Lotus Evora Enduro GT Concept

Lotus has unveiled the new Lotus Evora Enduro GT race car at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. The Evora Enduro GT Concept is the base car for the new Lotus GT2/GTE car that will be racing in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup this season and is an evolved version of the Lotus GT4 Endurance. Lotus Motorsport, under the supervision of lead designer Nicola Scimeca developed the new car.

The vehicle rides on 18 inch forged alloys wrapped in 24/64-18 - 27/65-18 tires front and rear, while providing the necessary stopping power is a performance brake system with 22 mm race pads, two piece aluminium belled discs and 6 piston callipers at the front and 4-piston calliper at the rear.

Powered by a mid-mounted 4-litre DOCH V6 VVT-i engine, naturally aspirated and tuned by Cosworth, the Lotus Evora Enduro GT Concept develops 440 bhp @ 7,000 rpm and 460 Nm of torque @ 5,500 rpm.

The rear wheels get their power from the engine through an XTRAC 426 six-speed sequential gearbox. An optional pneumatic paddle-shift system can be fitted. Handling comes down to a forged double wishbone layout, four-way adjustable Ohlins TTX36 dampers, coaxial coil springs, increased camber, and adjustable anti-roll bars. Mated with racing slicks, it should prove formidable, especially with its mid-engine layout.




Press Release

Evora Enduro - GT Concept

The Evolving Evora

The Evora Enduro - GT concept car is an evolved version of the podium placing Evora GT4 Endurance. The Enduro has been developed by Lotus Motorsport under the expert eye of Lead Designer Nicola Scimeca.

The Enduro will be the base point from which the GT2/GTE homologated cars for FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) and ACO (l'Automobile Club de l'Ouest) endurance racing will be built.

Lotus Motorsport intend to contend the following endurance events this year:

• 23 – 26 June 2011 Nürburgring ADAC 24 Hour Race (GER)
• 28 – 31 July 2011 Spa 24 Hour Race (BEL)
• 8 & 9 October 2011 Silverstone 24 Hour Race (GB)

The 24 hour races in Dubai and Daytona are on the list for 2012.

The Evora Enduro can be bought by private individuals and adapted for racing.

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2011 Aston Martin AMR-One

Aston Martin Racing has announced its plans for the new season including the unveiling of a new ground-up developed LMP1 race car, the AMR-One, as well as confirming the driver line-up and planned race programme.

The AMR-One is powered by a turbocharged and direct-injected inline-six gas engine resting in a carbon fiber monocoque open-top chassis. The Aston’s tiny 2.0-liter mill was developed with LeMans Cup’s new efficiency regulations in mind.

The six-cylinder engine setup is an interesting one as we just reported last week that Aston Martin was looking at reintroducing a new six-cylinder engine, also with direct injection and turbocharging technology but with a displacement of 2.5-liters in its production cars. So perhaps some variation of this racing engine will eventually turn up in one of Aston Martin’s bespoke road cars.

The suspension is double wishbones all round with pushrod Koni dampers, the carbon brakes are by Brembo (six-pot calipers all round, with 380mm front and 355mm rear discs), and the 18in Michelin tyres wrap forged magnesium wheels. All in, the AMR-One tips the scales at the ACO-mandated minimum of 900kg.

The driver lineup which will take on this year's 24 Hours of LeMans includes Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (D) in car 007 and Adrian Fernandez (MX), Andy Meyrick (GB) and Harold Primat (CH) in charge of 009.




Press Release

Aston Martin Racing launches new AMR-One Race Car

• New Aston Martin LMP1 race-car developed from ground up named AMR-One
• Bespoke, in-line six cylinder, direct injection, intercooled, turbocharged petrol engine
• Carbon fibre monocoque open top chassis
• Driver line up:
• 007 Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (D) , TBC
• 009 Adrian Fernandez (MX), Andy Meyrick (GB) and Harold Primat (CH)

Aston Martin Racing announces today its plans for the new season including the unveiling of a new ground-up developed LMP1 race car, the AMR-One, as well as confirming the driver line-up and planned race programme.

The Gulf Oil International sponsored and liveried Aston Martin AMR-One is a new open-top LMP1 race car featuring a 2.0 litre turbocharged six cylinder direct injection petrol engine which has been developed for a new bespoke carbon fibre chassis designed and manufactured by Aston Martin Racing.

Based on the new regulations for 2011 instigated by the Le Mans governing body; the ACO, Aston Martin Racing has chosen to change tack this year in designing an open cockpit car. In line with the new 2011 rules, the AMR-One features the new blade-fin and has a significantly down-sized engine in keeping with the championship's efficiency focused regulations. Power is fed to the rear wheels via a six-speed transverse semi automatic pneumatic shift, Xtrac racing gearbox.

