Filed under: Tuners, Tech, Callaway
Callaway hints at show car for V16 Cyclone engine
Click above for more pics of the Callaway Cyclone V16
Perhaps best known for his customized Corvettes, Reeves Callaway is also the brains behind a technical and engineering consulting company. A few years ago, he showed the world a V16 motor he built using four Yamaha 1,000 cc motorcycle engines mounted on a unique block. Dubbed the Cyclone, this 4.0L mill was good for 550 hp @ 10,000 rpm. While it is undeniably long at just over 36 inches, the aluminum block helps keep its dry weight down at just 334 lbs. Callaway used the Yamaha motors because his company helped develop their 5-valve heads and Reeves believes they are still among the best-built engines he has ever seen.
While the Cyclone project was started for little more than kicks and giggles, Reeves and his son Peter dragged it out to Cars & Coffee in Irvine, CA yesterday morning and hinted that we might be seeing this engine again soon, in the engine bay of a new Callaway show car. Alluding to such great automotive designs as the legendary Auto Union Type D, Callaway said we shouldn't be surprised to see this engine in something that marries that type of design ethos with a modern sensibility. No date was given for the car's debut, but Reeves said it will be completed eventually. Whatever it ends up looking like, we think we might like a ride in it. In current tune, the redline has been lifted to 11,500 rpm, allowing horsepower to swell to 640. it will certainly be entertaining.
Gallery: Callaway Cyclone V16
Photos copyright ©2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Trent 5:14PM (11/16/2008)
i really, REALLY want to listen to this thing run.
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Temple 9:45PM (11/16/2008)
http://www.callawaycars.com/V16/
Video and sound clip of the engine in action.
Trent 10:06PM (11/16/2008)
I was honestly not aware that a modern camera was capable of taking a video SO SMALL.
CarbonBlack 10:20PM (11/16/2008)
I wish the Sound/Video clip was of the engine romping it!
It took them forever to max out RPM's-
Either way, Thanks for the video link!
Stuka 5:15PM (11/16/2008)
We need some sound clips of it running. Its got to sound bad ass up at 10k rpm. It must have F1 like throttle response too.
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Patrick 5:15PM (11/16/2008)
Um...wow. I wish we had animated smileys because the :drool: one would fit just right.
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Mobius_1 7:11PM (11/16/2008)
We'd need 16, one for each cylinder ;)
Amazing concept, this.
3seriesisking 5:16PM (11/16/2008)
Beautiful.....just beautiful.
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Torrent 5:16PM (11/16/2008)
omfg
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John 5:26PM (11/16/2008)
It looks cool but the HP isn't that impressive.
Turbo Hayabusa's can make 500+ HP with 4 cylinders.
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John 5:32PM (11/16/2008)
Maybe the power isn't the best, but sometimes you do things NOT to be the biggest and baddest, you just do them because you CAN. This is one of those times.
John 5:44PM (11/16/2008)
This article and Callaway is touting the horsepower from this engine. As I said, I'm not impressed. If you took 4 stock Yamaha R1 engines times 4 you would have 720HP. So this configuration doesn't even match the stock configuration in terms of horsepower per liter.
I could think of a lot better ways to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars......
Temple 5:58PM (11/16/2008)
A Turbo R1 (which is what this Callaway is based off of) can also make insane amounts of power.
But I'm assuming Callaway actually wants the engine to last. i.e. that can be driven around and not having to constantly worry about the engine blowing up like the turbo bike engines.
Which is probably why they are keeping the rpm low(er) in the V-16 (the R1 has a insanely high-rpm)..
Franz 6:21PM (11/16/2008)
I think it's very cool... and the power production isn't that bad even when compared to 4 stock R1 engines... which you can't really do anyways. Motorcycles are able to make that kind of power largely in part to them spinning at higher RPMs: an '08 R1 doesn't hit fuel cut-off until 14500 rpm, while this was limited to 3000 rpm less . Beefier crankshaft means more rotational inertia, and more power is going to be absorbed to get that bigger crankshaft & flywheel moving compared to your standard fare R1 items.
And HP is just one part of the equation: this thing will have a load more torque than any turbo 'Busa. Low torque is why you don't see motorcycle engines... turbocharged or not... in road cars other than lightweight track toys. This thing should power a proper road car with ease.
arturo 11:13PM (11/16/2008)
yeah you are right a hayabusa turbo engine is able to make 500 hp. keep in mind that this engine is for a motorcycle, so puting the engine with 500 hp in a much heavier car would probably blow the engine in a short period of time.
DS 5:33PM (11/16/2008)
I vote we put in something corvette-based, and cadillac-bodied
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audiRS4ever 5:37PM (11/16/2008)
" In current tune, the redline has been lifted to 11,500 rpm, allowing horsepower to swell to 640. it will certainly be entertaining."...
... not to mention it will sound f-ing amazing!
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Temple 7:36PM (11/16/2008)
. . . and weighs a mere 334 lbs (for a V-16).
DDW 5:57PM (11/16/2008)
Automakers need to focus on getting engines like this into mass production! Acura's NSX successor needs one of these.
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bigbear7787 6:23PM (11/16/2008)
it probably has horrible gas mileage...
it should stay as an incredibly insane & awesome show car engine