HONDA The Power of Dreams

1988 was an extraordinary year. The McLaren Honda MP4/4 dominated F1, winning 15 of the 16 grands prix, driven by Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, two of the most famous drivers of all time. Many reasons for this utter domination could be raised, including the two drivers, the engine, and the chassis, but in reality, it was largely due to the performance of Honda’s RA168E V6 turbo engine.

1988 was also the year that the turbo F1 era finally came to an end. The 1.5-liter turbo engine introduced in 1977 had reached its peak in the late 1980s, producing a frightening 1,400-plus horsepower. In 1986, the turbo boost was set to infinity during qualifying, with boost pressure reaching over 7 bar, so powerful that it blew up after only one qualifying lap. The car also had unique requirements to transfer this enormous power to the track. This endless power wars made F1 cars monstrous, and even dangerous.

Concerned with this trend, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Formula 1’s governing body, limited boost pressure to 4 bar in 1987, while announcing the return to naturally-aspirated (NA) 3.5-liter engines from 1989. The turbo era was to end in 1988. In the final year of the turbo engine, boost pressure was further limited to 2.5 bar, and the fuel limit was lowered from 195 to 150 liters. This 45-liter reduction was equivalent to the final nail in the coffin for turbocharged engines. However, Honda took advantage of this situation. By making full use of its advanced fuel-efficient, high-performance technology, it took on the impossibly strict turbocharger regulations, and was able to create an unrivaled super-engine that outperformed every other team.

The McLaren Honda MP4/4 powered by the fuel-efficient, high-powered RA168E engine was also built specifically for the 1988 regulations and Honda’s engine. The car's lead engineer, Steve Nicholls, abandoned the John Bernard theorum and created a special machine with a brand new concept.

The Honda V6 turbo engine took advantage of all of the FIA’s attempts to restrict turbocharging. It lowered the engine’s crankshaft center position by 28 mm, and in response, McLaren introduced a three-axle gearbox based on the Wiesmann system, which lowered the car’s center of gravity dramatically. McLaren is said to have adopted the opinion of the charismatic designer Gordon Murray, who had moved to McLaren from Brabham. In fact, the MP4/4’s monocoque was changed from the old twin-tube Bernard style, which had long been adhered to, to the thin and low Brabham design. The pedal position was set backward in the regulations from this year, but the 150-liter limit set by the FIA conveniently reduced the size of the fuel tank bay, which made sense in terms of the wheelbase. The center of gravity was lowered significantly, saving 45 liters of fuel weight, and the three-axle gearbox was shortened in length, allowing more design freedom in the rear and improving aerodynamic efficiency, which had suffered in previous years. The lowered monocoque and sidepod tops improved the efficiency of the rear wing, while the narrowed cork panel and triaxial gearbox improved diffusion.

Even though Honda’s technology was used to create the super engine, the 1988 regulations made the engine much less powerful than the previous year, and the race fuel consumption was still at the very limit. To save fuel, improving aerodynamic efficiency and reducing drag was imperative. With the MP4/4, McLaren took a belated first step into the new aero era.