A total of six AMR-Ones will be built, with the factory team running one car in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) which includes the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans and two cars at selected events. The AMR-One is linked to Aston Martin's ultimate design and engineering showcase; the road going One-77; both of which share similar philosophies featuring carbon fibre monocoques. Aston Martin's in-house design team worked closely with the engineers at Aston Martin Racing to find the optimum balance between aesthetics and aerodynamics.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr. Ulrich Bez said: "Aston Martin's heritage is deeply rooted in endurance sports car racing, so in 2011, we take the next step demonstrating that a small team using advanced design and engineering intelligence will be agile and competitive."

The driver line up for 2011 will consist of Darren Turner (GB) Stefan Mücke (D) and another driver yet to be announced, who will join the team piloting the 007 car. Adrian Fernandez (MX), Andy Meyrick (GB) and Harold Primat (CH) will be teaming up to drive the 009 car.

Aston Martin Racing Chairman, David Richards said: "George and the team have been extremely busy over the winter months and they have been working day and night to produce what is not only a stunningly beautiful race car but one which will use the new ACO regulations to best effect.
"Just like the road cars, the AMR-One has been elegantly engineered where simplicity runs throughout to produce what we expect to be a competitive and reliable endurance racer."

Team Principal George Howard-Chappell said: "We have chosen to run with a six cylinder turbocharged engine because we believe this offers the best potential within the petrol engine regulations. With the ACO's commitment to effectively balance the performance of petrol and diesel Le Mans entrants - our hopes are high that we'll see the closest racing yet in the premiere LMP1 category.

It is expected that Aston Martin Racing will contend selected races in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup with rounds in the United States (Petit Le Mans), Belgium (Spa), France (Le Mans), Italy (Imola), England (Silverstone) and China (TBC) and make its debut at Paul Ricard on the 1-3 April 2011.

The AMR-One is expected to test for the first time in early March.

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2011 Ford B-MAX concept

This is the five-seat Ford B-MAX, revealed just ahead of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the very compact minivan rides on the same platform as the Fiesta and is just 4.3-inches longer than that model's five-door hatchback. Aiding in the action of ingress/egress, the B-Max ditches B-pillars entirely so occupants can easily glide past the dual sliding rear doors.

The B-Max in Europe will join a portfolio of multipurpose vehicles that includes the Focus-based C-Max, the seven-passenger Grand C-Max and the midsize S-Max. Ford showed the 2012 C-Max, along with two gasoline-electric variants, the C-Max Energi and the C-Max Hybrid, at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

For this model, Ford is making available a new 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost engine that includes direct fuel injuection, twin independent variable cam timing and start/stop.  Ford claims the engine delivers high fuel efficiency, and low carbon emissions, but specifics were not provided.

Inside it’s much like a Fiesta, only with more space (particularly in the back), and the concept features higher quality materials. The panoramic glass roof also heightens the sense of space, while the rear seats fold 60:40 and the front passenger seat folds too. The B-Max is much like the Fiesta under the skin too – it’s built on the same underpinnings, Ford’s global B-car platform. The B-Max is 11cm taller than a Fiesta and 11cm longer, but 32cm shorter than a C-Max.




Press Release

B-MAX HIGHLIGHTS FORD'S INNOVATIVE VISION FOR THE SMALL CAR MARKET

• Global reveal of the Ford B-MAX at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show
• Dramatic new door concept - with integrated B-pillar construction and twin sliding doors - is production ready, and promises unique appeal in the segment
• Benefits include outstanding access to the front and rear, unmatched convenience and flexibility, and outstanding safety
• Highly-versatile B-MAX interior combines exceptional space and practicality with the comfort and premium materials of a much larger vehicle
• Ultra-low-CO2 powertrain with state-of-the-art 1.0-litre three-cylinder Ford EcoBoost petrol engine and Auto-Start-Stop

GENEVA, March 1, 2011- Ford is unveiling its dramatic new B-MAX vehicle at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, providing an early preview of exciting innovations from Ford in the small car market.

The B-MAX has a unique new body design which eliminates the traditional B pillar and features twin rear sliding doors. This innovative format - which has already been engineered for production - promises best-in-class access to the cabin, together with unmatched convenience and flexibility.

The dynamic and stylish new B-MAX illustrates how Ford's kinetic design language can be translated to a unique new vehicle format.The innovation continues inside the cabin, where the interior offers exceptional space and versatility for such a compact vehicle. The use of high quality materials highlights the vision that small, practical cars can also be comfortable and well-equipped.

"With its highly popular S-MAX and Galaxy, and more recently the all-new C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, Ford has a proven history of bringing innovation and style to the multi-activity vehicle market," said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe.

