TECHNOLOGY – COSWORTH GMA V12
same base end design for almost twenty years and the experience acquired throughout that time in the wording of crank bay geometry, pump sizing, and other elements means it was able to avoid most pitfalls. Its engineers also had the luxury of having more packaging space available than they necessarily needed to achieve its performance targets in this area.
Though Murray wanted a low crank center height, the diameter of the clutch, which is sizeable compared to a racing application, dictated the lowermost extent of the engine, rather than the internal details of the sump.
The transmission is just as finely honed as the engine. Manufactured by Xtrac, it has more in common with a racing transmission than one destined for the road.
It also provides a strong hint towards the analog nature of the car, featuring an H-pattern manual-shift and just six speeds; five close ratios, and a tall sixth for cruising. The gear cluster and differential are housed within a thin wall aluminum casing, just 2.4mm thick. During early testing, the gearchange development and weighting were honed using adaptable actuators fitted to all pieces of the stuff linkage.
According to Murray, his target gearshift feel was that of a 1960’s Ford Cortina GT.
Racing ambitions
Unsurprisingly, there is due to be a motorsport variant of the T.50, presently referred to just as the T.50s. When this version was announced, Murray’s enthusiasm for it was clear: ‘With an unwavering focus on execution, and free from roadgoing enactment and upkeep contemplations, the T. 50s will accomplish surprising execution on the track, illustrating the full degree of the vehicle's capacities.
'We've tossed everything at pushing this vehicle past the degrees of anything that has been done previously. It's a festival of British designing and our group's broad motorsport experience.’ In addition to being subject to further weight-saving efforts, one of the most significant modifications to the T.50s will be a 1758mm wide delta wing mounted to the rear of the car, which echoes the design of the front wing on Murray’s 1983 Brabham BT52.
The visually striking wing works in conjunction with a revised underbody, featuring a more aggressive front splitter and adjustable diffusers. When coupled with the car's system, the aero package is predicted to generate more than 1500kg of downforce – 170 percent of the racecar’s 890kg weight.
Where the road car has six different aero modes, the T.50s will operate in high-downforce mode at all times, with its underbody diffusor dutifully open and the fan running permanently at 7000rpm.
From the perspective of the engine, Wood says there was always intended to be a track-focussed variant and, as such, a specification has been devised using a revised cylinder head design, increased compression ratio, more extreme cam timing, and a freer-flowing exhaust system. These, combined with revised calibration, will push the power output to over 700bhp.
The question of whether the T50s will remain purely a track day special or, as Murray has expressed a desire for, actually compete, currently remains an open question. However, on the announcement of the track version, A track-focused variant… will push the power output to over 700bhp he stated: ‘I’I'd prefer to arrange a progression of dashing occasions as a feature of our Trackspeed bundle to guarantee the T. 50sis driven routinely by proprietors. There will be nothing similar to the experience of driving this vehicle. And hearing it…well, that will be something else!
‘I’d also like each of the 25 cards to be unique, from set-up to paint finish.’
Murray has also been in discussion with Stéphane Ratel of SRO regarding the potential for a series encompassing similar supercars.
In terms of regulations, it is hard to see where the car could slot in. With a target weight of just 890kg, it doesn’t fit the ACO’s Hypercar rule set without its whole raison d’être being compromised and the idea of competing in a BoP formula is likely anathema to Murray. We can only hope a regulatory body somewhere sees sense and allows what may be the last true V12 to turn its wheels in competition.
Comments
Post a Comment