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Matra Sports V12 engine

From Alfawiki
Matra Sports V12 engine
Company typeInternal combustion engine series
IndustryAutomotive, Motorsport
Founded1967
FounderGeorges Martin
Headquarters
Vélizy-Villacoublay
,
France
ProductsFormula One and endurance racing V12 engines

The Matra Sports V12 engine represents a series of internal combustion powerplants engineered specifically for Formula One (F1) and endurance competition. Variants of this engine powered vehicles that triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans consecutively in 1972, 1973, and 1974, earning Matra the World Championship for Makes titles in both 1973 and 1974. This engine is also renowned for its unique acoustic signature.

History

In 1966, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) raised the maximum displacement for naturally aspirated F1 engines to 3.0 litres.

That same year, French engineer Georges Martin joined Matra, having been invited by his former associate Philippe Guédon. CEO Jean-Luc Lagardère assigned Martin the task of developing a new V12 engine designed to deliver 150 horsepower per litre in compliance with the updated F1 regulations.

Development commenced in 1967, supported by a loan of six million francs from the French government alongside an additional two million francs from oil company Elf Aquitaine. The project was headquartered at Matra's Vélizy-Villacoublay plant, with Martin and Georges Chariatte leading engineering efforts and René Fortin managing testing operations.

Initially, Martin arranged for British Racing Motors (BRM) to design critical components such as camshafts and tappets, while Matra concentrated on cylinder head and combustion chamber development. However, after BRM's involvement became public knowledge, the agreement was terminated. Subsequently, Matra collaborated with French engineering firm Moteur Moderne, which constructed three prototype engines.

Prototype engine blocks were made from aluminum; production versions likely featured magnesium blocks and possibly heads. The first test engine was assembled within seven months and successfully fired up on 19 December 1967.

Matra intended to introduce a road car powered by this V12 in 1971. A later MS81 V12 found its way into a modified version of the Matra Murena produced by the factory.

In 1972, the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) combined Group 5 and Group 6 sports prototype categories into a single Group 5 class featuring a 3.0-litre displacement limit without any minimum production requirement. This eliminated prior 5.0-litre entries and established a new competitive arena well suited to the Matra V12.

Common features

Every Matra Sports V12 engine is a water-cooled, four-stroke V12 with a 60° angle between cylinder banks. They all share identical bore × stroke measurements of , resulting in an overall displacement of . Both block and cylinder heads are constructed from light alloy materials, with wet liners fitted within the cylinders. The crankshaft features six throws supported by seven main bearings and is precision-machined from a solid billet. Each cylinder bank houses two overhead camshafts driven via a straight-cut geartrain, actuating four valves per cylinder.

Power output varied between , while torque figures ranged from .

MS9

The MS9 marked Matra Sports' inaugural racing V12 engine. Its intake ports were positioned between the camshafts on each cylinder head, with intake trumpets angled outward. Certain versions exhibited a distinctive "pipe organ" exhaust configuration—three elongated straight pipes running along each side of the engine.

The valve included angle measured 56°, necessitating high-domed pistons to achieve compression ratios. Unlike the Cosworth DFV, the MS9 was not engineered to serve as a stressed chassis member.

This engine generated at 10,500 rpm and was unveiled to journalists on 11 January 1968 at Vélizy-Villacoublay.

Applications:

MS12

The MS12 marked a significant evolution in Matra's V12 engine design. Developed with insights from single-cylinder testing conducted by Moteur Moderne, it incorporated an included valve angle of 33½°. Initially, the intake valves measured 31 mm and the exhaust valves 27 mm, later adjusted to 33 mm and 27.2 mm respectively. Intake ports were repositioned to the cylinder head sides, evident by two vertical rows of six trumpets situated within the cylinder block vee.

Oil scavenge and pressure pumps were moved from beneath the crankshaft (as seen in the MS9) to the front of the crankcase, which contributed to a reduction in overall engine height. The steel crankshaft retained its 120° configuration but featured tighter clearances to reduce windage losses. Titanium connecting rods measured 116 mm in length with 44 mm big ends, while pistons were forged aluminum with flat tops.

Engineered to support suspension loads via a reinforced oil sump and structural components bolted atop each cylinder head, both block and heads were cast from AS9KG aluminum alloy. The cylinder heads were fastened using 14 studs complemented by six cap screws on the exhaust side.

The initial version of the MS12 produced at 11,000 rpm, debuting for the 1970 racing season.

Applications:

MS71

The Matra Sports V12 MS71 was introduced in 1971, delivering power at 11,000 rpm.

Applications:

  • Matra MS120C
  • Matra MS120D

MS72

Released in 1972, the MS72 engine generated at 11,800 rpm.

Applications:

  • Matra MS120C
  • Matra MS120D

MS73

Also referred to as the MS12/73, this engine powered Formula One and sports cars during 1975–1976, producing at 11,500 rpm.

Applications:

  • Matra-Simca MS670 series
  • Shadow DN7
  • Ligier JS5

MS76

The MS76 was utilized in Ligier's Formula One vehicles throughout 1977–1978, offering output at 12,300 rpm.

Applications:

  • Ligier JS7
  • Ligier JS9

MS78

Powering Ligier models in 1978, the MS78 delivered at 12,300 rpm.

Applications:

  • Ligier JS7
  • Ligier JS9

MS81

Between 1981 and 1982, the MS81 engine was employed by Ligier's Formula One team and adapted for a prototype road vehicle. The racing configuration produced at 13,000 rpm; a detuned variant was used for road applications.

