Born of Speed

Zakspeed Capri Turbo | DRM Championship, 1978 – 1981 | 1.4L –...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:01:16 -0700

Zakspeed Capri Turbo | DRM Championship, 1978 – 1981 | 1.4L – 495bhp

For the 1978 season of the German DRM Championship, Ford of Cologne appointed Zakspeed to develop a purpose built racer based on the new Capri. The DRM Championship had recently adapted Group 5 regulations to their series, with two classes of cars: Division 1 for over displacements exceeding 2 liters and Division 2 for cars with engines smaller than 2 liters. The Zakspeed Capri was developed for Division two and was indeed based on the production Capri, but very few parts made it into the race car.

The roofline, glass and radiator grill were the only parts that were used from the original Capri. Eighty meters of aluminum tubing were used to build a space frame chassis that included built in air jacks. The engineers made use of composites and alloys throughout the car and used kevlar for the body panels to keep the weight under an impressive 800kg (1764lbs).

The brakes, front McPherson struts and solid rear axle were based on the proven, German-built Ford Capri RS3100 racer. Further borrowing from the RS3100, the radiators were relocated to the front of the rear wheel wells, angled and bent for fitment and surface area maximization. The Zakspeed Capri had 4 piston cockpit-adjustable vented discs at all four corners. The brakes were surrounded by stunning BBS wheels, 16x10 in the front and 19x12.5 in the rear, wrapped in Goodyear rubber.

The 4-cylinder engine, although only displacing 1.426L, put out an astonishing 495 brake horsepower by 1981 after continued development. That’s a staggering 347 bhp per liter, and the engine also made nearly 300 ft lbs of torque at 7500rpm. The power was fed through a Getrag 5-speed manual transmission and applied to the wheels through a live axle. Even with the distinctive aero, massive front splitter and rear wing the Zakspeed Capri could reach a top speed of 186 miles per hour.

In it’s debut at the Hockenheim circuit in 1978 driver Hans Heyer put the car on pole position. However, reliability woes plagued the car and it did not see a victory until the final race of the season at Nürburgring. The Zakspeed Capris saw great success in 1980 and in 1981 driver Klaus Ludwig absolutely dominated the grid. Ludwig took an amazing 13 out of 13 pole positions, 10 wins and a second place finish with 2 retires due to mechanical failure. The Capri was raced against newer prototypes for a couple more years amidst division changes and didn’t see the type of success it achieved in the 1981 season. However, the car endures as one of the most formidable GT racers ever built. Recently, an original Zakspeed Capri has been meticulously restored by Zakspeed and was featured at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of speed, piloted by Klaus Ludwig himself, as pictured above.

(Sources: SpeedHunters, UltimateCarPage, racing65.com)

Audi Sport quattro 1980-1986 | Four-Wheel Drive | 591hp The...

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:27:00 -0700

Audi Sport quattro 1980-1986 | Four-Wheel Drive | 591hp

The original Audi Quattro was debuted in 1980, taking advantage of rule changes that allowed four-wheel drive in racing. Over the next 6 years there were several evolutionary variations to the model, ending with the S1 E2. The Audi Sport Quattros and the subsequent A1s, A2s and S1s were fairly dominant in Group B, with the cars boasting quite a lot of interesting technology, especially for the time. Due to the success of the original car, Audi gave all other versions and vehicles using the Quattro tag a lowercase q, which is still in effect today. Original big-Q Quattros are now collectors items.

Being the first car to take advantage of a four-wheel drive system in rallying, the Quattro was navigating unexplored waters. Audi did so, however, with great success. After placing 5th in the World Rally Championship in 1981, Audi took first in the championship in 1982 with the quattro. Also notable, driver Michèle Mouton became the first female driver to win a WRC rally in 1981 in the seat of a Quattro. Audi then took 2nd in 1982, 1st in 1984, 2nd in 1985 and then 4th in 1986 after withdrawing from the season. After the end of Group B an Audi Sport quattro S1 powered Walter Röhrl to take the victory at Pikes Peak in 1987.

