Stay tuned for the Lamborghini LM series posts!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Lamborghini Countach Evolution 1987
This is probably the strangest looking Countach ever, it looks as if
it left the factory before it got painted or upholstered, this is the
Evoluzione, a mobile test-bed for new ideas.
The Evoluzione was designed and built in 1987 under the direction of Horacio Pagani, by the newly-formed 'Composites Department', they decided to change the steel space-frame of the original Countach to a chassis/body built using composite materials.
The cockpit, including the floor and roof panels, the central transmission tunnel, the door sills and the front and rear bulkheads were all made in one piece using aluminum honeycomb sandwiched with Kevlar and carbon fiber bonded together.
Various body parts were also changed to composite ones, the front lid, the engine cover and boot lid, the front spoiler, which used a simpler design and was a little lower than the original Countach and the whee larches, which were now connected through sills with air-cooling vents for the rear brakes. These sills would later be used on the Anniversario in a slightly altered design, the wings and the doors remained aluminum. Thanks to the extensive use of light-weight composites, the total weight of the Evoluzione was only 980 Kg, or about 500 Kg less than the Countach QV5000S, this and a minor tuning of the engine, now with 490 Bhp, made the Evoluzione reach a top speed of 330 Km/h. at the Nardo test track. This engine was 'blue-printed' and still used the same transmission, but with a modified gate to allow a shorter throw between the gears.
The car was never painted and the riveting of the body parts remained visible when you opened the door, even the carbon fiber and Kevlar kept their natural finish. On the inside the same rough appearance was evident, only two seats and a small carbon-fiber dashboard were used, with a tachometer, water temperature, fuel level and oil pressure gauges. A few pieces of carpet were used to mask the many colored wires which used to be connected to various test and recording equipments, no air-conditioning, no headlights, no horn and not even a wiper were installed.
The wheels remained, but got carbon-fiber disc covers, these didn't allow enough cooling for the brakes and were later removed. Various new ideas were installed on the Evoluzione before it was crash tested; an electronically controlled damping system with variable ride height, an ABS braking system and a four-wheel drive with variable torque split were installed. Even a fully retractable wiper system was installed on it, various parts and even some of these latter designs were later used on the Anniversario and the Diablo VT.
But production of a composite based Countach was too expensive, and in case of an accident the complete shell would have to be replaced most likely due to lack of crush-able front and rear subframes, therefore the Evoluzione performed a last test : the crash barrier test, which revealed valuable information on the impact resistance of this kind of chassis structure.
The Evoluzione was designed and built in 1987 under the direction of Horacio Pagani, by the newly-formed 'Composites Department', they decided to change the steel space-frame of the original Countach to a chassis/body built using composite materials.
The cockpit, including the floor and roof panels, the central transmission tunnel, the door sills and the front and rear bulkheads were all made in one piece using aluminum honeycomb sandwiched with Kevlar and carbon fiber bonded together.
Various body parts were also changed to composite ones, the front lid, the engine cover and boot lid, the front spoiler, which used a simpler design and was a little lower than the original Countach and the whee larches, which were now connected through sills with air-cooling vents for the rear brakes. These sills would later be used on the Anniversario in a slightly altered design, the wings and the doors remained aluminum. Thanks to the extensive use of light-weight composites, the total weight of the Evoluzione was only 980 Kg, or about 500 Kg less than the Countach QV5000S, this and a minor tuning of the engine, now with 490 Bhp, made the Evoluzione reach a top speed of 330 Km/h. at the Nardo test track. This engine was 'blue-printed' and still used the same transmission, but with a modified gate to allow a shorter throw between the gears.
The car was never painted and the riveting of the body parts remained visible when you opened the door, even the carbon fiber and Kevlar kept their natural finish. On the inside the same rough appearance was evident, only two seats and a small carbon-fiber dashboard were used, with a tachometer, water temperature, fuel level and oil pressure gauges. A few pieces of carpet were used to mask the many colored wires which used to be connected to various test and recording equipments, no air-conditioning, no headlights, no horn and not even a wiper were installed.
The wheels remained, but got carbon-fiber disc covers, these didn't allow enough cooling for the brakes and were later removed. Various new ideas were installed on the Evoluzione before it was crash tested; an electronically controlled damping system with variable ride height, an ABS braking system and a four-wheel drive with variable torque split were installed. Even a fully retractable wiper system was installed on it, various parts and even some of these latter designs were later used on the Anniversario and the Diablo VT.
