http://www.whitemotorcycleconcepts.com/

White Motorcycle Concepts, Northampton (2026)

22/04/2026

Aerodynamics in combination with powertrain density

There’s an intrinsic connection between the shape and size of a motorcycle’s powertrain and the bike’s aerodynamic possibilities and recent developments in powertrain tech mean there’s a growing need for innovation in aero to maximise the potential – and the companies that get it right will reap big rewards.

Whether we’re talking about electric motorcycles, future ICE tech like downsized engines and forced induction, or even hybrids, the old conventions of the size, shape and positioning of the powertrain don’t necessarily apply anymore. In some instances the new power units offer opportunities – smaller engines or compact electric motors give more freedom to exploit aero possibilities – in others they’re a hindrance, with additional components and cooling requirements to consider even when the engine or motor itself is more power-dense than earlier designs. In either situation, finding the right packaging solution to balance powertrain and aero performance could be the difference between success and failure.

We can look to history for examples, and Formula 1 is littered with illustrations of successes and failures when it comes to making the powertrain the right shape and size to suit aerodynamic needs. Starting at the dawn of the 1970s when wings really started to come to the forefront, Ferrari’s F1 cars perfectly illustrated how aero and powertrains can be tightly connected. The 1970 312B, for example, replaced Ferrari’s traditional V12 layout for a flat-12, both for a lower centre of gravity and to give a lower profile at the rear of the car so the wing – limited in height by rules introduced the previous year – was exposed to cleaner airflow. But that advantage became a drawback later in the decade as teams followed the lead of Lotus and exploited ground effect, using tunnels under the floors to create low pressure and suck the cars to the tarmac. Suddenly the wide, low flat-12 engines were a hindrance, taking up space that would be better used for underfloor aero and giving the advantage to cars with V-shaped engines.

With more downforce making it possible to exploit higher levels of power, and a tangible advantage to having smaller engines, aero advantages were a key reason behind the adoption of the 1.5 litre turbocharged engines that dominated the 1980s, and McLaren’s Porsche-made TAG V6 turbos were dominant in the middle of that decade having been developed with aerodynamics firmly in mind. In fact, that project was intended to maximise ground effects, with a V6 layout and horizontal exhausts to allow the largest possible underfloor tunnels, but by the time the engines were ready the ground effect era had ended, with F1 imposing flat floor regulations in 1983. Even so, the TAG engine’s narrow-bottomed design was a key reason to a carbon fibre chassis, compensating for the lost torsional rigidity from the structural engine, and its compact dimensions helped give a narrow rear end, taking TAG-powered McLarens to the drivers’ title in 1984, 85 and 86.

Other examples of powertrains assisting aero improvements include the adoption of paddle-shift transmissions, first by Ferrari in 1989, that allowed narrower cockpits by eliminating the gear lever, and slimmer rear ends thanks to the lack of a gear linkage. And more recently Mercedes’ split turbo V6 engines, introduced for the modern turbo era that started in 2014, allowed more compact packing and a smaller intercooler by moving the compressor away from the hot exhaust-driven turbine.

Of course, there are also examples of going too far. Brabham’s attempt to introduced surface cooling via panels on the bodywork instead of conventional radiators with the BT46 in 1978, led to overheating and a compromised car when radiators had to be reintroduced. More recently, McLaren’s attempt to repeat the ‘purpose-made’ powertrain idea that worked so well in the 1980s backfired with its 2015 tie-in with Honda. The resulting engine was impressively small, allowing for ‘size-zero’ bodywork at the back of the car, but the aerodynamic upside didn’t compensate for the compromises in the powertrain.

In motorcycles, the current blanket use of V4 engines in MotoGP is largely down to the powertrain packaging and aero advantage it brings. V4s are narrower than inline fours, and with regulatory limits on the width of bodywork that means it more scope for aerodynamic addenda. At the start of the modern four-stroke era Honda’s dominant RC213V V5 had a similar aero advantage – narrower than an inline four despite an extra cylinder, but more powerful than rival V4s, it was the ideal compromise at the time.

Turning to modern road bikes, the focus on powertrain layouts and density is increasingly clear as companies wrestle with new technologies. Kawasaki, for example, has filed multiple patent applications in recent months showing different layouts for its hybrid models, which combine a 451cc parallel twin with an electric motor and small lithium-ion battery for circa-700cc levels of performance. The extra components – essentially two separate powertrains – make packaging a challenge, and the brand’s patents explore different positions for the batteries, airboxes and fuel tanks to tackle that issue.