The car’s success was, in large part, due to the technological advancements Audi crammed into the Sport quattros. The most powerful S1 E2 ended up with a 2.1L 20 valve straight 5 that produced 591hp, the most of any rally car in Group B. The engine redlined at 8600 rpm and featured a turbo that made use of a recirculating air system to keep the turbo spooled up even when the driver was off the throttle. With massively reduced turbo lag, the engine was able to put nearly full power to the wheels at almost all times if the driver so wanted. Mated to 6-speed powershift gearboxes (which were forerunners of today’s DSG technology) and the brilliant quattro four-wheel drive system, the car was set up to win. The S1 featured several changes from earlier versions including a steeper windshield for improved visibility, wider wheels, and, most notably, the wheelbase of the was shortened by over a foot to make the car even more agile and quick. The car also featured an aggressive aerodynamic kit with distinctive wings and spoilers around the car to help increase the downforce of the 2,400 pound (1,090kg) machine. The aero kit shaped the quattro to be the beautifully unique and easily recognizable classic icon it remains today.

(Sources: supercars.net, Wikipedia, automobilesreview.com)

Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR | FIA GT | 1997-1998 First off, just look...

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:25:36 -0700

Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR | FIA GT | 1997-1998

First off, just look at this beautiful car for a moment. Then, think about the fact that this amazing car was developed and produced in just 128 days by Mercedes-AMG. Finally, think about this: the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR’s dominance in the 1997-98 FIA GT Championship seasons resulted in literally zero GT1 team entries for the 1999 season besides Mercedes-AMG. Zero. No BMWs, no Porsches, no McLaren F1s. Simply no one. This is the iconic racer’s story.

Engineered to win from the very start, the CLK-GTR was designed strictly as a race car but still included some road car elements. It was only after the original conception that the design was adapted for a road car, of which only 25 were built to meet FIA regulations, including 5 stunning roadsters which were produced in 2002 and 2006.¹ Interestingly, to aid in the design of their car, Mercedes-AMG secretly purchased a McLaren F1 GTR, which would be the primary competition in the coming 1997 GT1 season. With data such as specific lap times now readily available to the team, which gave them a target to shoot for and surpass, they set about attaching different bodywork to the McLaren to test and perfect the aerodynamics of the CLK GTR before ever building one.² 128 days after starting work on the CLK GTR the two prototypes were finished, using an AMG tuned, naturally aspirated 600hp Mercedes V12 that was upgraded to 630hp during the 1997 GT season.

The CLK GTRs debuted at the start of the 1997 FIA GT Championship season. After setting pole at the first two rounds and finishing right on the tail of a McLaren F1 GTR in race two, a CLK GTR picked up a win after setting pole again in the fourth race. The CLK GTRs went on to win 5 of the remaining 7 races with AMG-Mercedes taking the teams’ championship and Bernd Schneider taking the drivers’ championship.

Then came the 1998 FIA GT season, where the Mercedes really found their stride, to say the very least. The first race resulted in a 1-2-3 finish for the CLK GTRs, and AMG-Mercedes took the next race as well. The CLK GTRs were then replaced by the CLK LMs which had been developed for racing at the 24 hours of Le Mans, where both cars unfortunately suffered early engine failures. Changes included use of a naturally aspirated 600hp Mercedes V8 as well as aerodynamic improvements which resulted in a top speed of 205mph (330km/h). The CLK LMs went on to win all 8 of the remaining races with six 1-2 finishes. The AMG-Mercedes team again won the championship with nearly three times as many points as the second place team while drivers Klaus Ludwig and Ricardo Zonta shared the drivers’ championship.

The following year Mercedes was the only team to enter the GT1 class, resulting in the elimination of the GT1 class that season. Then in the 2000 season the previous GT1 class was deemed GT with a second class called N-GT. Thus, the CLK GTR (and LM) was used only in 2 seasons, handily eliminating all competition.

As a personal side-note, when I was about 12 or 13 years old I had the privilege of seeing a CLK GTR that had been used in the FIA GT Championship at a dealership near my hometown. I vividly remember the huge Mobil 1 wing and the size and beauty of the machine. It was there for a few weeks or so before I happened to be there again while it was loaded into a truck and carted off to an auction where, if I remember correctly, bidding started at 1.2 million dollars (I don’t know what it ended up selling for).

¹Different sources provide different production numbers; some say 19 coupes and 6 roadsters, and some also say 20 coupes and 6 roadsters.