But production of a composite based Countach was too expensive, and in case of an accident the complete shell would have to be replaced most likely due to lack of crush-able front and rear subframes, therefore the Evoluzione performed a last test : the crash barrier test, which revealed valuable information on the impact resistance of this kind of chassis structure.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Shelby AC3000 ME 1981
AC Cars might not ring as many bells as Shelby but it is one of the oldest independent automobile manufacturers in Britain. Of course their greatest claim to fame was creating the AC Ace, the
car Carroll Shelby based the AC Cobra on and later the S/C Cobras and Dayton Coupes.
In the 1970's AC developed the AC 3000ME. This small 2-seat mid-engine sports car had a transversely mounted Ford Essex 3.0 liter V6. As was classic for the era the styling was wedge-shaped using fiberglass for the body. It had front and rear independent double-wishbone suspension, rack and pinion steering, and four-wheel disc brakes, with a rearward 40:60 weight bias. On paper it should have been a real performer!
At about the same time PanterAmerica was importing DeTomaso Panteras into the U.S. after the Lincoln-Mercury/DeTomaso agreement ended in 1974. PanterAmerica also wanted to bring an affordable mid-engine car to the U.S. and the Belgian dealer they purchased the Panteras from was also an AC dealer. The AC 3000ME seemed the logical choice. PanterAmerica imported a rolling AC 3000ME, without engine and transaxle. The drivetrain was supposed to come from a U.S. manufacturer. However, they had problems acquiring drivetrains from either Ford or GM, the only option left was to go with Chrysler. But instead of going to them directly they spoke with Carroll Shelby, who had been recently hired by Chrysler. Carroll was on board with their idea provided a fuel-injected, turbocharged Chrysler 4-cylinder, 2.2 engine
Panteramerica restyled the body slightly, mainly front fenders and front end, with a new
design, painted the car blue and silver, and added new Compomotive split rims.
The prototype was presented to Lee Iacocca., but unfortunately, Iacocca, then
in the middle of trying to save Chrysler, didn’t warm up to the idea of a low-volume mid-engine
sports car, leaving the Shelby AC 3000ME a one-of-a-kind. Its a shame, a car that could have been a real contender, and ahead of the Pontiac Fiero, but fell by the wayside
In the 1970's AC developed the AC 3000ME. This small 2-seat mid-engine sports car had a transversely mounted Ford Essex 3.0 liter V6. As was classic for the era the styling was wedge-shaped using fiberglass for the body. It had front and rear independent double-wishbone suspension, rack and pinion steering, and four-wheel disc brakes, with a rearward 40:60 weight bias. On paper it should have been a real performer!
At about the same time PanterAmerica was importing DeTomaso Panteras into the U.S. after the Lincoln-Mercury/DeTomaso agreement ended in 1974. PanterAmerica also wanted to bring an affordable mid-engine car to the U.S. and the Belgian dealer they purchased the Panteras from was also an AC dealer. The AC 3000ME seemed the logical choice. PanterAmerica imported a rolling AC 3000ME, without engine and transaxle. The drivetrain was supposed to come from a U.S. manufacturer. However, they had problems acquiring drivetrains from either Ford or GM, the only option left was to go with Chrysler. But instead of going to them directly they spoke with Carroll Shelby, who had been recently hired by Chrysler. Carroll was on board with their idea provided a fuel-injected, turbocharged Chrysler 4-cylinder, 2.2 engine
Friday, June 14, 2013
Jiotto Caspita 1988
Yet another car that could have been but only managed to get to the first prototype stage, the Jiotto Caspita. The car was designed by by Kunihisa Ito, who was the vice-president and chief designer of Jiotto Design Incorporated.
The cars were built by Dome, but from what I have seen its not clear if two were built or if one was built and assembled with two different engines. What is certain is that two engines were used. The first one a Motori Moderni flat-12, basically a detuned F1 engine. In 1990 was stripped and then rebuilt with a Judd V10. Both engines were transversely mounted, and powered the rear wheels through a 6 speed gearbox built by Weismann. The car first made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in the same year. Unfortunately the project would die out in 1993 due to the global recession. With the Judd engine, the Caspita is capable of 577 horsepower (430 kW) at 10,750 rpm and 283 ft·lbf (284 N·m) of torque at 10,500 rpm. This, along with a curb weight of 2734 lb (1240 kg), gives the Caspita a 0-60 mph acceleration time of approximately 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 199 miles per hour (320 km/h).
Its a shame it wasnt built, its quite good looking I think. The rear deck is a bit too Jaguar XJR-15 but all around I like it.
