Mario Illien and Paul Morgan's company from 1983 to today: Indy V8s, Formula One engines for McLaren and Sauber, and powerboat titles.
Ilmor is a British engineering firm founded in 1983 by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan. It built Chevrolet Indy car V8s, supplied Mercedes-powered Formula One engines to McLaren and Sauber, and now supplies NASCAR, ARCA and marine engines.
Ilmor is a British motor racing engineering firm that builds high-performance engines and advises racing clients. It was set up in 1983 by two engineers who had left Cosworth, and it became known for Indy car V8s, Formula One engines and powerboat units. Racing still forms the centre of the business.
What is Ilmor?
Ilmor is an independent British motor racing engineering company that supplies engines and consultancy. Founded in November 1983 by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan, it has manufacturing in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Michigan. Its engines and advice now serve IndyCar, NASCAR truck and ARCA racing, and MotoGP.
A British engine builder whose Indy V8s won 64 of 78 CART races from 1987 to 1991.
Where did Ilmor come from?
Mario Illien and Paul Morgan both worked at Cosworth on the DFX turbocharged methanol engine for the CART Indy Car series. Differences over the future direction of development led them to leave and set up their own company. Cosworth argued the Ilmor design was little different from its own planned changes to the DFX.
The company then began building Indy car engines with funding from Roger Penske, the team owner and chassis maker. Its US sister company, Ilmor Engineering Inc., was incorporated in 1990 to support customers of the Chevrolet 265A.
How did the Ilmor 265 win at Indianapolis?
The 265-A, initially badged the Ilmor-Chevrolet Indy V-8, debuted at the 1986 Indianapolis 500 with Al Unser for Team Penske. Rick Mears gave it its first 500-mile win at the 1987 Pocono 500, and Mario Andretti won at Long Beach, the engine's first Indy car victory.
The programme grew in 1987 to Penske drivers, Patrick Racing and Newman/Haas. Andretti also took pole for the 1987 Indianapolis 500, and Mears won the 1988 Indianapolis 500, the engine's first win there. From 1987 to 1991 the engine won 64 of 78 CART races.
Key Ilmor engine milestones
| Year | Programme | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Ilmor-Chevrolet Indy V-8 (265-A) | Debut at the Indianapolis 500 |
| 1988 | Chevrolet Indy V-8 (265-A) | Rick Mears wins the Indianapolis 500 |
| 1992 | 265-A and 265-B | Bobby Rahal wins the CART title; Al Unser Jr. wins the Indy 500 |
| 1994 | Mercedes-Benz 500I | Al Unser Jr. wins the Indianapolis 500 |
| 1998 | McLaren Mercedes-Benz engines | Constructors' title |
| 2002 | Mercedes-Ilmor | DaimlerChrysler raises its stake to 55% |
What changed with the 265-B, 265-C and 265-D engines?
The 265-B was fielded by Penske in 1992, when it won four CART races. The 265-C replaced both the 265-A and 265-B in 1993, and the 265-D replaced the 265-C for 1994. Chevrolet dropped its badging after 1993, so the later engines were named Ilmor-C and Ilmor-D.
Bobby Rahal won the 1992 CART championship in a Chevy-A, and Al Unser Jr. won the 1992 Indianapolis 500 in one too. That race was the fifth consecutive and final Indy 500 win for the 265-A.
How did Ilmor reach Formula One?
Ilmor entered Formula 1 in 1991 with a V10 engine as the exclusive supplier to Leyton House, formerly March. It supplied Tyrrell from 1992. Andrea de Cesaris scored eight points for Tyrrell, and Karl Wendlinger scored three more for March.
Sauber and Mercedes-Benz signed a deal with Ilmor after scrapping a Mercedes engine plan. Sauber scored 12 points in 1993, and Mercedes entered officially in 1994 with an updated version of the 1993 engine.
How did Mercedes-Benz take control of Ilmor?