²Taken directly from Wikipedia which had no source listed for this information regarding the purchase/testing of a McLaren. If anyone has a source for this please send me it; I wasn’t able to find one.

(Sources: Wikipedia, ultimatecarpage.com:GTR, LM and roadster pages)

I’ve been too busy to do any writeups the past few days,...

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 20:48:38 -0700

I’ve been too busy to do any writeups the past few days, but here’s an awesome look inside McLaren’s factory. The engineering behind even the building process of their cars is amazing. Have a watch.

Porsche 959 | Sequential Twin Turbos | Four Wheel Drive |...

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:24:00 -0700

Porsche 959 | Sequential Twin Turbos | Four Wheel Drive | 1986-1989

Interestingly, the Porsche 959 started out as a Group B project before it became Porsche’s legendary supercar of the late 1980s. In 1981, Porsche’s head engineer Helmuth Bott wanted to expand on the 911 as well research and develop an all wheel drive system for Porsche. (edit, as per @that911’s input:) Another significant reason for the development of the 959 was to explore the limits of Porsche’s “incorrectly” placed rear engine. Bott chose Group B as the testing grounds for the car and used the racing program to accelerate development.

Most of the work at the start of development went into designing the all wheel drive system and the suspension to cope with all four wheels being driven. While mechanically the all wheel drive system wasn’t anything revolutionary, the ingenious component was the computer that controlled where the power would be sent. The computer did so via the PSK’s (Porsche-Steuer Kupplung, Porsche’s name for the all wheel drive system) clutch between the transmission and front differential and was smart enough to compensate for weight shift during acceleration and to adapt to different surfaces such as gravel, ice, or snow. At the time, this was the most advanced all wheel drive system on a production car. Porsche also employed use of an anti-lock braking system on the 959, using an existing ABS that was completely redesigned (caliper pictured above) due to complications involving the all wheel drive system.

Being Porsche, the design of the car was supposed to maintain the basic shape of a Porsche 911 while keeping the weight of the car down, along with the drag coefficient. The designers did an amazing job at all of this while adding an elegantly integrated rear wing and ending up with a drag coefficient of 0.32, in part due to the enclosed underbody design. While having a very strong and durable monocoque and drivetrain, along with the all wheel drive system and being packed with technology, the finished “Comfort” production car weighed in at 3,197 lbs (1450kg), with a “Sport” version that weighed just over 220 pounds (100kg) less.

The engine used was the 2.85L flat six that had been previously designed for use in the 935/78 Moby Dick race car. The engine consisted of an air-cooled block with watercooled heads that made use of 4 valves per cylinder and twin camshafts. The engine, helped by sequential twin-turbochargers made a very impressive 450 hp and 369 ft·lb of torque and, in the road car, was mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

While Group B was mostly only a way to test the cars, the Group B 959s eventually had a few successful races, taking first place in Dakar in 1984, and finishing first, second and sixth in 1986. The focus was then moved to refining the 959 as we know it, a blisteringly fast yet elegant supercar. The first car wasn’t shipped until 1987 with a final price of $225,000, which would have bought you a Countach and a Tersarossa in those days. Even so, Porsche was still losing money on each of the 250 cars built for customers, with a total of 337 cars built including prototypes. Also interesting was Porsche’s refusal to meet emissions and safety standards of the United States, resulting in the US Customs Service holding Bill Gates’ 959 for 13 years until the “Show and Display” law was passed in 1999.

More important than the price, though, was the performance of the machine. The 959 Sport made it from 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds, in part due to the reduced turbo lag with the sequential turbo setup as well as the extremely smart and grippy all wheel drive system. The 959 continued on up to 100mph in around 8.5s and with a top speed of nearly 200mph, it was the fastest car in the world at the time. The 959’s one-off racing variant, the 961, won first in class and 7th overall in the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans before catching on fire after an accident the following year. The 959, however, was the original high-tech supercar and remains a symbol of Porsche’s beautiful and brilliant engineering, with the technology developed for the 959 used on a variety of 911s in the years to come.

(Sources: ultimatecarpage.com (along with the pages on the Sport, Dakar and 961), Wikipedia, insideline.com)

The Eagle Speedster - Jaguar E-Type The Eagle Speedster is a car...

