Gordon Murray insisted that the engine for this car be naturally aspirated to increase reliability and driver control.
Turbochargers and superchargers increase power but they increase complexity and can decrease reliability as well as introducing an additional aspect of latency and loss of feedback.
The ability of the driver to maintain maximum control of the engine is thus compromised.
Murray initially approached Honda for a powerplant rated at 410 kW (550 hp; 557 PS), with 600 mm (23.6 in) of block length and a total weight of 250 kg (551 lb), it was required to be derived from the Formula One powerplant in the then-dominating McLaren/Honda cars.

When Honda refused, Isuzu, then planning an entry into Formula One, had a 3.5-litre V12 engine being tested in a Lotus chassis.
The company was very interested in having the engine fitted into the F1.
However, the designers wanted an engine with a proven design and a racing pedigree.
Gordon Murray insisted that the engine for this car be naturally aspirated to increase reliability and driver control. Turbochargers and superchargers increase power but they increase complexity and can decrease reliability as well as introducing an additional aspect of latency and loss of feedback. The ability of the driver to maintain maximum control of the engine is thus compromised. Murray initially approached Honda for a powerplant rated at 410 kW (550 hp; 557 PS), with 600 mm (23.6 in) of block length and a total weight of 250 kg (551 lb), it was required to be derived from the Formula One powerplant in the then-dominating McLaren/Honda cars.
When Honda refused, Isuzu, then planning an entry into Formula One, had a 3.5-litre V12 engine being tested in a Lotus chassis. The company was very interested in having the engine fitted into the F1. However, the designers wanted an engine with a proven design and a racing pedigree.
McLaren F1