Honda’s V3R E-Compressor, without doubt one of the most anticipated new bikes to be due in 2027, has its own aero and packaging issues to combat. The addition of an electric supercharger to a 900cc, 75-degree V3 engine promises performance on a par with a 1200cc four-cylinder bike, but the supercharger and plenum above the engine leave no space for an airbox or air filter in their usual spot. The solution? Honda has shifted the whole airbox outside the bike’s chassis and bodywork, into a bulbous lump on the righthand side of the steering head. Patents as far back as 2020 show the company explored a similar idea for a proposed supercharged version of the two-cylinder Africa Twin. If the V3R achieves showroom success to match the interest shown in the project before its launch, it’s going to open the floodgates to more supercharged machines with downsized engines, and we’ll be looking with interest at the aerodynamic problems and solutions that come from the technological shift.

08/04/2026

F1 Aero developments – and the same owner for MotoGP

This year has seen the introduction of the biggest set of rule changes in decades for Formula 1 as the sport courts new fans and entrants with efforts to increase excitement and become more technically relevant to production cars. What’s more, the same owners that have overseen the reinvention of the series are now in control of MotoGP so should we expect to see the same thinking transposed to bikes in the not-too-distant future?

The big changes for Formula 1 in 2026 encompass both the powertrains and the aerodynamics, entwined with the dual goals of making the racing closer and adding more relevance to road cars. On the powertrain front, electrical assistance has been used in F1 for decades, but has stepped up to new levels this year. KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) was introduced to the rules back in 2009, and as far back as 1998 McLaren was using a system to store electricity in batteries during deceleration and use it to run engine auxiliaries to free up a few extra horsepower. Since 2014 and the start of the hybrid era there’s been a growing reliance on electric motors, and for 2026 F1’s powertrains are balanced 50:50 between combustion and electric power.

That split introduces a new challenge. Limits on battery capacity and regeneration mean the cars don’t have the same sustained power output as their predecessors and Formula 1 has introduced moveable aerodynamics – front and rear wings that open or flatten automatically in predetermined zones on each track to bleed off drag – to counter that loss. The 2026 cars are also 32kg lighter, 100mm narrower and have a 200mm shorter wheelbase than the 2022-2025 ‘ground effect’ generation of cars. The changes mean the new cars accelerate faster and hit higher top speeds but are slower in corners and lose out fast once their batteries are depleted.

Moveable aerodynamic elements in F1 can be traced back to 1968: almost as soon as wings started to appear on racing cars, designers realised the benefits of being able to move them. They were banned the following year after a string of failures and crashes, but the idea returned in 2011 with the introduction of DRS (Drag Reduction System) as an overtaking aid. It could only be used in races in specific zones and when cars were within a second of the car they were following, giving a top speed advantage that was intended to overcome the aerodynamic handicap of running in another car’s turbulent wake. 2026’s interpretation of moving wings is much broader, reflecting the importance of being able to reduce drag to save energy – something that’s clearly at the forefront of road car manufactures’ minds in this era of hybrids and EVs.

A less well-publicised aero change for 2026 is the introduction of inward-turned bargeboards behind the front wheels. Along with restrictions on the shapes of the front wings, these are intended to stop designers from using the outwash philosophy, where turbulent air coming off the front wing is pushed aside and rushes back in behind the car to create a messy flow that following cars have to pass through, in favour of an inwash concept that pulls the wake from the front wing back towards the underfloor and sidepods. Designers are, of course, already finding ways to circumvent that restriction, creating designs that fulfil the letter of the regulations but still create outwash.

Formula 1’s latest regulations reflect the desire to attract new manufacturers to the arena. They’ve worked on that front, bringing Audi into the fold and reversing Honda’s decision to leave the sport. Cadillac, entering F1 as a manufacturer this year with Ferrari powertrains, will also make its own engine to become a standalone constructor by 2029. The heavy reliance on electrical energy from the hybrid side of the powertrains is a reflection of the need to make F1 relevant to these brands’ production vehicles: as much as fans want to see the return of screaming V10s, they don’t reflect the small capacity, turbocharged, hybrid-enhanced power units that companies want to promote in their current road cars.

