Need for speed

The technology created to take JCB's 444 engine from a backhoe loader to powering the Dieselmax car into the record books will filter through to its production engines. The company used two 444 engines up-rated to 750 hp (560 kW) to set a new land speed record for a diesel powered car at 350,09 mph (563,42 km/h) on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, US in August last year.

According to JCB group engineering director Dr Tim Leverton (pictured), the combustion research undertaken during the project will help the company build cleaner and more efficient engines to meet the Stage IIIB emissions regulations. Dr Leverton said, “We have gained a thorough understanding of how the combustion techniques used on Dieselmax can be harnessed to improve our production engines.”

The Dieselmax design included mounting the up-rated 444 engines on their side and development of a dry sump lubrication system – a first for JCB. “This development will give our machine engineers more freedom to create even more compact designs in the future,” said Dr Leverton.