Mercedes-Benz acquired Chevrolet's 25% share of Ilmor in 1994. After Paul Morgan's death in 2001, Mercedes raised its stake to 55% in 2002 and renamed the business Mercedes-Ilmor. By 2005 DaimlerChrysler was the sole owner, which renamed it Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines Ltd.
Paul Morgan was killed in 2001 while landing a vintage Hawker Sea Fury at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire. In 2005 Mario Illien bought the Special Projects part of the business with Roger Penske, and the company became Ilmor Engineering Ltd once more.
What did Ilmor's McLaren engines achieve?
Ilmor built the Mercedes-Benz engines for McLaren, which scored several podiums in 1995 and 1996 and then won three races in 1997. By then Ilmor had moved from independent builder to assembler for Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines. McLaren went on to win back-to-back drivers' championships in 1998 and 1999, and the constructors' title in 1998.
That arrangement was similar to the Mecachrome and Renault setup, and to the Cosworth and Ford model, in which one maker's name sat on the engine while a specialist built and assembled it.
What was the Mercedes-Benz 500I?
The Mercedes-Benz 500I was built by Ilmor for Team Penske in 1994. It exploited a loophole in the rules of the Indianapolis 500, which allowed stock-block engines to run at 3.43 litres against 2.65 litres for racing engines, with significantly greater turbo boost.
The engine was about 200 bhp more powerful than the Cosworth XB and the Ilmor 265D, and Al Unser Jr. won the 1994 Indianapolis 500. Emerson Fittipaldi was involved in an accident on lap 184, and the loophole was closed for 1995.
Did Ilmor supply Honda and Chevrolet programmes?
Yes. Honda partnered with Ilmor on the Honda Indy V8 from 2003 to 2011, covering co-assembly, preparation, tune-up and maintenance. Chevrolet returned to IndyCar in 2012 with a V6 programme that Ilmor supported, supplying free engines to Team Penske. Other Chevrolet teams paid a lease.
Honda ended the partnership after 2011 and moved all design, development and production in house to HPD for the 2012 Honda Indy V6. The 2012 programme was Honda's own in-house engine.
Did Ilmor race in MotoGP?
Ilmor did, briefly. In 2006 it announced a two-bike team, and Garry McCoy rode a wildcard entry in the final two races of the season. He scored points at both, becoming the first rider to score on an 800cc MotoGP machine, though he finished last both times, four and seven laps down.
For 2007 the engine capacity was cut from 990cc to 800cc. Jeremy McWilliams and Andrew Pitt were confirmed as riders, but after one race the team took a break from MotoGP because of funding issues.
What does Ilmor supply in NASCAR and ARCA?
Ilmor is the option specification engine supplier for the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Many truck teams have switched to its option crate engine, which is based on the LSX. In 2019 the company took responsibility after four NT1 engines failed at Las Vegas.
The failures were caused by severe detonation, from high engine load combined with extreme weather. NASCAR later denied ThorSport's request to reinstate Enfinger and Sauter into the playoffs, despite Ilmor's announcement. In 2021 Ilmor partnered with Edelbrock to supply a 396 cubic inch engine for the Superstar Racing Experience.
How big is Ilmor's marine business?
In 2002 Ilmor moved into high-performance marine work with race engines for the SuperCat series. Those first units were modified Dodge Viper V10s, and the division has since grown in the US and European boat markets. Ilmor also responded to 2009 emissions rules with the MV10-650 and MV10-725.
Stricter exhaust rules that took effect from 2009 in California, at federal level in the US and across the European Union pushed the company to develop new units. Two MV10-625 units took a boat in the Fountain Worldwide King of Shaves colours to the 2007 P1 Evolution class title.
What is Ilmor doing today?
Racing remains the core of Ilmor's business, and the company acts as a consultant for motorsport clients across all forms of racing. It is also diversifying into OEM automotive, defence, marine and energy efficient engine work. Its racing expertise carries over into those areas.