Liberty Media, F1’s parent since 2017, has overseen the sport’s huge recent growth in popularity, attracting a new, younger fanbase and more than doubling the audience in the USA thanks to ideas like Netflix’s Drive to Survive and a big push towards social media. The same company completed its acquisition of MotoGP in July 2025 and inevitably that’s spurred suggestions that MotoGP could take a similar direction as F1 in the future.

It will, in some respects, but don’t expect hybrid MotoGP bikes with moving wings anytime soon. MotoGP has already greenlit sweeping technical changes for 2027 and Liberty’s focus is likely to be on attracting more big-name manufacturers to the fold by improving the show and getting more eyes on MotoGP, even if that’s at the expense of upsetting some longtime fans of the sport. The likes of BMW and China’s CFMoto are among those rumoured to have an interest in MotoGP in the future, along with a potential return for Suzuki, and Liberty will aim to create a synergy with brands’ marketing needs and ensure that there’s a strong return on teams’ investments in the sport. Unlike car companies, bike brands aren’t pushing hybrids or electric tech heavily yet, so adopting such ideas in MotoGP would be counterproductive.

Instead, the 2027-on MotoGP rules make a concession to the environment with the adoption of 100% synthetic fuel (something F1 has also done for 2026), 850cc engines instead of the current 1000cc fours, smaller fuel tanks, new limits on external aerodynamic addenda like wings and the elimination of ride height and holeshot devices that have no relevance to street bikes. While there will inevitably be year-by-year tweaks to the ruleset the basics of those 2027 regulations aren’t likely to be revisited until well into the 2030s. Instead, Liberty’s impact on MotoGP in the near future will reflect the company’s F1 approach in terms of social media and promotion, aiming to gain a broader audience and attract new fans to the sport.

Just as we’ve seen in F1, there’s likely to be a move away from some traditional circuits (farewell, Phillip Island) and towards tracks that can bring more casual fans and big businesses to the events, like city-based street circuits.

The planned 2027 rules already put new limits on downforce-generating aerodynamics, restrictions that should make it easier to follow in the wake of the bike ahead, and the elimination of ride height devices will make it harder to accelerate full-throttle out of slow corners, giving more chances for overtakes at the start of straights. Allied to the reduction in engine power and fuel capacity the changes mean the attention of teams will turn to drag reduction to claw back laptime on the straights.

16/03/2026

ENGINEERING PARTNERSHIP: Aerodynamic development requires both advanced simulation and real-world validation.

Following our recent announcement of our strategic partnership with Bramble CFD and TotalSim (link in comments), we’re pleased to share footage from the testing facility at Catesby Tunnel — the world’s longest internal aerodynamic testing facility.

This unique facility allows us to conduct highly controlled aerodynamic testing to validate CFD predictions and further refine our ducted aerodynamic technology.

We are also applying these aerodynamic integration techniques to our latest internal engineering programme; a project representing a significant step forward in our technical evolution. Full details of which will be released in October 2026.

Rob Lewis, Managing Director – TotalSim
“I remember first seeing the duct concept back in 2019 and immediately recognising the potential it had to fundamentally rethink motorcycle aerodynamics. Since then, it’s been exciting to see the idea evolve into a robust engineering platform. The work White Motorcycle Concepts is doing to integrate advanced CFD and aerodynamic thinking into real-world vehicle performance is genuinely innovative and we’re proud to support that development journey.”

Ivor Annetts, Director – Bramble CFD
“White Motorcycle Concepts are tackling some genuinely challenging aerodynamic problems, particularly around internal airflow management and duct integration. Our collaboration allows us to apply high-fidelity CFD tools to explore complex flow structures and rapidly iterate design solutions. It’s an exciting engineering partnership and we’re looking forward to supporting the continued evolution of their aerodynamic technology.”

Robert White, Founder & CEO – White Motorcycle Concepts
“This partnership reinforces our commitment to applying advanced simulation technologies, rigorous engineering validation and performance-driven design to deliver measurable gains for both our partners and our own product development initiatives.”

13/03/2026

Since first publicly demonstrating our aerodynamic duct concept in 2020, we’ve continued to expand the engineering capability behind it.

Today we’re pleased to announce a new strategic engineering partnership with Bramble CFD, part of the TotalSim Group, to accelerate the next phase of aerodynamic development.