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:28:04 -0700

The Eagle Speedster - Jaguar E-Type

The Eagle Speedster is a car that I simply cannot get enough of (as you can see by the number of pictures in this post). The car is an astonishing machine to behold—from every angle and down to every detail. Based entirely off the already gorgeous 1960s Jaguar E-Type, the Eagle Speedster is a modern twist on an iconic classic. With subtly more aggressive styling, beautiful swooping curves, an immaculate interior and a howling 310hp/340lb-ft tq 4.7L fuel injected straight six, what more could you possibly want?

I think this, by a long way, is the most beautiful car I have ever seen. It might actually be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

-Jeremy Clarkson, BBC Top Gear June 2011

(Sources: jaguarspeedster.com classicdriver.com, BBC Top Gear)

Lotus 78/79 - John Player Special Mk III/IV | Formula 1 |...

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:23:25 -0700

Lotus 78/79 - John Player Special Mk III/IV | Formula 1 | 1977-1978 | Introduction of Ground Effects to Formula 1

After an unsatisfactory F1 season for Lotus in 1976, designer Colin Chapman started exploring low drag downforce solutions. Chapmans ideas were based on a de Havilland Mosquito fighter, particularly the wing mounted radiators and the hot air outlets that were designed to produce lift. Chapman realized an inverted version of the wing of the aircraft could be used on a Formula 1 car, and wrote a 27-page report which he gave to head engineer Tony Rudd who assembled a team to implement the ideas.

Design was based around the the idea of ground effects after some successful tests with models and prototypes in wind tunnels. The underside of the sidepods were designed as stout, massively inverted wings (shown above in pictures 3, 4, and 5 which is a photo of the sidepod from rear). It was discovered that by shaping the floor of the car in this manner, the air passing underneath would accelerate. This accelerated air caused a drop in air pressure under the car, creating a partial vacuum, thereby sucking the car to the track and providing more grip. Even the Mosquito’s radiator design was copied with the Lotus 78’s radiators positioned in such a manner that the hot air escaping would pass over the upper bodywork of the car, creating even more downforce. The great advantage of using ground effects to create downforce was that they do not create drag like traditional wings and spoilers, meaning straight line performance is not compromised. It was also found that air moving sideways under the car reduced the ground effects and side skirts were employed to avoid this, with great results. The ground effects were perfected in the Lotus 79 which featured upgrades that produced around 30% more downforce than the Lotus 78, so much in fact that the chassis of the car had to be strengthened to compensate for the downforce, g-forces, and grip.

The Lotus 78 did well in 1977 with driver Mario Andretti placing 3rd in the Drivers Championship and Lotus placing 2nd in the Constructors Championship who were kept out of first place by a high number of retirements on the season. The Lotus 78 won on it’s first race in the 1978 Formula 1 season and went on to do well in the next 4 races with teammate Ronnie Peterson taking another win before the Lotus 79 was used. The Lotus 79 went on to compete in 11 more races for Lotus to finish the season, taking four 1-2 finishes for Andretti and Peterson, respectively. Andretti also took first in a race that Peterson retired from, and Peterson took 3rd in a race that Andretti had retired from. Lotus won the Constructors Championship in 1978, Mario Andretti took the Drivers Championship and teammate Ronnie Peterson placed 2nd in the points, showing the absolute dominance of the ground effect cars.

The Lotus 78 and 79 featured one of the most significant vehicle designs in all of racing history. Rivals scrambled to design something to compete with the successful Lotus cars and ground effects remain a huge part of automotive design to this day, from Formula 1 cars to road cars.

(Sources: Wikipedia, “The Secret Life of F1,” ultimatecarpage.com)

McLaren F1 | 242mph in the 1990s The Mclaren F1 is a road car...

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:11:00 -0700

McLaren F1 | 242mph in the 1990s

The Mclaren F1 is a road car designed and built by McLaren Automotive in the early nineties. Production started in 1992 and ended in 1998, with only 106 cars being built. On release the car fetched nearly 1 million USD, in the nineties. More recently, due to the exclusivity of the car, McLaren F1s have been sold for over 4 times that amount. Even today, two decades later, the car is striking and exotic from all angles. Gordon Murray, known also for his work designing Formula 1 cars, was the the man chiefly responsible for production of the F1.

