Designed by Adrian Newey and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the RB17 builds on the 20 years of innovation in Formula One that has resulted in Oracle Red Bull Racing winning six Constructors’ titles. The RB17 features a two-seater carbon fibre monocoque chassis with a semi-stressed mid mounted naturally aspirated V10 engine that is red lined at 15,000 rpm.
Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a carbon fibre gearbox. Weighing under 900 kg and with more than 1,200 HP, the RB17 delivers F1-equivalent lap times and top speeds in excess of 350 kph, while remaining easy to own and operate.
From developing the initial concept through to the delivery of the finished RB17 to customers, Red Bull Advanced Technologies is responsible for the entire process of designing and building the Hypercar, of which there are only 50 that will be sold.
The RB17 will feature Cosworth’s latest cutting-edge powertrain technology.
Development of the engine began in June 2023, where it was decided a 90° V10 was the best solution to resolve all first order forces and moments to zero. Secondarily, the ‘V’ configuration and firing order were chosen to maximise vehicle refinement attributes.
Most notably, the engine will feature Air Valve Spring (AVS) technology as the valve return actuation method. This is an innovation taken directly from F1, which enabled V10s of the noughties – such as the Cosworth TJ2005 that powered the Red Bull’s debut RB1 – to rev beyond 19,000rpm. The RB17 engine speed will be electronically-limited to 15,000rpm: the same as today’s F1 engines. This is part of the specification that enables Cosworth to meet Red Bull’s engine life span requirement of 24,000 kilometres while still delivering the ultimate driving experience for the 50 future owners of the RB17.
In parallel with advances in engine design, Cosworth has also been continually evolving its emissions compliance development throughout the years, ensuring the RB17 engine, like the rest of Cosworth’s hypercar powertrains, meets the stringent requirements of Euro 6 legislation.
Cosworth has unrivalled expertise in designing, developing and manufacturing high performance road car engines, leveraging its rich heritage of creating powertrains for the world’s most demanding motorsport championships – the Cosworth DFV V8 is the most successful F1 engine of all time.
This know-how is applied directly to supercar and hypercar projects, and these are now firmly established in Cosworth’s business strategy. The successful development of the 6.5-litre V12 for the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the 3.9-litre V12 for Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50, T.33 and T.33 Spider, and, most recently, the Bugatti Tourbillon’s 8.3-litre V16 are all testament to the world-class capability within Cosworth. The V10 for the RB17 further demonstrates what can be achieved when working in partnership with the world’s most exclusive and discerning brands.