By integrating their high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methodologies into our aerodynamic duct design and validation workflow, we are strengthening our ability to analyse and optimise complex internal airflow structures.

This collaboration allows us to refine internal duct geometries, reduce parasitic drag and improve cooling system effectiveness through simulation-led, data-driven engineering.

Alongside our long-term aerodynamic collaborators at TotalSim, who were among the first external engineers to evaluate the duct concept during its early development in 2019. Working with TotalSim (a prominent member of the Silverstone Innovation Cluster, with offices around the world, including Japan) delivers expertise in CFD and aerodynamic development and provides access to Catesby Tunnel (the World’s Longest internal aerodynamic facility) this expanded capability allows us to accelerate both technology development and validation.
These advanced aerodynamic tools are already being deployed across multiple OEM development programmes, where aerodynamic efficiency, packaging optimisation and thermal stability are increasingly critical performance differentiators.

We are also applying these aerodynamic integration techniques to our latest internal engineering programme; a project representing a significant step forward in our technical evolution. Full details of which will be released in October 2026.

Rob Lewis, Managing Director – TotalSim
“I remember first seeing the duct concept back in 2019 and immediately recognising the potential it had to fundamentally rethink motorcycle aerodynamics. Since then, it’s been exciting to see the idea evolve into a robust engineering platform. The work White Motorcycle Concepts is doing to integrate advanced CFD and aerodynamic thinking into real-world vehicle performance is genuinely innovative and we’re proud to support that development journey.”

Ivor Annetts, Director – Bramble CFD
“White Motorcycle Concepts are tackling some genuinely challenging aerodynamic problems, particularly around internal airflow management and duct integration. Our collaboration allows us to apply high-fidelity CFD tools to explore complex flow structures and rapidly iterate design solutions. It’s an exciting engineering partnership and we’re looking forward to supporting the continued evolution of their aerodynamic technology.”

Robert White, Founder & CEO – White Motorcycle Concepts
“This partnership reinforces our commitment to applying advanced simulation technologies, rigorous engineering validation and performance-driven design to deliver measurable gains for both our partners and our own product development initiatives.”

02/03/2026

Aprilia brings ducted aero to MotoGP
Through-bike aerodynamics have taken a step into the public eye

Here at White Motorcycle Concepts we’ve long been believers that ducting air through a motorcycle rather than diverting around the bike is a key route to reductions in aerodynamic drag and improvements in efficiency – and at the opening Grand Prix of the 2026 season the winning Aprilia RS-GP26 debuted an idea that suggests the Italian brand is thinking along the same lines.

The Aprilia idea, which features two new intakes on the nose leading to a pair of outlet ducts by the rider’s elbows on the trailing edge of the front fairing, immediately drew comparisons with the infamous ‘F-Duct’ that McLaren introduced to F1 in 2010. Like the F-Duct, the ducts in the rear edge of the Aprilia’s front fairing can be manually blocked by the rider’s arms, leading to speculation that this diverts the air from the nose intakes elsewhere on the bike to reduce drag when the rider is tucked in on straights.

However, the F-Duct comparison is a little misleading. In the McLaren system, copied by several other teams, an intake on the front of the car led to an opening inside the cockpit that the driver could block with their hand. That diverted air to the underside of the rear wing, reducing downforce and drag. But the Aprilia system appears to be concerned more with the airflow when the elbow ducts are open than when they’re closed.

It’s a development of an idea that was subject of an Aprilia patent application over the winter, and which we wrote about here (https://whitemotorcycleconcepts.com/new-motorcycle-aerodynamic-innovations-keep-coming/). In that application, Aprilia described a system where vertical winglets behind the rider’s legs could be fed with a stream of air, but only during corners when the rider put their knee down. Putting their knee out opened a path for the air on one side of the bike, allowing the winglet on that side to create downforce, while the leg on the other side blocked the airflow to the opposite winglet, so it couldn’t create an opposing lift force.

The MotoGP development of the idea uses ducts to make it much more effective. Instead of relying on airflow around the sides of the front fairing to go through the opening created when the rider sticks their knee out, it’s channelled straight from the nose to openings just ahead of the point where the rider’s knees naturally sit. Behind the rider’s legs are a pair of quite aggressive vertical winglets that, seen from above, turn inwards towards the centre of the bike. On straights, the inner faces of these winglets are largely blocked from airflow by the rider’s legs, but when he hangs off the inside of the bike in corners the duct on the corresponding side channels air straight to the winglet behind it. The result? More cornering downforce and speed.