The cars were built by Dome, but from what I have seen its not clear if two were built or if one was built and assembled with two different engines. What is certain is that two engines were used. The first one a Motori Moderni flat-12, basically a detuned F1 engine. In 1990 was stripped and then rebuilt with a Judd V10. Both engines were transversely mounted, and powered the rear wheels through a 6 speed gearbox built by Weismann. The car first made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in the same year. Unfortunately the project would die out in 1993 due to the global recession. With the Judd engine, the Caspita is capable of 577 horsepower (430 kW) at 10,750 rpm and 283 ft·lbf (284 N·m) of torque at 10,500 rpm. This, along with a curb weight of 2734 lb (1240 kg), gives the Caspita a 0-60 mph acceleration time of approximately 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 199 miles per hour (320 km/h).
Its a shame it wasnt built, its quite good looking I think. The rear deck is a bit too Jaguar XJR-15 but all around I like it.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Foden R Type 1934 and Unimog U5000 Crew Cab
I am definitively not a truck enthusiast, except for Unimogs and Paris-Dakar type expedition trucks. So normally I wouldn't have gone to a truck show but my job took me to one. There was some interesting things (modern truck diesels are amazing) but the two things that stood out were these two trucks.
The first is a Foden R Type truck from 1934. The workmanship on the truck was truly great. A wooden cab with brass fittings and all the nice stuff you would expect from something built in 1934. The really interesting thing though is that this model truck actually started off steam powered! The company realized that diesel was the future of truck power and so converted a design made for steam power into diesel. Quite an interesting in between moment.
The second is something Ive always loved, the Unimog. The sheer UTILITY of the thing! If there was ever a zombie apocalypse this would 100% be what I would drive around! Add a sleeper cab in the back instead of the fire fighter equipment and done. The tires btw are 47 inches tall...hard to tell since theres nothing next to them to compare the size.
The first is a Foden R Type truck from 1934. The workmanship on the truck was truly great. A wooden cab with brass fittings and all the nice stuff you would expect from something built in 1934. The really interesting thing though is that this model truck actually started off steam powered! The company realized that diesel was the future of truck power and so converted a design made for steam power into diesel. Quite an interesting in between moment.
The second is something Ive always loved, the Unimog. The sheer UTILITY of the thing! If there was ever a zombie apocalypse this would 100% be what I would drive around! Add a sleeper cab in the back instead of the fire fighter equipment and done. The tires btw are 47 inches tall...hard to tell since theres nothing next to them to compare the size.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
FIAT Abarth 2000 by Pininfarina
Obviously from these pictures we can see this is 100% a 1970s concept. Im not sure exactly what year it was made but seems like 1970. It quite good looking from a head on angle, but the rear end in my opinion doesnt flow as well.
In any case, being just over 39" tall it must have made quite an impact back then, and probably still would! The concept was built on a FIAT chassis and fitted with a 2ltr 4 cylinder engine with DOHC's and producing about 220bhp.
In any case, being just over 39" tall it must have made quite an impact back then, and probably still would! The concept was built on a FIAT chassis and fitted with a 2ltr 4 cylinder engine with DOHC's and producing about 220bhp.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
100 Years of Car Production in Oxford
This weekend I took a little day trip to Oxford just for the hell of it. Unknown to me they were having a little car meet celebrating 100 years of car manufacturing in Oxford. Right now, as far as I know, the Mini is the only car made in Oxford.
There were a few curious things there...
The first was a 1928 Morris Cowley. I normally don't go to car shows with pre 1950s cars and I probably just haven't noticed this detail before in any of the car museums Ive been in before but I thought it was pretty neat. To eliminate the need to open the window to honk the horn before electric horns were available this one went though the windshield frame.
I always get a kick out of these mechanical water temperature gauges, they look like less complicated pocket watches in a glass case.
This 1926 MG had a pair of very cool ship style air vents on the cowl! I'm not sure if they are original but they certainly looked like something that at the very least would be available in the after market in the 1920s. the inside being painted the same color as the car was a nice touch.
Lastly this odd looking "stop light" mounted on a 1933 Morris Cowley. You can read the whole explanation in the two pages written at the time but basically they were used to signal the car turning, stopping, and even a pre signal warning indicating that a signal was going to be made. I can not imagine these would have been very visible from far away with the light technology of the day and small size!
There were a few curious things there...
