Megatron
Megatron was the designation of a supercharged Otto engine with 4 cylinders and 1.5 liters, in the years 1987 and 1988 in the formula 1 was used. It was a further development of the BMW M10 used by BMW until 1986 .
BMW was involved as a factory engine supplier in Formula 1 from 1982, but announced its withdrawal at the end of the season in 1986. Jackie Oliver , team boss of the British Arrows team, which did not yet have an engine contract for 1987, then convinced the main sponsor of his racing team, the US insurance company United States Fidelity & Guaranty (USF & G), to buy the previous year's engines from BMW and to buy them independently and under to further develop the name of its subsidiary Megatron Inc. Service was taken over by Heini Mader Racing Components , whose owner Heini Mader was the mechanic of the former Formula 1 drivers Joseph Siffert and Joakim Bonnier .
In addition to Arrows, the Ligier team also drove with Megatron units in 1987 after a planned collaboration with Alfa Romeo broke up shortly before the start of the season. The 1987 season was only moderately successful for both teams. Arrows driver Eddie Cheever crossed the finish line four times and in the end achieved 8th place in the drivers' standings with 10 points. His team-mate Derek Warwick, on the other hand, only scored points in two races, and Ligier driver René Arnoux only once. Piercarlo Ghinzani , the second driver for Ligier, was completely free of points. In 1988, however, the picture improved. Warwick and Cheever could score regularly; The highlight was Cheever's third place at the Italian Grand Prix . At the end of the season Arrows landed in 5th place in the constructors' championship with 23 points. Arrows had tied on points with the fourth-placed Lotus team, but the latter had better individual results with more podium positions.
The Formula 1 project was ended after the FIA announced the reintroduction of naturally aspirated engines and the related ban on turbo engines from 1989.