What Engine Does Toyota Use In NASCAR?

Last Updated on February 6, 2023 by Leepu Da Maxim

Toyota uses a 5.8-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine in NASCAR racing cars. The engines are a 3.4-liter displacement, twin-turbocharged, 90 degrees V8 engine. The engines have a maximum horsepower of 550 and a maximum torque of 625-foot pounds.

Key Takeaways

  • Toyota’s NASCAR engines have a specific fuel consumption rate of fewer than 7.1 miles per gallon
  • The V8 engines have a very high peak horsepower-to-weight ratio
  • The Toyota V8 engine is used in various Toyota vehicles, such as the Tundra pickup truck and the Land Cruiser SUV
  • Toyota V8 engine is available in quite a few types like like 4.7-liter 2UZ-FE, the 5.7-liter 3UR-FE, etc.

Features Of Toyota V8 Engine In Detail

Features Of Toyota V8 Engine In Detail

1. Turbocharging – The Toyota engines in NASCAR racing are turbocharged. They use a twin-turbocharging system. This helps the engines to reach their maximum power output at a lower RPM compared to non-turbocharged engines. 

2. Horsepower – The horsepower of the Toyota V8 engine is 550 horsepower. 

3. Fuel consumption & type – The fuel consumption of this engine is 7.1 miles per gallon, which is very high for this type of engine. The fuel system of the Toyota V8 racing engine consists of one fuel injector per cylinder. It also has a fuel pump, which is powered by a belt off the crankshaft. The fuel used in the Toyota V8 racing engine is methanol.  The oil system of the Toyota V8 racing engine consists of two oil pumps, which are driven by two belts off the crankshaft, one oil cooler, and an oil tank, which is mounted at the top of the engine block.  

4. Peak horsepower – The peak horsepower of the engine is 725 Horse Powers (hp). The engine is really big and Toyota makes 350 to 400 of them a year.

5. Torque – The peak torque of the engine is 260 – 350 foot-pounds, which is again very high for this type of engine. 

6. Specific fuel consumption – The specific fuel consumption rate of the Toyota V8 engine is 7.1 miles per gallon. 

7. Engine weight – The engine weight of the Toyota V8 engine in a NASCAR racing car is around 575 pounds. 

8. Engine displacement – The engine displacement of the Toyota V8 racing engine is 3.4 liters. 

9. Engine block – The engine block of the Toyota V8 racing engine is aluminum. 

10. Bore – The bore of the Toyota V8 racing engine is 3.42 inches. 

11. Stroke – The stroke of the Toyota V8 racing engine is 3.54 inches. 

12. Cylinder heads – The cylinder heads of the Toyota V8 racing engine are aluminum with four valves per cylinder and a variable valve timing system for both intake and exhaust camshafts, which can adjust the duration and lift of each valve independently. 

13. Valvetrain – The valve train of the Toyota V8 racing engine consists of a hydraulic lifter cam-phasing system, which can adjust both intake and exhaust camshafts independently with hydraulic lifters. 

14. Compression ratio – The compression ratio of the Toyota V8 racing engine is 11.0:1. 

15. Engine lubrication – The engine lubrication of the Toyota V8 racing engine consists of a dry-sump system. 

16. Transmission – The transmission used in the Toyota V8 racing engine is a five-speed sequential gearbox with no synchromesh on the first gear for better acceleration off the line. 

17. Clutch – The clutch used in this racing engine is a carbon/carbon clutch, which has a very high strength-to-weight ratio and can withstand high temperatures without fading or burning up. 

 21. Exhaust system – The exhaust system of the Toyota V8 racing engine consists of four tailpipes with two mufflers per tailpipe. It also has an adjustable butterfly valve for each tailpipe to adjust the airflow to each tailpipe individually.

References:

https://www.toyota.com/racing/trd/news/archive/trd-engines-behind-the-build

https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2013-aug-20-la-sp-nascar-toyota-engines-20130821-story.html