Murray, who had a three seater sports car in mind ever since his youth, finally was able to implement his design when the concept was really born back in 1988. He wanted to create the ultimate road car, sourcing technology and engineering talent from McLaren’s highly successful Formula 1 team. Murray insisted that the engine be naturally aspirated to increase reliability and driver control, he didn’t want there to be any latency or loss of feedback from the engine whatsoever. Every last detail on the entire car, Murray says, was obsessed over.

Murray first went to Honda (who were supplying the McLaren Formula 1 cars with their engines at the time) requesting a 550hp, 250kg (551lb) engine, but Honda refused. BMW ended up taking on the job, designing and producing the BMW S70/2, a 6.1L 60° V-12 making 618hp weighing in at 266kg (586lb). This engine was 14% more powerful and only 6% heavier than Murray’s original request. Using quad overhead cams and variable valve timing with four valves per cylinder, the engine is a technological masterpiece. Making maximum horsepower with all 12 cylinders slamming away at 7,400rpm, the engine also made 480ft·lb of torque at 5,600rpm. The engine features many low-weight, high-durability materials throughout, including titanium, magnesium, kevlar and carbon fiber, with forged aluminum pistons and nikasil coated cylinders. The intake features 12 individual butterfly valves, the camshafts are continuously variable with a “hydraulically-actuated phasing mechanism which retards the inlet cam relative to the exhaust cam at low revs,” reducing valve overlap for increased low speed torque and idle stability. Two fuel injectors are used per cylinder with each cylinder getting its on ignition coil. The engine bay is lined with gold foil as a heat shield. The engine is paired with an aluminium 6 speed manual gearbox with an AP carbon triple-plate clutch and a Torsen limited slip differential putting the power to the rear wheels.

The chassis of the McLaren F1 was ahead of its time, being the first production road car that used a complete carbon fiber monocoque. The three seat design was of course implemented, with the driver in the center and two passengers behind and on either side of the driver. The F1 features active aerodynamics and a drag coefficient of .32 on the standard car, as compared to .36 on the Bugatti Veyron. While the standard model has no downforce producing wings, the car takes full advantage of ground effects using clever underbody design, a rear diffuser, and two electric kevlar fans to decrease under-car air pressure to increase downforce. There is a small active spoiler on the rear of the F1 which adjusts automatically via brake line pressure to change the balance of the center of gravity during braking, and to increase downforce. The car’s weight is 42% front and 58% rear, which changes less than 1% when filled with fuel.

With the goal to create the ultimate road car, the suspension was set up very carefully to ensure brilliant handling while maintaining a reasonably comfortable ride. The car makes use of a unique double wishbone suspension system that includes longitudinal wheel compliance “without loss of wheel control, which allows the wheel to travel backwards when it hits a bump – increasing the comfort of the ride.” The F1 has vented and cross-drilled brake rotors manufactured by Brembo. Active suspension and an ABS system were considered but not implemented due to increased weight, inconsistent handling characteristics that can be a result of active suspension, and decreased brake feel from an ABS system. The choice not to use these driver aids resulted in a more pure drivers car.

Performance:

0-30 mph (48 km/h): 1.8 s
0–60 mph (97 km/h): 3.2 s
0–100 mph (160 km/h): 6.3 s
0–124.28 mph (200.01 km/h): 9.4 s
0–150 mph (240 km/h): 12.8 s
0–200 mph (320 km/h): 28 s
0–400 m (0.25 mi): 11.1 s at 138 mph (222 km/h)

Top speed with rev limiter removed: 242.96 mph (391 km/h), making it the fastest production car in the world, a record that stood for quite a long time. To this day it remains the fastest naturally aspirated production car ever made.

While the F1 was designed as a road car, the car has had much track success. The most notable victory was in 1995 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a McLaren GTR where the car was pitted against strictly track-oriented racing prototypes. The car remains an exotic icon of exclusivity, speed, and McLaren’s remarkable engineering.

