Progessive tuner????

[Shaun]

perhaps it is new option in the market because the custom standalone S54 guys are running single only according to what I hear... or maybe they don't bother dicking around with it and leave it fixed because width is wide enough for tune state. but quad cam control is cool!

agree cam control increases power width, but does not affect peak. responding directly to the 400hp guarantee that whiskey mentioned. if the guarantee was something like "400hp peak at 6500 for sure and 380hp by 5500rpm" which hints at width then I would drop the point

 

[Racebred]

i read that Lotus is coming out with an engine that replaces the traditional cams with electric actuators that does the job of controlling the valves.

this surely opens up all the possibilities of cam tuning right? when your duration, lift and shape of curve can be changed instantly with a computer.

 

[Shaun]

yes electronic valve actuation has been desired in racing for a long time but it has never been up to the task in terms of speed (time between cycles at high RPM) and precision (when piston to valve clearances become extremely tight). If it were feasable it would be carried out in F1 a while ago. Outside of speed and precision, current test systems end up being too bulky and power hungry to get the required valve motion at the required speed since at high RPM each individual valve weighs a massive 150kg instantaneously. Even halved that is a lot of mass to move.

I am quite sure that the lotus engine will operate well in the sub 6000 range but offer lots of power at low RPM vs engines of similar displacement due to the fact that it can operate at near ideal valve lift (mimicking a theoretically perfect square 'lobe' profile which is impossible to reach with cam actuation) with the valve held at max lift for much longer durations. Believe the overall tradeoffs will end up making this first generation quite unspectacular and take a long while to match current cam performance racing performance wise. The future is definitely camless actuation though.

The stock tune of these valves will most likely be for emissions and allow some room for modification like you say, but the power will be mostly down low with little change up top which will be closed to optimized IMO.