The hidden valley: Ilmor takes the motorsport powertrain lead

In deepest Northamptonshire, one of motorsport’s greatest names is blending traditional engineering knowhow with state of the art simulation techniques, Chris Pickering discovers

Driving round the outskirts of Brixworth you wouldn’t necessarily know it was a place of global significance. But this unassuming corner of Northamptonshire marks the northern tip of Motorsport Valley – the strip of central and southern England that’s home to some 75 per cent of the world’s top-level motorsport R&D companies.

In many ways, Ilmor Engineering typifies this industry. Based in a quiet industrial estate on the eastern edge of the village, it’s responsible for engines that have dominated the likes of Formula One and IndyCar yet you’d hardly know it was there. It’s also evolving; embracing new techniques and moving into neighbouring industries such as aerospace and defence.

Ilmor can trace its roots back to another great UK motorsport institution. Company founders Paul Morgan and Mario Illien met while they were working as engineers at Cosworth, just down the road in Northampton. They hatched a plan to produce their own engines and founded Ilmor in partnership with US motorsport mogul Roger Penske in 1984.