Cosworth has been named the engine partner for Red Bull’s new hypercar, the RB17, which was unveiled at Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Announced as part of Red Bull’s 20th anniversary celebration, the RB17 will feature Cosworth’s latest powertrain technology.
Development of the engine began in June 2023, when it was decided a 90-degree V10 was the best solution to resolve all first order forces and moments to zero. Secondarily, the “V” configuration and firing order were chosen to maximize refinement attributes.
The engine will feature Air Valve Spring (AVS) technology as the valve return actuation method. This is an innovation taken directly from F1, which enabled V10s of the early 2000s to rev beyond 19,000 rpm. The RB17 engine speed will be electronically limited to 15,000 rpm: the same as today’s F1 engines.
This specification enables Cosworth to meet Red Bull’s engine life span requirement of 24,000 kilometers while still delivering the ultimate driving experience for the 50 future owners.
“Developing high-performance engines is what the company was created to do. Developing this V10 for a multiple Formula 1 world championship-winning business such as Red Bull is fantastic for the Cosworth brand, especially when we can let this one ring out all the way to 15,000rpm. We’re thrilled to be building on our relationship with Red Bull, and bringing together some of the greatest minds in the industry to produce a truly world-class machine., said Dr. Florian Kamelger, CEO of Cosworth.
The successful development of the 6.5-liter V12 for the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the 3.9-liter V12 for Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50, T.33 and T.33 Spider, and, most recently, the Bugatti Tourbillon’s 8.3-liter V16 are all testament to the world-class capability within Cosworth, according to the company.
