away we do not know, but there are no many left, and in the next years I can only count a few. I am not sure, but it seems very likely Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin (unless they get AMG engine) will keep their NA V12 engines, at least for the next generation, but then we do not know, Pagani went FI V12. It is sure the 911 GT3 will keep its NA 3.8 Flat 6, as for the rest, Porsche is about to restructure its sportscars line-up by squeezing the 981 and the 991 between the 550 and the 959. What is certain is that the NA 3.4l Flat 6 will be replaced by a more powerfull FI 2.4l Flat 4. The Gallardo/R8 is a tough decision. It is yet unknown if it will get a FI V8 or a NA V10. Finally the last car is the 458 Italia. It is unknown what engine it will get, a "new" NA V8 or a revised FI V8, though their are (wrong?) rumors of FI V6. We shall be able to guess once we know what engine the California replacement will get. Will it get the new FI 3.8l V8 or will it get - like the current got the NA 4.3l V8 from the F430 - the NA 4.5l V8 from the 458 in detuned form?
To summarise, the last NA engines will be the Porsche Flat 6, Ferrari V8 and probably the V12 engines. I forgot the Honda NSX II.
The future of NA engines dépends on two things: hybridisation, yet it means nothing, there are many hydrid cars with FI (e.i. McLaren P1, BMW i8), but it also dépends on racing régulations. Now F1 went FI, but if FI will also have advantages in GT, then it might very well be the end of NA engines.