"The new B-MAX signals that Ford is ready to bring the same bold thinking to the small car market. With its unique door format and dynamic design, the B-MAX sends a strong message that customers looking for a compact, stylish and versatile vehicle will soon have an exciting new choice."

New vision for compact vehicles

Based on Ford's global B-car platform - shared with the highly successful new Fiesta - the B-MAX is slightly more than four metres in length, the B-MAX is just 11 cm longer than the Fiesta five-door, and is 32 cm shorter than the new C-MAX.

With this highly compact footprint, the B-MAX is ideally placed to meet the fast-growing demand for downsized cars which are better suited to congested urban conditions, but without sacrificing interior space and comfort.

"With the B-MAX we set out to create a vehicle that captures the spirit of a smaller S-MAX," said Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's executive design director. "We wanted to show that a small car could be very spacious and practical inside, while still having the sleek, dynamic appearance that has made the S-MAX so popular."

Unmatched interior versatility

With both front and rear doors open there is outstanding access to the interior, with a huge, clear aperture measuring over 1.5 metres wide. This is around twice the width offered by competitors with alternative door concepts, making it significantly easier to enter or exit the rear seats, attend to children in child seats, or load shopping.

Having folded the 60/40 split rear seats and the front passenger seat to create an extensive flat load floor, the side access is particularly convenient to load bulky items such as flat-pack furniture or even a bicycle.

With the front passenger seat folded, the interior is capable of swallowing exceptionally long loads measuring up to 2.35 metres in length.

Sitting 11cm taller than Fiesta, the B-MAX also provides extremely generous accommodation for its occupants. Drivers benefit from a higher ‘command' seating position, while rear seat legroom and headroom is significantly improved.

Engineered for outstanding safety

In developing the B-MAX's unique integrated B-pillar body design for production, Ford engineers have ensured that it delivers the same outstanding levels of crash protection as Ford products with a more conventional structure.

To deliver the required performance in side impacts, the structure of both front and rear doors has been significantly strengthened - with ultra-high-strength Boron steel in key load-bearing areas - so that the door frames work together to absorb energy like a ‘virtual B pillar'.

Special safety interlocks and reinforced latch mechanisms ensure that the doors remain firmly fixed to the roof and floor structure during an impact, and enable the front and rear doors to act together to protect the occupants.

When these measures are combined with other structural enhancements to the bodyshell and the latest restraint system technologies, the result is a body design which meets the highest safety standards.

Compact, sporty and stylish

The exterior design of the B-MAX shows how Ford's kinetic design language can be applied to its unique new vehicle format, creating a compact, sporty and stylish car which adds its own distinctive character to Ford's popular MAV line-up.

The vehicle's striking front-end features a bold new interpretation of Ford's signature trapezoidal grille. Other distinctive kinetic design elements include strong headlamp graphics, the muscular shoulder line with its powerful undercut, a characteristic window line with its kick-up behind the rear doors, and the prominent wheel lips.

The bold three-dimensional surfacing of the body sides helps to avoid the tall, blocky look which is common in this class of vehicle, and includes a unique new rocker treatment, with a stylish ‘zig-zag' form on the rear doors.

With its distinctive window graphic, wraparound tailgate glass, and slim tail lamps split by the tailgate, the rear of the B-MAX is closely reminiscent of the S-MAX. Strong horizontal feature lines help to emphasis the vehicle's wide and confident stance.

Spacious premium interior

The cabin retains the dynamic, sporty feel of Ford's small-car interiors, but introduces the more premium character and decorative elements from the larger C-MAX.

Driver controls are based on Ford's HMI (Human Machine Interface) approach, with a large six-inch touch screen display mounted in the centre of the upper IP, above the much-acclaimed mobile-phone style integrated control panel.

The sensation of space in the interior is enhanced by a full-size panoramic glass roof, which covers the entire roof area.

Ultra-low CO2 powertrain

The B-MAX is powered by an ultra-low-CO2 powertrain, featuring a state-of-the-art three-cylinder 1.0-litre Ford EcoBoost petrol engine equipped with the Ford Auto-Start-Stop system.

This three-cylinder Ford EcoBoost represents the next addition to the global family of Ford EcoBoost engines. Like the 1.6- and 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ford EcoBoost engines, which have recently been launched in Ford's European medium and large cars, the 1.0-litre unit combines direct fuel injection, turbocharging and twin independent variable cam timing to achieve significant reductions in fuel-consumption and CO2 emissions.

Designed to replace larger conventional four-cylinder petrol engines, the three-cylinder Ford EcoBoost engine is undergoing final development prior to its production launch.

"The B-MAX demonstrates Ford's commitment to providing customers with exciting and innovative vehicles," said Stephen Odell. "We believe that the new concepts and technologies it showcases will have a major impact on the small car market."

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