Engineering
Peugeot aim high with new Pikes Peak challenger
Peugeot is showing off its new 208 T16 Pikes Peak challenger. The car, to be driven by nine times World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb, has around 875 horsepower, all-wheel drive, weighs in at just 875kg, and has the obligatory Pikes Peak crazy wings.
Peugeot hope the combination of Loeb and the new 208 T16 Pikes Peak will be enough to be crowned king of the hill, and take outright victory in the unlimited class during the 2013 running of the famous hill climb.
The altitudes of the Colorado hill climb present a special technical challenge; that of ensuring the engine is able to breathe as freely as possible in the rarefied air. “In the case of a normally-aspirated engine, you basically lose one percent of the available power every 100 metres you climb,” notes Peugeot Sport Director Bruno Famin. This is a fundamental parameter that has to be taken into account for this race, which starts at an altitude of 2,865 metres and finishes at 4,301 metres. By the time competitors even reach the start line, certain engines can already have lost around 30% of their potential.
Peugeot Sport’s answer is a 875-horsepower derivative of the bi-turbo V6 which was designed for endurance racing. Read the rest of this entry »
Audi announce fourth R18 e-tron quattro for Le Mans test day
Audi has announced it will be fielding four Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars on the test day for the Le Mans 24 Hours this year. In addition to the cars numbered 1, 2 and 3 running under the nomination for the race, a fourth car (No.4) will be testing for eight hours at La Sarthe. The fourth car is in attendance to gather tyre data for both Audi and partner Michelin.
As of 2014, a completely new set of regulations will apply to the LMP1 sports prototype class. New elements include a reduced tyre size. The smaller dimension corresponds to the current tyre dimension for LMP2 sports cars (14 instead of 16 inches overall width, 28 instead of 28.5 inches outer diameter). Other technical aspects of the future race cars significantly differ from this year’s models as well. For the first time, the amount of energy available when the car runs in a race will become a crucial factor of the race car concept.
Audi aims to manage this change, which marks the most radical one in the LMP1 class to date, by making a race car equipped with measuring technology available exclusively for tyre testing on the test day. Aside from the racing event, this day provides the only opportunity during the year to use the circuit at Le Mans, as the track primarily consists of public roads. Audi’s engineers are already in the process of simulating the aerodynamic effects and the axle loads to be expected with LMP1 race cars in 2014. Thus, the fourth R18 e-tron quattro will be running in a corresponding configuration in realistic conditions at the beginning of June. Read the rest of this entry »
Aston Martin to run hydrogen car at Nürburgring 24 Hours
Aston Martin has announced it will run a pioneering hybrid hydrogen race car at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring next month.
Aston Martin’s new Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S – based on the manufacturer’s new four-door, four-seat sports car – will, apparently, become the first hydrogen-powered car to compete in an international event, as well as the first ever zero CO2 emissions sports car to complete a race pace lap at the legendary Nürburgring 24-hour race.
Working with top hydrogen experts, Alset Global, Aston’s engineers have developed a prototype twin turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 engine that will power the Nürburgring racer.
Aston’s new Rapide racer is capable of running on pure gasoline, pure gaseous hydrogen, or a blend of both. In pure hydrogen mode the car aims to show that a zero CO2 emissions lap of the Nordschleife is possible while emitting only water from the exhaust.
Speaking about the debut of the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S, Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer Dr Ulrich Bez said: Read the rest of this entry »
Alpine Le Mans contender unveiled
A name from the past returns to action this year, as Alpine’s new LMP2 contender, which is poised to compete in the 2013 endurance racing season, has been unveiled. Société des Automobiles Alpine-Caterham’s CEO, Bernard Ollivier, and Philippe Sinault, Signatech-Alpine Team Principal, lifted the cover to reveal the new LMP2 racer in a livery which harks back to the colours sported by the Alpines which raced at Le Mans five decades ago.