Better still, there’s a boost to braking. In braking zones, riders – and the Aprilia riders in particular – sit up and extend the leg towards the inside of the upcoming corner, often taking their foot off the peg. On the new Aprilia that opens the path for airflow from the duct exit on the rear edge of the fairing to hit the horizontal, wing-shaped elements connecting the vertical side winglet to the seat unit behind the rider’s leg. That will add rear downforce just as they’re hitting the brakes, helping keep the back of the bike on the ground and stable during the braking zone.

Giving the ability to close the ducts completely, by pressing the rider’s elbows against rubber seals around their edges when in a straight-line crouch, adds a second string to the idea. Instead of relying on the rider’s legs to block the airflow to the side wings on the tail, creating a messy flow where it hits them, the airflow through the ducts can be stopped altogether, creating straight-line aero akin to the previous, un-ducted version of the bike.

At the moment, it’s speculated that when the ducts are blocked, the air is redirected through the gill-like side outlets of the fairing, mingling with the hot air that’s already passed through the radiators. This section of the bike’s aero is already designed to minimise the disturbance of the outlets.

However, it’s an idea that also opens the door to a system more like the original F-Duct, whereby closing the duct outlets could redirect air to other areas, reducing straight line drag. For example, adding internal ducting to expel the air below the front winglets, reducing their downforce and drag (an idea that was subject to a Suzuki patent application in the dying days of that brand’s involvement in MotoGP in 2022), or ducting it to the rear to reduce the effect of other aero elements on the tail, would be relatively easy.

What’s abundantly clear is that the Aprilia RS-GP26 represents a substantial step forward over its predecessor, not only winning its first Grand Prix but with taking four of the top five places in the race. Every other team on the grid will now be poring over the potential of the ducts that helped it to that success, and as a result there’s sure to be a rapid acceleration of development in an area of motorcycle aerodynamics that’s particularly close to our hearts.

25/02/2026

The future of emissions laws & their impact on motorcycling
(Converging regulations & demands driving the development of global bikes.)

For years every major upheaval in the motorcycles offered in the European market has been down to legislative changes as policy makers have aimed to bring down emissions & bring bikes into line with stricter standards for cars. With Euro 5+ now in force across the continent eyes are turning to what the next step will be & how it’s going to change the models on the market.

In 2020, Euro 5 rules came to bikes, bringing their limits for CO, hydrocarbons & NOx essentially into line with those set for petrol cars back in 2011. Since then, car limits for those emissions have remained largely unchanged, but they’ve stepped from Euro 5 into Euro 6 to reflect changes in the methods of measurement & the introduction of new elements like restrictions on particulate emissions. Euro 7 comes into force for cars in 2026, adding more limits including restrictions on non-exhaust emissions.

The introduction of Euro 5+ motorcycle limits from 1st January 2025 takes the same route: instead of changing the limits on emissions, Euro 5+ focused on how they’re monitored, requiring post-catalyst O2 sensors to trigger warning lights if the catalyst isn’t performing, adding OBD2 diagnostic standards & mandating that bike should meet emissions limits at 35,000km as well as when they’re new. Motorcycle Euro 6, when it arrives in around 2030 or so, will probably follow in the footsteps of cars with addition of limits on particulates, both from the exhausts & from non-exhaust sources like brakes/tyres, and a more realistic testing regime to reflect real-world usage.

Motorcycle manufacturers have repeatedly shown that they’re up to the task of meeting emissions limits. Back in 1999 there were fears that Euro regulations might castrate the then-dominant sports bikes over here, but far from a decline in performance, we’ve seen a rapid increase in power outputs over the years since then.

Looking into the future, we’re heading for a period of stability in emissions rules. It will be years before motorcycle Euro 6 regulations are hammered out & introduced, and even when they are, the limits on most emissions aren’t likely to be reduced. Instead, we might see growing pressure on CO2 emissions, which aren’t currently limited by law but have been a key focus of taxation for cars over the last few years, encouraging the spread of technologies like direct fuel injection, downsized engines & forced induction. Paired to the rising cost of fuel & a growing shift towards more economical bikes in Europe, all those ideas are now being investigated by major motorcycle brands. Aerodynamic development, essentially offering a free improvement in economy & emissions, is inevitably another area that’s sure to become increasingly important.