Applications:

  • Ligier JS17
  • Matra MS V12 Prototype Murena 81

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (bold signifies pole position; italics denote fastest lap)

... [Table continues with similar compression and focus on key data] ...
Year Entrants Chassis Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Points WCC
Template:F1 Matra Sports Matra MS11 Matra V12 Template:Dunlop

RSA || ESP || MON || BEL || NED || FRA || GBR || GER || ITA || CAN || USA || MEX || || || || || !rowspan="3"| 8 ||rowspan=3| 9th

Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Jean-Pierre Beltoise style="background:#efcfff;"| Ret 8 2 9 Ret Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret
Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Henri Pescarolo style="background:#efcfff;"| Ret DNS 9


World Sportscar Championship outcomes

The following table presents an overview of Matra's achievements in the World Sportscar Championship utilizing Matra Sports V12 power units:

Year Event Team Car Engine Power at rpm Driver Result
1968 24 Hours of Le Mans Matra Sports Matra MS630 MS9 390 hp at 10,500 rpm Pescarolo-Servoz-Gavin DNF
1972 24 Hours of Le Mans Equipe Matra-Simca Shell Matra MS670 MS12 435 hp at 11,000 rpm Pescarolo-Hill 1st
1972 24 Hours of Le Mans Equipe Matra-Simca Shell Matra MS670 MS12 435 hp at 11,000 rpm Cevert-Ganley 2nd
1973 6 Hours of Vallelunga1 Equipe Matra-Simca Matra MS670B MS12 450 hp at 10,500 rpm Pescarolo-Larrousse 1st
1973 1000 km of Digione1 Equipe Matra-Simca Matra MS670B MS12 450 hp at 10,500 rpm Pescarolo-Larrousse 1st
1973 24 Hours of Le Mans1 Equipe Matra-Simca Matra MS670B MS12 450 hp at 10,500 rpm Pescarolo-Larrousse 1st
1973 24 Hours of Le Mans1 Equipe Matra-Simca Matra MS670B MS12 450 hp at 10,500 rpm Jabouille-Jaussaud 3rd
1973 1000 km Zeltweg1 Equipe Matra-Simca Matra MS670B MS12 450 hp at 10,500 rpm Pescarolo-Larrousse 1st
1973 6 Hours of Watkins Glen1 Equipe Matra-Simca Matra MS670B MS12 450 hp at 10,500 rpm Pescarolo-Larrousse 1st
1974 1000 km of Spa2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670C MS12/73 490 hp at 11,500 rpm Jarier-Ickx 1st
1974 1000 km of Nürburgring2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670C MS12/73 490 hp at 11,500 rpm Jarier-Beltoise 1st
1974 1000 km of Imola2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670B/C MS12/73 490 hp at 11,500 rpm Pescarolo-Larrousse 1st
1974 24 Hours of Le Mans2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670B MS12/73 450 hp at 10,500 rpm Pescarolo-Larrousse 1st
1974 24 Hours of Le Mans2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670B MS12/73 450 hp at 10,500 rpm Jabouille-Migault 3rd
1974 1000 km Zeltweg2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670B/C MS12/73 490 hp at 11,500 rpm Pescarolo-Larrousse 1st
1974 6 Hours of Watkins Glen2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670C MS12/73 490 hp at 11,500 rpm Jarier-Beltoise 1st
1974 1000 km of Le Castellet2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670C MS12/73 490 hp at 11,500 rpm Jarier-Beltoise 1st
1974 1000 km of Brands Hatch2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670C MS12/73 490 hp at 11,500 rpm Jarier-Beltoise 1st
1974 6 Hours of Kyalami2 Equipe Gitanes Matra MS670B/C MS12/73 490 hp at 11,500 rpm Pescarolo-Larrousse 1st

Note: 1 These outcomes contributed to the 1973 Sports Prototype Championship title secured by Matra.
2 These results factored into the 1974 Sports Prototype Championship, also claimed by Matra.

MS71 flat-12

In 1971, Matra Sports engineered a 3.0-litre flat-twelve powerplant for their MS120B Formula One vehicle. A prototype featuring an aluminium crankcase is exhibited at the Matra Museum located in Romorantin-Lanthenay.

MS82 V6

The development of a new turbocharged Formula One engine commenced at the conclusion of the 1980 season. The decision regarding the engine configuration was delegated to the client financing the initiative.

The selected architecture was a V6 with a 120° cylinder bank angle, bore × stroke dimensions of , and an overall displacement of . This engine weighed and generated during testing in 1982, with estimated capabilities reaching up to . Nevertheless, by the end of that year, Peugeot, the owner of Matra, withdrew further financial support, and their principal customer, Ligier F1, opted for Renault power units instead.

Replica and continuation engines

Nicholson-McLaren, originally specialists in restoring authentic Matra Sports MS76 engines, received a commission to manufacture ten replica engines. Comprehensive technical drawings for engine blocks, cylinder heads, crankshafts, and auxiliary components were developed utilizing original blueprints, detailed scans of parts, and reverse-engineering techniques applied to Matra components.

Further reading

  • Rosinski, José (1997). Matra — la saga, 1965-1982. ETAI. ISBN 978-2726883013.
  • Delaroche, Frédéric (1982). MATRA la puissance et la gloire (MATRA the power and the glory). Jacques Grancher. ISBN 978-2733900338.

External links

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