Current projects
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: Peugeot 308 GTI THP 270 transverse, mid mounted.
Transmission: Peugeot 308 GTI 6 Speed Gearbox, Torsen LSD, rear wheel drive.
Engine Management: Haltech Elite 1500.
Chassis
Modified 205 GTI shell.
Front:
Front structure removed and replaced with welded steel torsion box for double wishbone suspension and support for front bodywork/radiator/lighting/aerodynamic elements, etc.
Front bulkhead replaced with mild steel sheet and spaceframe structure integrated into multipoint welded roll cage, supplied by Fabricage in Cambridge.
Floorpan removed and replaced with mild steel sheet, welded to sills, centre tunnel, front bulkhead and lower rear structural pick up member, carrying engine frame.
Rear:
Rear floor, inner quarter structure, rear quarters, wheel arch structure and slam panel removed and replaced by steel frames and panels. Engine frame carried separately, bolted to rear structure at aft lower member, roll cage B-post hoop, modified inner quarter structures, (incorporating roll cage rear diagonals) and existing outboard rear boot slam panel structure, forming diffuser channel side elements.
Engine Frame
Mild steel box section with pick-ups for engine forward mounts, lower torque link and gearbox mount. All designed and fabricated in-house. Triangulated corners for deformation resistance and stress relief. Engine box carries wishbone suspension pickups and coilover upper mounts.
Chassis can be separated from Engine box with engine, gearbox, drivetrain, exhaust, engine management, suspension, brakes and diffuser as an assembly, by lifting the car approx. 0.5m over the engine assembly and rolling the car forward/engine frame backwards. Fuel feed and return pipes and clutch line are equipped with dry-break connectors and engine wiring harness is connected by cannon plugs. Rear brake calipers are unbolted and stowed in wheel arch area on purpose made pins. Engine out operation is approx. 10 to 20 minutes.
Front Suspension
Rose-jointed unequal length double wishbones with approx. 40% anti-dive. Rose-jointed pushrods attached to lower wishbone at lower end and to fabricated bellcrank at upper end. Designed for quick adjustment of ride-height and corner weights. Inboard Nitron R3 coilover units with remote, cockpit adjustable reservoirs, assisted in roll, by in-house designed and manufactured, electrically actuated, cockpit adjustable blade anti roll bar. In-house designed and manufactured T6 aluminium alloy uprights, housing standard 308 GTI wheel bearings and hubs and interchangeable steering brackets for adjusting ackerman and steering ratios.
Steering
Modified 205 GTI standard rack and pinion. Cut down for 2.8 turns lock and mounted on shimmable alloy block.
Rear Suspension
Rose-jointed unequal length double wishbones with approx. 40% anti-squat. Conventionally mounted Nitron R3 coilover units with remote reservoirs, in-house designed and manufactured, electrically actuated, cockpit adjustable blade anti roll bar. In-house designed and manufactured T6 aluminium alloy uprights, housing standard 308 GTI wheel bearings and hubs. Adjustable track control arms carried on lower wishbones.
Aerodynamics
General
Front: Aluminium splitter feeds air below floor to rear diffuser. Air above splitter enters radiator and passes, in duct, over suspension box and out through duct at approx. mid bonnet, and over screen and roof, to 45 degree, 30mm Gurney flap, at aft roof edge.
Rear: Underfloor air arrives at diffuser forward edge, between engine frame sides and is channelled upwards, aft of engine, towards aft lower wing element and intercooler area above. Air exits through rear tailgate louvres. Lower wing set at approx. -12 degrees incidence angle relative to ground, increased to a maximum of 80 degrees under braking, by use of linear actuator and ECU controlled brake pedal switch, requiring closing of switch and minimum vehicle speed of 60km/h to satisfy logic for extending actuator. Full retracted to full extended, at 12 volts, approx. 3 seconds. Further refinement of trigger conditions and operation will be done during development and testing.
Details
Front and rear lower wishbones incorporate lightweight, shaped skid plates, primarily to help enclose the wheel arch and increase the effective floor plan area. Floorpan itself has a 0.5 degrees rake down at front, by design, with all wishbones set at ride height.
Front wing/arch bodywork incorporates exit louvres for air flow, ahead of the door gap to reduce wheel arch air stagnation and reject convected brake heat.
Forward mouth of floorpan tunnel incorporates a fan which pulls air from under the floor, into the tunnel, which houses all fuel, coolant, brake and clutch lines, and the main wiring loom front-rear section. A fan at the rear of the tunnel moves air from there into the engine bay. This fan also receives a portion of its air from under the car, at the rear of the tunnel, ahead of the engine sump.
Rear quarter panels incorporate ducting for air to auxiliary coolant radiator ahead of the left wheel arch, and a 26 row oil cooler ahead of the right wheel arch. Air from these components is directed inboard, away from wheels and into engine bay upper area, below parcel shelf, exiting above the intercooler, through the base of the rear polycarbonate windscreen. The rear quarters reject heated air from brakes, through ducts just outboard of the rear lights, by receiving cooler air, upstream of the brakes, from forward, lower sections of the rear quarter windows, via polycarbonate ducts and axial flow fans. Downstream ducts also mix air from the forward area of the rear wheel arches.
Brakes
Front:
Peugeot 308 GTI 270 vented discs and Alcon 4 piston calipers. Standard pads. Disc diameter machined down from 380mm to 362mm to fit within 17" Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 wheels. Bespoke, in-house designed and manufactured alloy caliper brackets x2 (handed) to mate with uprights/hub carriers.
Rear:
326mm diameter Jaguar X-Type rear vented discs and Porsche Boxster-S Brembo 4 piston alloy calipers. Bespoke, in-house designed and manufactured alloy caliper brackets.
Control:
Wilwood reverse mount 6.25:1 ratio twin pedal box with 0.75" clutch, 0.75" rear brake and 0.875" front brake cylinders. Direct mounted reservoirs. Driver adjustable bias bar. Modified 308 GTI DBW throttle pedal.
In-house fabricated hydraulic handbrake. Cable back-up for MOT, using mechanical spot handbrake caliper.
Copper brake and clutch lines, to stainless steel braided hoses at pedal box and suspension areas.
Dimensions and Weights
Mass (approx):
1. Empty: 800kg
2. With all fluids and 50% fuel: 850kg
3. With fluids, 50% fuel and 2 occupants: 995kg to 1050kg
Corner Weights (approx):
1: Front Left: 164kg, Front Right: 164kg, Rear Left: 236kg, Rear Right: 236kg
2:Front Left: 174kg, Front Right: 174kg, Rear Left: 251kg, Rear Right: 251kg
3:Front Left: 204kg, Front Right: 204kg, Rear Left: 294kg, Rear Right: 294kg
Weight Distribution Front-rear (approx):
Front: 41%
Rear: 59%
Wheelbase:
2470mm
Track Width:
1432mm (Tyre Centrelines)
Ride Height (empty):
Front axle: 169mm (approx.)
Rear axle: 184mm (approx.)
Length (approx):
3780mm
Width (approx):
1720mm
Height (approx):
1350mm (including Aero)
Performance:
To be established.
(Mathematical speeds with Goodyear 235/61 x 17 slick tyres on TD Pro Race 1.2 alloy wheels):
159mph @ 7000rpm
Through gears (@ 6000rpm):
1st: 31mph
2nd: 54mph
3rd: 72mph
4th: 93mph
5th: 117mph
6th: 137mph
mph/1000rpm:
1st: 5.12mph 2nd: 8.97mph 3rd: 11.99mph 4th: 15.52mph 5th: 19.47mph 6th: 22.76mph