TAG Turbo engine

[porman]

I was wondering if someone here might be able to shed some light on an engine I have. It is a block and heads of the Porsche built F1 engine that powered McLaren's MP4 chassis. I have contacted Porsche Motorsports in California along with McLaren but have been unsuccessful in getting any information.

My engine is TTE PO 1-14 and I believe that it was used in 1983 or 84. I would love to know the history of this engine as I have had it for some time and plan on keeping it.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Tim the Grey]

Motorsport History Forum, or F1 Forum for this one???
TAG contracted Porsche to build the engines, IIRC, but it was NEVER a PORSCHE product, just an outsourcing exercise for Porsche Design. Who also engineered engines for Seat road cars!

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Motorsport History Forum, or F1 Forum for this one???
TAG contracted Porsche to build the engines, IIRC, but it was NEVER a PORSCHE product, just an outsourcing exercise for Porsche Design. Who also engineered engines for Seat road cars!

So Porsche designed and built the engines and it was not a Porsche product? I'm not sure what you mean.
Anyway the model designation was Mclaren TAG Porsche F1
and it is listed here

[Richard C]

I ran across a site a few weeks ago of a group who claimed to have acquired from TAG/McLaren the remaining stock of engines and heads from the TAG engines. They were selling them for quite a bit of money if I remember and I think they listed some of the history of the individual cases as selling points. Unfortunately I can't remember who it was and I can't seem to find them now. Maybe you will have better luck.

I did find a post from 2005 on the pelicanparts.com forum from someone who claims to own TTE PO 1-44. This person may know the history of his (and your) engine.

Regarding the "Porsche or not" aspect of the engine, there has always been a small bit of controversy about that. McLaren/TAG contracted Porsche to build the engine for them. The basic package was defined by John Barnard of McLaren, but the design and construction of the engine was by Porsche. While the engine was labeled "TAG", it also had a "made by Porsche" (or something similar) on the engine. When Porsche was developing the engine, they put it in a 956 test mule (which was the first time it was mounted to a car of any type) which outraged McLaren as the engine was not for Porsche's use, but for the McLaren F1 car. In short Porsche was able to get a huge amount of publicity out of that engine on someone else's dime which bugged TAG/McLaren.

[Spyderman]

Well I remember the cars racing, and at the time it was very well known that they were "Porsche Powered".
John Barnard stipulated the physical layout of the engine to match the design of his proposed car. The engine was funded by TAG who retained the naming rights to it, although the engines bore "made by Porsche" identification.

[porman]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

I ran across a site a few weeks ago of a group who claimed to have acquired from TAG/McLaren the remaining stock of engines and heads from the TAG engines. They were selling them for quite a bit of money if I remember and I think they listed some of the history of the individual cases as selling points. Unfortunately I can't remember who it was and I can't seem to find them now. Maybe you will have better luck.

I did find a post from 2005 on the pelicanparts.com forum from someone who claims to own TTE PO 1-44. This person may know the history of his (and your) engine.

Regarding the "Porsche or not" aspect of the engine, there has always been a small bit of controversy about that. McLaren/TAG contracted Porsche to build the engine for them. The basic package was defined by John Barnard of McLaren, but the design and construction of the engine was by Porsche. While the engine was labeled "TAG", it also had a "made by Porsche" (or something similar) on the engine. When Porsche was developing the engine, they put it in a 956 test mule (which was the first time it was mounted to a car of any type) which outraged McLaren as the engine was not for Porsche's use, but for the McLaren F1 car. In short Porsche was able to get a huge amount of publicity out of that engine on someone else's dime which bugged TAG/McLaren.

I think you may be talking about the Motorsport Collector. http://www.motorsportcollector.com/MEMtag.html
They still have one more engine that can be had for a steal at 10k.

You are right about John telling Porsche what McLaren wanted and Porsche building it. It is pure Porsche! I have several books that say as much. I remember reading about it going into a 956 and thinking wow, that works.

Thanks for all the information. I'm going to try and find the post from pelican.

[porman]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Motorsport History Forum, or F1 Forum for this one???
TAG contracted Porsche to build the engines, IIRC, but it was NEVER a PORSCHE product, just an outsourcing exercise for Porsche Design. Who also engineered engines for Seat road cars!

I have to apologize for that. I was just trying to get as many people here as I could to help.