(Sources: Wikipedia, ucapusa.com, flickr.com (Pieric Dupaquier), rawautos.com, egarage.com)

Ford GT40 | 4 Straight Wins at the 24 Hours of Le...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 18:00:00 -0700

Ford GT40 | 4 Straight Wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans | 1966-1969

The story of the GT40 starts in early 1963 when Henry Ford II caught wind that Enzo Ferrari was interested in selling Ferrari to Ford Motor Company. Ford went on to initiate costly legal negotiations and audits of factories and assets of Ferrari and soon was getting close to closing the deal. However, Enzo Ferrari wanted to remain the sole head of the Ferrari motor sports division. Ferrari was subsequently angered after discovering that he would not be allowed to participate in the Indy 500 due to the fact that Ford was an engine supplier and Ford didn’t want competition from Ferrari. Out of spite Ferrari pulled out of the deal at the last minute, resulting in an absolutely enraged Henry Ford II who had already invested millions in the attempted acquisition.

Ford, who had wanted a Ford at Le Mans since early in the 1960s, decided the 24 hour endurance race would be the battlefield in which to settle Enzo Ferrari’s hash. The Daytona Coupe quickly fared well for Ford in 1964 (with a GT-class win) and 1965, but were not enough to sufficiently take down the dominant Ferraris at Le Mans. Ford tasked his racing division to specifically build a Ferrari beater, with Le Mans in mind. Thus, the Ford GT40 was a car that was truly engineered to win.

The GT40, which gets its name for being 40 inches from ground to roof and GT standing for Grand Touring, had a variety of different models: the Mk I, the Mk II, the MK III (a road going version), the MK IV, the J-car and the G7A. The Mk IIs were the first GT40s to see racing success in 1966, with different versions of the car being used at various times in different races throughout the history of the GT40s.

The first GT40 was delivered on March 16 of 1963 using a 255ci (4.2L) V8 from a Fairlane, while the production models were later fitted with 289ci (4.7L) Mustang V8s. In 1964, after some promising starts at the 1000km Nürburgring and 24 Hours of Le Mans, the GT40s had a dismal season. The project was then put in the hands of Carroll Shelby, who suffered a similarly disappointing 1965 season after winning their first race at the Daytona 2000.

In 1966, things would be different. Fitted with massive 427ci (7.0L) engines the cars had a 1-2-3 photo finish with GT40s (Mk IIs) in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finally fulfilling Fords plan for revenge (see first picture above). However, the GT40s didn’t stop there. In 1967 a Shelby powered GT40 (Mk IV) again went on to win, completing 388 laps (28 more than the previous year). Again in 1968, the GT40 (Mk I) would be atop the podium, taking first place with the legendary 302ci (“5.0L”, or, more technically 4949cc) engine. Then in 1969, the GT40 (Mk I) took the win again, making it 4 straight years of victories at Le Mans and sufficiently satiating Ford’s anger. The Mk I chassis was also only one of a few to ever achieve a double win at Le Mans. By 1970, the GT40 was more or less obsolete with an unimpressive finish to the 24 hour race that was dominated now by a revised Porsche 917.

The GT40 made Ford the first and only American constructor to win overall at Le Mans and the 1967 Mk IV is the only entirely US-built car to ever win overall at Le Mans.

(Sources: gt40.net, ucapusa.com, Wikipedia)

Ruf CTR Yellowbird | 1987 Based on the Porsche 911, the Group C...

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:54:57 -0700

Ruf CTR Yellowbird | 1987

Based on the Porsche 911, the Group C Turbo Ruf was built for the 1987 model year using Porsche’s 3.2L flat-six engine. Modifications included lightened bodywork, improved brakes and suspension, as well as work to the aerodynamics of the car and to the engine. The car was seam welded and featured an integrated roll cage, improving chassis rigidity as well as driver safety.

The enginework done was extensive. The engine was enlarged to 3367cc and used a Bosch Motronic fuel injection system that was originally designed for the Prosche 962 racer. The engine was given twin turbos along with twin intercoolers and was highly tuned to make a whopping 469hp and 408 lb-ft of torque. Ruf built their own custom 5-speed transmission for use on the CTR after the options from Porsche didn’t meet their standards. Due to the lightened body panels and other considerations the car only weighed 2,580 pounds, making it an extremely quick car.