Read full article here: https://whitemotorcycleconcepts.com/the-future-of-emissions-laws-and-their-impact-on-motorcycling/

03/02/2026

New motorcycle aerodynamic innovations keep coming (Aprilia & BMW)

You won’t be surprised to hear that aerodynamics is a subject close to our hearts at White Motorcycle Concepts. Whether it’s using air to improve grip or finding ways to slip through it more seamlessly it’s a field with untapped benefits for riders both on the road and the track and it’s fascinating to see the innovations appearing from other engineers with a similar view.

We’re only at the start of 2026 but already this year we’ve seen the publication of a couple of intriguing patent applications from big names in the motorcycle industry.

The first comes from Piaggio and applies some smart thinking to the interplay between a rider and a motorcycle. It illustrates an evolution of the vertical, rear-mounted ‘leg wings’ that have occasionally appeared on Aprilia’s MotoGP bikes over the last year or two, but applies them to road bikes using the pillion footpeg brackets as mounting points.

These panels smooth airflow when the bike’s travelling in a straight line, but change their purpose from drag-reduction to downforce-generation once the rider shifts his body into a cornering posture.

The leg wings sit a few centimetres away from each side of the bike’s tail just behind the rider’s calves. Seen top-down they align with the outside of the rider’s legs and taper towards the bike’s tail, creating a smoother surface for airflow coming off the side fairings to follow as it travels to the back of the bike.

When the rider hangs off on the inside of the turn, knee extended towards the ground, the leg wing on the inside of the corner gets fully exposed to the airstream and generates downforce. Its counterpart on the other side remains blocked by the rider’s leg, so can’t create an opposing effect. If the winglets work as intended the idea looks like a strong one; simple, easy to implement and inexpensive.

That’s not something that could be said for the other aerodynamics idea that’s caught our attention in early 2026. BMW has filed an application for a patent around the use of the Magnus effect, using Flettner rotors instead of conventional winglets on a bike.

The Magnus effect is the phenomenon that allows a spinning object to create an aerodynamic force perpendicular to its direction of travel. Flettner rotors, most often seen on sailing ships instead of conventional sails, exploit the effect.

BMW’s idea is to use miniature Flettner rotors on bikes instead of winglets. Spun to 80,000rpm by electric motors, the rotors present the possibility of altering downforce and drag levels regardless of the bike’s speed. They’d work irrespective of the bike’s angle of attack, and could be reversed to create lift instead of downforce. In a corner the inside winglet could generate lift, pulling the bike towards the apex.

Between the simplicity of Aprilia’s idea and the leftfield thinking of BMW’s, there’s plenty left to come in the field of motorcycle aerodynamics.

To read the full story click here: https://whitemotorcycleconcepts.com/new-motorcycle-aerodynamic-innovations-keep-coming/

21/01/2026

Inspirations: Stutz Black Hawk
The first in a series of pieces on the people and machines that inspire our work.

Draw up a list of the most innovative engineers in the history of motorsport and some names inevitably rise to the top. Gordon Murray? Absolutely. Colin Chapman? Of course. From Georges Bouton to Adrian Newey, sport has forced the development of new ideas and a never-ending pursuit of the next game-changing development in the search for a competitive edge.

One name that definitely earns a position in that rollcall of innovation is America’s Frank Lockhart. History books will always record him as the winner of the 1926 Indianapolis 500 – a victory he achieved at his first attempt, aged just 23 – but the Stutz Black Hawk Special that he created to go for the Land Speed Record in 1928 illustrated his ability to think differently in the pursuit of performance.

Through the history of the Land Speed Record power has tended to be the route to success. Want to go faster? Add horsepower. Virtually every car during the piston-engined, wheel-driven era, before rockets and jets took centre stage in the 1960s, was driven by a vast engine. Or, as often as not, several of them. Lockhart took a different route, eschewing brute force in favour of a small, light and aerodynamic design, and he came within a whisker of adding his name to the list of outright Land Speed Record holders in the process.

