1,100 HP Tata T1 Prima race truck is developed in collaboration with Cummins; could eventually replace the existing motor in the future
Tata Motors has displayed India’s most powerful and arguably fastest race truck at the fourth season of T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship contested in Buddh International Circuit. It boasts a 11.8-litre turbocharged diesel engine which is good enough to produce 1,100 hp maximum power at as low as 2,800 rpm and 3,500 Nm of peak torque between 1,600 rpm and 2,000 rpm.
It is claimed to do 0-160 kmph in less than 10 seconds. With dry weight of 850 kilos, it measures a length of 1,300 mm, width of 1,050 mm and height of 1,100 mm. To put those numbers into perspective, the fastest lap registered by the current race-going 400 bhp truck on season 4 was 1:47.204s by champion David Vrsecky while on a 3.1 kilometer circuit layout the 1,100 hp truck managed to clock 1:35.674s.
The new race machine could replace the existing 12-litre motor mated to a 16-speed transmission in the years to come. The one-make truck racing championship is organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC). The one-of-a-kind in India follows the performance and safety regulations devised by the legendary British Truck Racing Association (BTRA).
Contested under the direction of FIA and FMSCI, the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship has the race-prepped trucks developed to generate 400 bhp maximum power and with six teams fighting for honours in the Pro category. This year, Tata Motors extended its partnership relation with some leading automotive companies like tyre partner JK Tyre, braking technology partner WABCO, lubricant partner Castrol and engine technology partner Cummins who played a vital role in the development of the 1,100 hp race truck.
In the fourth season of the annual truck racing championship, Tata expanded the drivers grid to provoke more competition. As much as 20 Indian truck drivers were selected through the T1 Racer program and for the Champions Class 16 drivers were shortlisted from the 2016 championship.
The Super class assigned for the up and coming racers saw 17 young bloods, chose from over 3,300 entries, competing at BIC yesterday. The Pro Class saw drivers from European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC) going toe-to-toe against British truck racing drivers.