“Since the announcement of Alpine’s revival on November 5 last year, we have been moving forward step by step,” said Bernard Ollivier. “The unveiling of this splendid car marks the beginning of another phase. It will turn a wheel for the first time very soon, and its maiden race will follow shortly afterwards. The news of our endurance racing programme received a very positive welcome, not only from diehard Alpine enthusiasts, but also from the world of motor racing in general. We can hardly wait to see our brand’s colours in action!” Read the rest of this entry »
New Clio Cup series reveals technical details
The newly established UK Michelin Clio Cup Series with Protyre, which is intended to provide a cost-effective first step into competitive car racing, has revealed the latest technical details and costs for the road-to-race car conversion kit.
Milton Keynes-based Monster Sport Europe has been named as the supplier of the conversion kit, which will enable owners of Clio Renaultsport 197 or Clio Renaultsport 200 road cars to transform them to race spec for £3,760 plus tax. With the addition of a Safety Devices prefabricated roll cage, available through Renaultsport agent Mark Fish Motorsport for £985 plus tax, drivers can have a race-ready Clio for less than £6,000.
“Our goal is to enable customers to race a road-car based Clio Cup car that will deliver a truly exciting and rewarding competitive experience”, said series manager Simon North, “It is not simply a road car with a bolt-in roll cage, but a racer developed to be as close to the full racing Clio Cup car as possible.”
The conversion kit from Monster Sport includes Renaultsport Technologies front and rear suspension from the Clio Renaultsport R3 Access asphalt rally car Read the rest of this entry »
Toyota reveals updated Le Mans & WEC challenger
Toyota has unveiled a revised TS030 Hybrid LMP1 racer which will spearhead the team’s quest for victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) this season. The first full test of the 2013 car will begin at Paul Ricard in southern France tomorrow (Wednesday).
Toyota Racing will run a two car team for the WEC season. Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima team up again in the #7 TS030 Hybrid. TS030 Hybrid #8 will compete outside of Le Mans for the first time, with a team of Anthony Davidson, Stéphane Sarrazin and Sébastien Buemi.
The 2013 TS030 Hybrid uses a revised version of the Toyota Racing hybrid system first used in 2012. The super capacitor-based system delivers 300hp of boost automatically, on top of the 530hp generated by a 3.4 litre, normally-aspirated V8 petrol engine. Read the rest of this entry »
New Toyota GT4 contender ready for first tests
Buckingham-based race car manufacturer, GPRM, has announced that the first GT4 racing version of Toyota’s new GT86 is ready to hit the track later this month following completion of the first chassis.
The GT86 racer is powered by a 2.0-litre direct injection turbocharged four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine, which has been developed in conjunction with Nicholson McLaren Engines. The GT86 will be shaken down in the UK ahead of a schedule of European tests, and the pre-season ‘balance of performance’ sessions organised by GT4 series organiser SRO.
GPRM and its directors, Gary Blackham and Roger King, believe the new Toyota will be a serious GT4 contender: “The new engine from Nicholson McLaren will be capable of between 360 and 400 bhp,” said Blackham, “although of course the definitive output figure will be determined by the balance of performance testing. Read the rest of this entry »
McLaren confirms details of 2013 GT3 racer
As announced at the end of 2012, McLaren GT will produce further revised examples of their 12C GT3 racer available to compete this coming season. The new models are eligible for all GT3 championships and, for the first time, will see the 12C GT3 available for global competition.
In 2012 the 12C GT3 took part in 98 separate races, resulting in 19 victories, and a further 19 podium finishes for 13 McLaren GT customer teams. During the 2012 season, the 12C GT3 was only made available to European-based GT teams and, aside from a handful of standalone race events in Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan and Macau, raced in championships across Europe. McLaren has announced that the 12C GT3 is now available to all GT teams globally and, for the first time, also collectors and non-race users.
The 12C GT3 will continue to be raced by all active GT teams who competed in 2012. In addition to this, several new teams have taken delivery of the 2013 12C GT3, and are confirmed for the forthcoming season. Reigning back-to-back champions in the Asia GT Championship, Clearwater Racing, join McLaren GT as a customer team. Nine-time World Rally Champion, Sébastien Loeb, has confirmed he will contest the FIA GT Series, and his team, Sébastien Loeb Racing, will run two 12C GT3s. Loeb will be joined in the cockpit by McLaren GT factory driver Alvaro Parente for the six-date season. Read the rest of this entry »
