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It is not a secret that BMW engineers used to search junkyards in Europe for "seasoned" inline four-cylinder blocks to use with their F1 turbo engines.
A seasoned block is one that has been run for a while in a car, and ensures that a majority of the stresses in the metal are relieved after going through so many thermal cycles.
The F1 engines of the 80s used to run on what was known as "rocket fuel" that contained high levels of toluene. According to engineers, toluene is such an effective anti knock fuel it also means that it is more difficult to ignite at low temperatures. The Formula 1 cars that ran on high toluene contents needed to have hot radiator air diverted to heat its fuel tank to 70 degrees C to assist its vaporization.
Briton Brian Hart also produced a small 1.5-litre, four-cylinder for F1 usage back in the early '80s. His engine powered the Tolemans in 1984; and a rookie called Ayrton Senna was driving one of the cars.
Here's a cool video of the first dyno run of Toleman-Hart, rebuilt and run by Geoff Page Racing and driven by Phil Quaife at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Look at the exhaust pipes turn orange because of the incredibly intense heat produced by the single yet enormous turbo!