The first was a 1928 Morris Cowley. I normally don't go to car shows with pre 1950s cars and I probably just haven't noticed this detail before in any of the car museums Ive been in before but I thought it was pretty neat. To eliminate the need to open the window to honk the horn before electric horns were available this one went though the windshield frame.
I always get a kick out of these mechanical water temperature gauges, they look like less complicated pocket watches in a glass case.
This 1926 MG had a pair of very cool ship style air vents on the cowl! I'm not sure if they are original but they certainly looked like something that at the very least would be available in the after market in the 1920s. the inside being painted the same color as the car was a nice touch.
Lastly this odd looking "stop light" mounted on a 1933 Morris Cowley. You can read the whole explanation in the two pages written at the time but basically they were used to signal the car turning, stopping, and even a pre signal warning indicating that a signal was going to be made. I can not imagine these would have been very visible from far away with the light technology of the day and small size!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Marcos Mantis XP 1968
When the Marcos Mantis XP debuted in the 1968 Spa 24 Hours race in Belgium it must have been like the Batmobile showing up. With the more normal and curvy looking Fords,
Porsches and Ferraris of the late 60s this very angular racer
represented the hopes of a very small British manufacturer who was
fighting for a place in the performance car market. The Mantis XP DNFd the Spa race due to electrical problems, and has been mothballed ever
since then until its recent resurrection by a careful restoration in
California. The 1968 Marcos Mantis XP is literally a one-of-a-kind, not only as far as how many were made, but also in terms of its looks which even nowadays is unique...let alone in 1968!
Some would say the late 1960s represented a high water mark in the automotive world. This was the era of the Ford GT40, Ferrari Dino, Lamborghini Miura, and many other cars whos curves still fascinate today, not to mention all the extremely futuristic prototypes of the era. The Marcos Mantis XP simply brought its futuristic design to the world championship racing circuit. It was powered by a mid-mounted BRM-Repco V8 Formula 1 engine, whose cylinders rose into the clear-covered engine compartment in the rear of the vehicle. This engine gave it a pace which was enough to compete with the world’s top race cars until the electrical problems which sidelined it at the Spa 1000km.
thankfully even though Marcos is no longer in business, the Marcos Mantis XP is seeing new life on the vintage exhibition circuit giving everyone a look at what the future might have looked like circa 1968.
Some would say the late 1960s represented a high water mark in the automotive world. This was the era of the Ford GT40, Ferrari Dino, Lamborghini Miura, and many other cars whos curves still fascinate today, not to mention all the extremely futuristic prototypes of the era. The Marcos Mantis XP simply brought its futuristic design to the world championship racing circuit. It was powered by a mid-mounted BRM-Repco V8 Formula 1 engine, whose cylinders rose into the clear-covered engine compartment in the rear of the vehicle. This engine gave it a pace which was enough to compete with the world’s top race cars until the electrical problems which sidelined it at the Spa 1000km.
thankfully even though Marcos is no longer in business, the Marcos Mantis XP is seeing new life on the vintage exhibition circuit giving everyone a look at what the future might have looked like circa 1968.
Lancia HIT concept by Pininfarina 1988
Many times I come across or recall cars that I cant find much information on and usually tend not to post those as I would like this blog to be as much for information as for just looking at nice pictures. Since there are many cars that I havent posted due to this I am going to start doing so so as to have them even if it is for aesthetics sake.
So, this is the Lancia HIT designed by Pininfarina in 1988. It is based on a Lancia Delta. The HIT was shown to the public at the 1988 Turin Motorshow. The name 'HIT' was formed from 'High Italian Technology, an indication that this car was a technology demonstrator. the technology that it demonstrated was not so much the drive train which used the mechanicals of the Delta HF Integrale, but the chassis which was created using carbon fiber. The composite materials gave an overall weight of just 980 kg. when a stock Delta HF weighed in at 1215 kg.
Considering what an awesome car the Delta HF was, this would have been amazing with 235 Kg. less!
So, this is the Lancia HIT designed by Pininfarina in 1988. It is based on a Lancia Delta. The HIT was shown to the public at the 1988 Turin Motorshow. The name 'HIT' was formed from 'High Italian Technology, an indication that this car was a technology demonstrator. the technology that it demonstrated was not so much the drive train which used the mechanicals of the Delta HF Integrale, but the chassis which was created using carbon fiber. The composite materials gave an overall weight of just 980 kg. when a stock Delta HF weighed in at 1215 kg.
Considering what an awesome car the Delta HF was, this would have been amazing with 235 Kg. less!
.jpg){kind=link}
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)