The David-and-Goliath nature of Lockhart’s attempts is clearly illustrated by looking at his rivals. When he unveiled the Black Hawk Special in early 1928 the record holder was Britain’s Henry Segrave, who’d hit 203.79mph the previous year in his ‘1000hp’ Sunbeam. It will be familiar to anyone who’s visited the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, where it’s resided since 1958. The Sunbeam had two 22.4-litre V12 aero engines combining to make something approaching the 1000hp in its name, measured 25 feet in length and weighed four tons. Just days after the Black Hawk was revealed, Malcolm Campbell would regain the record in his slightly smaller, three-ton Blue Bird II, 18 feet long and powered by just one 22.3-litre Napier W12 engine with around 500hp, reaching 206.956mph. His third rival was fellow American Ray Keech, who opted for no fewer than three, 27-litre Liberty V12 aero engines for his 4.5-ton Triplex Special, giving a total of 81 litres of capacity. He edged the record up to 207.552mph in April 1928, setting a new target for Lockhart.

So, how big was the engine of Lockhart’s Stutz Black Hawk to compete against these aero-powered behemoths?

Just under three litres.

That’s no larger than something you’d find in a typical passenger car of the same era. Lockhart was aiming to beat a rival with 27 times that capacity, and he very nearly achieved his goal.

To see how we need to skip back to 2026 and that debut Indy 500 win. At the time, for a brief period from 1926 to 29, Indianapolis racing regulations limited cars to no more than 1.5 litres. It was in a front-wheel-drive, supercharged, 1.5-litre Miller, powered by a straight-eight engine, that Lockhart took victory in 1926. The following year, 1927, should have been an even more impressive achievement. Again in a Miller, he took pole, averaging over 120mph, and dominated the first half of the race before a mechanical failure sidelined him from what looked like a surefire back-to-back victory. The key to that speed was the addition of an innovation of Lockhart’s own design: the first intercooler ever to be used in a car.

The same Miller would take Lockhart to the Class F Land Speed Record for sub-1500cc cars that year, hitting a two-way average of 160.01mph and inspiring the development of the Black Hawk Special for 2028.

The Black Hawk Special, named for and sponsored by the Stutz Motor Company, used two 1.5 litre Miller straight-eight engines merged into a dual-crank, twin-supercharged V16. Lockhart’s intercoolers would feature heavily – one for each bank, shaped to form a finned curve that became part of the car’s bodywork. That was just one of the car’s aerodynamic innovations. Others would include the spatted wheels, smoothly-sculpted suspension components and bullet-shaped bodywork: ice was used for cooling, eliminating the need for a radiator intake. Models were tested in wind tunnels, perhaps the first time that technology was ever used to shape a car, and the results were astounding.

With power estimated around 400hp-500hp, the Stutz needed to be lighter and much sleeker than its rivals. Weighing 1.3 tons and with a small frontal area, Motorsport reported that it made a pass at 202mph, only 1mph short of Seagrave’s record at the time, during its first runs on Daytona’s sands in February 1928. A scary crash that saw the Stutz somersault into the sea, caught by a gust of wind in worsening weather conditions, ended that attempt, but Lockhart was largely unscathed and undeterred.

His repeat visit to Daytona in April that year, after both Campbell and Keech had raised the record, saw him hit over 203mph on his third pass before disaster struck on the fourth when a burst rear tyre led to an unsurvivable, flat-out crash. Lockhart was dead at just 25 years of age but had already broken new technical ground both with his intercooler – a patent would be posthumously awarded on that idea in 1931 – and in the adoption of wind tunnel sculpted aerodynamics and minimal frontal area in an era where others put their focus on pure power.

Reflecting the enormity of Lockhart’s achievement, the intercooled V16 Miller engine, salvaged from the Black Hawk, went on to be fitted to a new racer a decade later. The resulting Sampson 16 Special raced at the Indianapolis 500 in 1939, 40 and 41, with a best finish of sixth, and returned for the first post-WW2 running of the event in 1946, qualifying on the front row in third place using an engine that, by then, was 18 years old.

Nearly a century later the aerodynamic ideas displayed in the Stutz Black Hawk Special are still instantly recognisable on machines you’ll see taking part in events like Bonneville Speed Week, and the intercoolers that helped it achieve so much power from a relatively tiny capacity have become the norm on boosted engines. We can only imagine what engineering solutions and racing successes Lockhart might have achieved if he’d lived longer.

White Motorcycle Concepts

22/04/2026

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