Ultimatecarpage.com
> Cars by brand
> United States
> Chevrolet
 WTCC Ultra Concept
|
| Chevrolet WTCC Ultra Concept |
| Article | Image gallery (12) | Specifications |
|
|
Page 1 of 1  The Chevrolet WTCC Ultra has got what it takes to be the star of the Paris Motor Show - and not just because its rear spoiler shoots so brashly up towards the heavens. The bold and aggressive design of the racecar study takes the Chevrolet body language to the extreme. The ready-to-drive concept car set to premiere in Paris was developed by a GM team around the globe. It is the vision of a new generation of touring car- a design icon that bends the present WTCC regulations.In line with Chevrolet's diesel offensive, the compact WTCC Ultra (length/width/height with spoiler: 4,324/1,906/1,569 mm, wheelbase: 2,650 mm) is equipped with a powerful 1,991 cm3 diesel unit generating 139 kW/190 hp. The basic version of the four-cylinder engine is the common rail unit with four-valve technology and variable turbine blade ge-ometry currently powering the Chevrolet Captiva and due to go into the Epica from spring 2007. The increase in performance was achieved by raising the Turbo boost pres-sure. The WTCC Ultra has a sophisticated independent wheel suspension on McPherson struts on both axles. The lower wheel control at the front is taken care of by an A-frame arm, while at the back, two additional wishbones and one trailing arm link the wheels precisely to the chassis. To keep the unladen weight as low as possible, the designers of the WTCC Ultra have made plenty of use of modern lightweight materials. The body parts are finished in "Stealth Blue", a further development of the familiar Chevrolet blue, and are made of a glass fibre and carbon fibre laminate. The flat underbody of the fully functioning touring concept car, which also graphically divides up the vehicle because of its dark colour, and the front and rear spoilers are made of a plain weave carbon fibre composite. The win-dow frames and the air inlet grilles at the front are finished in semi gloss dark grey. They make an attractive contrast with the glossy silver-painted wheels and the polished alu-minium door handles, number plate and centrally positioned tailpipes. Another aerodynamic feature apart from the flat underbody and the spoilers is a rear dif-fuser to create additional downforce. The proportions of the WTCC Ultra give the impression of a car that looks fast even when it's standing still. With the WTCC Ul-tra, the designers pushed the front screen forward to create a more aggressive frontal bias, with the added bonus of visually shortening the front overhang. The track was wid-ened significantly to 1,685 mm at the front and 1,670 mm at the rear, giving the car a more muscular and powerful stance. The lines and surfaces were created to project the impression of great energy under tension, captured at the moment before unspringing. All the lines on the car, plan view lines included, accelerate rearward of the front door, to give the car more speed, and keep the visual weight in the correct position. A dramatic effect is created by the steeply rising sweep of the lower window-line, which, together with the small separate front quarter-light window between the A and B posts, serves to create a fresh identity. For weight distribution, the driver is situated as far back and as low as possible. All the control surfaces of the car are designed to be exactly where the driver requires, from the steering wheel and sequential gear selector, to the adjustable pedalbox and the console-mounted electrical switches. The inner door releases in the front doors are also situated further back than usual to be in reach of the driver. The steering wheel is similarly rear-ward of normal, and houses all the technical information readouts for the driver in two screens. The main circular screen displays the gear selection and tachometer, as well as oil and water temperatures, fuel and oil levels, and brake bias. Four push buttons on the wheel control the functions of the main screen. The second screen situated in the top of the ergonomically designed wheel rim displays the tachometer as a graphical display, to aid the accurate timing of gear selection. The surface treatment around the circular screen emulates the wheel arch design on the exterior. The seat also borrows aspects of the exterior, comprising complex interwoven surfaces that echo the broken lines of the exterior. The striking form of the frame and the uphol-stery is designed to support and protect the driver, and is made from carbon fibre com-posites with self-skinning polyurethane cushions. Aggressive sculpting of the frame and cushions provides ergonomic support of the driver to ensure a comfortable driving posi-tion. The surface of both the cushions is broken up by an asymmetrical pattern of raised dots, designed to give added grip to the driver. The seat provides head and neck protec-tion via wings that project either side of the head support, and a six-point racing harness is employed to keep the driver in position. The love of detail is also evidenced by the embossed Chevrolet insignia on this harness belt. Nowhere on the car are there any printed logos or letters - everything is embossed, milled or cast. The design of the WTCC Ultra was coordinated and approved by GM Design Vice President, Ed Welburn (USA) and David Lyon, Executive Director GM Asia-Pacific De-sign (South Korea). GM Vice President Bob Lutz was involved in the project from the very beginning and enthusiastically supported it. All the exterior design development was carried out at GM Holden Design, where the clay model was constructed. The interior was also built completely digitally in Australia. The WTCC Ultra prototype vehicle was entirely constructed by the Japanese company, YDS, which had already built the Chevrolet studies, T2X and S3X. For the animation to be shown at the Paris Motor Show on the Chevrolet Europe stand, GM Technical Centre in India created the 3D data for the outer skin from the clay, and the Swiss company, Protoscar, produced and rendered the animation to a storyboard provided by GM Design European input was provided by GM Europe Engineering but also by the British motorsport specialists, Ray Mallock Limited (RML). The technical partner for the Chevrolet team in the WTCC helped with race components and the chassis. Page 1 of 1 |
| Article | Image gallery (12) | Specifications |
| All Cars - Contact us - Privacy Statement - Top | © 1998 - 2024 Ultimatecarpage.com |