Platinum Automotive Company - Engine Division

[OCAdam]

With the creation of the Platinum Automotive Company in early 1975, a new engine testing division was born. The company was founded with motorsports in mind at all times, and the engines that were created fulfilled this mindset to the fullest. While the prototype engines are usually what get built first, all the road-going variants are crafted based upon the knowledge gained from these prototypes, whereupon the company then continues to develop further to make motorsport variants to fit homologation requirements that many series around the world tend to require. Early racing engines PtAC produced tended towards pure power, reliability, and cost, especially as the engineers employed at the company's inception were paid around $11/man hour (or about $45 today). In the more recent years, PtAC got heavily involved in endurance racing, so the engines had to have economy at the forefront, though reliability was a close second.

Note: Engines showcased aren't necessarily going to be chronologically ordered, but I plan on having both the road-var and race-var of each engine showcased in the same post, along with a little description of the engine's design intent.

[OCAdam]

Up first is a modern LMP2 engine, coded as the 332x440-V8F5N-P2x, or, as publicly called, the PtP2-01. Built in 2014, this engine is a 5.0L flatplane V8 featuring 5 valves per cylinder. Because of regulations, it features no VVT, VVL, magnesium, nor titanium. Also, because of the engine size, it is also naturally aspirated.

Note: cost figures are based on $45/hour rate.

The road-going variation of the PtP2-01 packs over 330HP, while remaining very efficient, reliable, and even runs on premium unleaded fuel! While there was some debate in the offices at to whether the engine should also have a fuel mapping to allow for regular unleaded, it was decided that the slight power increase was not worth the sizable loss in economy.

Total Cost: $5488.94


The primary endurance racing ready fuel mapping for the PtP2-01, the P2e (e for economy) is highly efficient while retaining maximum power. Not only is the engine efficient, it is also quite lightweight at just under 142kg while retaining a MTBF figure that ensures longevity for even the most grueling of 24hr races. The only downside is that it is extremely expensive due to the high quality of parts used in the bottom end, fuel system, and top end of the engine.

Total Cost: $57058.12


The alternate fuel map of the PtP2-01, the P2p (p for power) foregoes the fuel sipping nature of the base map in order to gain over 12% in power, though at a large loss of economy (-34%). However, the engine also becomes far more responsive to throttle inputs, perfect for setting fast laps and difficult overtakes. In case of a series having stringent emissions and sound regulations, the engine can be fitted with both catalytic converters and mufflers, though both will reduce the engine's power and efficiency by a small amount (not to mention the obvious increase in weight).

Total Cost: $57058.12