The CTR took only 3.7 seconds to get from 0-60mph and made it to 100mph in just 7.8s. Upon release, the Ruf CTR was the fastest car in the world, clocking in at 211 mph. Additionally the CTR outclassed most other supercars at the time, such as the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari Testarossa, while impressively having a higher top speed than the Porsche 959 and the Ferrari F40. The car also held the lap record at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit, proving just how great it was on a track as well as in a straight line.

29 cars were built from scratch with work beginning in 1987, while more were converted from customer cars. Original pricing was $223,000 in 1987 (compared to at least $400,000 for the Ferrari F40). The CTR was succeeded by the CTR2 in 1995 and then more recently by the CTR3 in 2007, 20 years after the original Ruf CTR.

(Sources: Wikipedia, ruf-automobile.de)

Formula 1 - 1993 - Williams FW15C - Renault V10 - 760+...

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 19:34:32 -0700

Formula 1 - 1993 - Williams FW15C - Renault V10 - 760+ bhp

Races: 16 | Wins: 10 | Poles: 15 | Fastest Laps: 10

Based on the very successful FW14/FW14B chassis, the FW15 was born. The FW15B was simply a conversion to the changes in regulations for the 1993 Formula 1 season, while the FW15C included a variety of additional technological advancements over the FW15B, as well as a slightly smaller fuel tank. The engine in the FW15C, as with the FW14s, was supplied by Renault. The 67° V-10 was capable of at least 760bhp, more than 30hp more than McLaren’s Ford V8, and was less thirsty than Ferrari’s fiery V12. The engine was mated to a Williams-designed semi-automatic gearbox operated by paddles behind the wheel. With the engine/transmission setup alone things were looking good for Williams, but the Williams engineers wanted to take it a step further.

Williams’ FW15C was (and still is, due to restrictions barring the use of electronic driver aids) the most technologically advanced Formula 1 car ever made. The car featured anti-lock brakes, traction control, telemetry, fly-by-wire controls, pneumatic valve springs, power steering, a semi-automatic transmission and at the forefront of all of these, active suspension. Modern suspension, as we all know it, usually consists of bushings, coil springs and shocks. The FW15C, however, used instead a push-rod actuated hydropneumatic suspension system front and back that kept the car at optimal ride height at all four wheels at nearly all times, using on board computers. The computer systems were fast enough to counter the typical body roll from cornering and even braking and accelerating. The active suspension alone consistently took not tenths, but entire seconds off lap times. The car also featured a push-to-pass button that used the active suspension to raise the rear of the car to reduce drag caused by the diffuser, while at the same time increasing the maximum engine revs by 300 for a bit of extra power. The transmission, along with being operated by the paddles, also had a feature wherein the driver could use an “auto-up” button and the gearbox would automatically shift up at optimum RPMs until the driver was ready to make changes on his own again.

These, along with a handful of other on-board aids, made the Williams FW15C a hugely dominant car. The FW15C brought Alain Prost the Drivers Championship in 1993, and Williams the Manufacturers Championship with the car winning 10 victories in 16 races, with a staggering 15 straight pole positions. At times in qualifying, Prost would be 2 seconds faster than his legendary rivals, Michael Schumacher (racing for Benetton) and Ayrton Senna (who was with McLaren). While the electronic aids clearly made for a faster car, Prost said that at times the car was still more of a handful, as the electronic systems were not perfect and sometimes misinterpreted data.

For the 1994 season, all such aids were banned by the FIA, in light of the fact that they vastly reduced the impact of driver ability on the sport. Even today, the cars do not have nearly the amount of assists as Prost and teammate Damon Hill were able to take advantage of in 1993. While some people were upset by this, this leveled the playing field between the teams with more funding than the smaller ones. It also ensured that driver skill played a big part race by race, while keeping the sport entertaining to watch and follow.

(Sources: UltimateCarPage, F1SeasonReview, Wikipedia, “The Secret Life of Formula 1)

Group B Lancia Delta S4 ~ 19861,759cc | 4-Cylinder...

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:00:59 -0700

Group B Lancia Delta S4 ~ 1986
1,759cc | 4-Cylinder | Supercharged and Turbocharged | 560+ horsepower

One of the most technologically advanced cars ever built, the Lancia Delta S4 was a purpose built racer tasked with the job of beating Audi and Peugeot for the Group B World Rally Championship. Using a mid-engine layout and a clever 4WD system to get the power down, the Lancia placed second in the Manufacturers’ championship in 1986, close behind Peugeot and well above Audi. The twincharged S4 powered driver Markku Alén to a second place finish in the Drivers’ Championship the same season, only missing the title after losing points on a technicality.

The S4 was only a Delta in terms of styling and name, simply to promote the Lancia Delta. Some aerodynamic changes were made to the body, while everything else was dramatically reworked to create a highly competitive Group B car. The body was constructed with a carbon fiber composite with quick repairs in mind; front and rear bodywork was fully detachable. The Lancia’s suspension was also drastically changed, featuring “long travel double wishbone suspension front and rear, with a single large coil over at the front and separate spring and twin shock absorber at the rear.”

The Delta’s 1.8L engine was designed to stay competitive primarily against Audi’s increasingly more powerful engines. The twincharging system would provide much more power at a much wider RPM range and vastly reduce turbo lag, while still reaping the high boost benefits of running a turbo. The car was said to be capable of reaching 100km/h from a standstill in 2.3 seconds, on gravel.

(Sources: “Group B: Too Fast To Race,” Wikipedia, Autozine.org)

Brabham BT46B Fan Car | Formula 1 | 1978 The Brabham BT46B...

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 13:37:00 -0700

Brabham BT46B Fan Car | Formula 1 | 1978

The Brabham BT46B was conceived and built to strike back at the dominant Lotus cars in the 1978 Formula 1 season. The Lotus cars introduced the concept of ground effects, in which engineers realized the air passing under the cars was as important as the air running over the car. If the air under the car was able to pass more smoothly underneath, the air would go through more quickly. Thus, the air pressure beneath the car would be lower than the pressure above it, allowing atmospheric pressure to further help to push the car down onto the track. With the increased downforce, the cars were able to corner much harder and faster, giving the cars an advantage. Dissimilar to more conventional front and rear wings the ground effects solution did not create more drag, allowing cars to maintain their high speeds on straights without additional horsepower. Needless to say, this was a very major discovery in the sport.

As half of Formula 1 is always a behind the scenes battle between team engineers and the rulemakers, the engineers are always looking for ways to get a couple steps ahead of both the other teams and the FIA. Designer Gordon Murray wanted to do just that for the Brabham team, and the BT46B was born. Murray was one of the first designers after Lotus to realize how important ground effects were but couldn’t do it in the same manner as the Lotus engineers. Lotus, using a sleek V8, was able to vastly reshape the bottom of the car around the engine to create a low pressure area under the car. However, due to the size and shape of the Alfa Romeo flat-12 used in the Brabhams, Murray would not be able to achieve the desired results with the same technique.

Instead, Murray took a genius jump outside the box. Since natural airflow alone wouldn’t work to improve downforce in his cars, Murray installed a giant fan to the rear of the car. The fan was connected to the car’s engine by clutches, and the engine bay of the car was sealed to create a low pressure zone under the car. As the fan was connected to to the engine itself, it was said that when drivers got on the throttle the car would visibly squat down on itself as the downforce increased.

The two Brabhams debuted in the eighth race of the 1978 season at the Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp. The Brabhams qualified second and third, behind Lotus driver Mario Andretti. In the race the Brabhams proved to be a success, however, the car driven by John Watson spun off on the 19th lap, taking him out of contention for a top spot in the race. The Brabham driven by Niki Lauda, however, powered past Andretti in his Lotus and ended up winning the race by over 30 seconds. Rival teams immediately protested and the heads of the other teams went after Brabham owner Bernie Ecclestone, who wanted to become president of the Formula One Constructors Association. To become president of the FOCA, Ecclestone would need their support and he made a deal with the FOCA to race the car a few more times before withdrawing the car from competition. However, the car was deemed illegal before it saw any more track time and Ecclestone, of course, complied without further argument. Ecclestone did go on to become president of the FOCA in 1978, and remains very involved in Formula 1 to this day.

The Brabham team returned to their original chassis design and never raced the Fan Cars in Formula 1 again, losing the 1978 season championship to Lotus. One of the brilliant Fan Cars can still be seen in action at the Goodwood Festival of Speed every so often.

(Sources: “The Secret Life of Formula 1,” Wikipedia, Jalopnik)