Mercedes-AMG Project ONE

 

World premiere at the IAA.

The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE will celebrate its world premiere at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main: for the first time, the two-seater supersports show car brings the very latest and efficient, fully-fledged Formula 1 hybrid technology from the race track to the road almost par for par to represent the highlight of AMG’s 50th anniversary. This high-performance hybrid is said to produce over 1,000 PS and reach top speeds beyond 350 km/h. The show car combines outstanding race track performance and day-to-day suitable Formula 1 hybrid technology with exemplary efficiency. This is a world first.

 

One turbo engine and four electric motors.

The high-performance plug-in hybrid drive system of the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE comes directly from Formula 1, and was realised in close cooperation with the motorsport experts of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth. It consists of a highly integrated and intelligently networked unit comprising one hybrid, turbocharged combustion engine with a total of four electric motors. One has been integrated into the turbocharger, another has been installed directly on the combustion engine with a link to the crankcase and the two remaining motors drive the front wheels.

 

Mid-engine with up to 11,000 rpm.

The 1.6-litre V6 hybrid petrol engine with direct injection and electrically assisted single turbocharging comes directly from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 racing car. To achieve high engine speeds, the mechanical valve springs have been replaced by pneumatic valve springs. The vehicle is mid-engined (ahead of the rear axle) and it can easily reach speeds of 11,000 rpm, which is currently unique for a roadgoing vehicle. However, for higher longevity and the use of commercially available Super Plus petrol instead of racing fuel, it remains significantly below the F1 engine speed limit.

 

Driving Performance of the future.

Ever since the early days of motorsport, engineers have dreamed of bringing motor racing technology to the road. Mercedes-AMG is now making this dream a reality at the very highest level. “Motorsport is not an end in itself for us. Faced with intense competition, we develop technologies from which our production vehicles also subsequently benefit. We are drawing on our experiences and successes from three constructors’ and drivers’ world championships to bring Formula 1 technology to the road for the first time: in Mercedes-AMG Project ONE”, says Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

The concept car gives specific indications of what to expect from the upcoming production model. “The hypercar is the most ambitious project we have ever undertaken. It marks yet another pinnacle of the successful, strategic development of Mercedes-AMG towards a performance and sports car brand. Project ONE raises the bar in terms of what is currently technologically feasible and thanks to its combination of efficiency and performance it represents an absolute benchmark. At the same time, Project ONE provides an outlook on how AMG will define driving performance in the future”, Tobias Moers explains as the Head of Management at Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

Rev wonders on the front axle.

The electric motors on the front axle are also true rev wonders, with rotor revolutions up to 50,000 rpm – current state of the art is a speed of 20,000 rpm. The very high-revving engine is additionally boosted by a high-tech turbocharger. The exhaust gas and compressor turbines are separated from one another and located at an optimum position to the exhaust side and to the intake side of the V6 engine, and connected to one another by a shaft. This shaft features an electric motor with approximately 90 kW which, depending on the operating status, electrically drives the compressor turbine with up to 100,000 rpm – for instance when moving off or following load changes. The Formula 1 designation for this unit is MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit Heat).

Responds faster than a naturally aspirated V8 engine.

The major advantage: the dreaded turbo lag – the delayed response to accelerator pedal commands owing to the inertia of the large charger – is completely eliminated. The response time is greatly reduced, and is even shorter than that of a naturally aspirated V8 engine. The electric turbocharger brings about another advantage: it uses parts of the surplus energy from the exhaust system to generate electricity, and either stores it in the high-voltage lithium-ion battery as part of recuperation or provides additional drive power by feeding it to an additional electric motor. This motor produces 120 kW, has been installed directly on the engine and features a link to the crankshaft via a spur gear (MGU-K = Motor Generator Unit Kinetic) – another technology that ensures maximum efficiency and performance in Formula 1.

Fully electrically driven front axle.

The thermal efficiency of the combustion engine with electric turbocharger (MGU-H) in conjunction with the electric motor on the crankshaft (MGU-K) will be over 40 percent. This is a previously unattained peak value for series production vehicles. There will also be two further 120 kW electric motors at the front axle.

Each is connected to a front wheel via a reduction gear. The fully electrically driven front axle allows individual acceleration and braking of each front wheel, and therefore selective torque distribution for particularly high levels of vehicle dynamics.

Impressive acceleration figures.

The driver can move off purely electrically, initially with just the electric motors on the front axle driving the hypercar and the electric motor on the crankshaft supporting short-term acceleration wishes. If the driver presses the accelerator more firmly and demands more output, the V6 engine also switches on. The drive system unfolds its full power as the engine speed increases. Impressive acceleration figures are possible with the Race Start function: acceleration from zero to 200 km/h takes under six seconds. If the driver’s foot leaves the accelerator again to let the car coast, the system switches to electric drive at the front axle – whilst braking under normal driving conditions recuperates up to 80 percent of the energy, which is fed into the battery.

Automated 8-speed manual transmission.

Power is transferred to the rear wheels by an 8-speed manual transmission that has been entirely developed from scratch for the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE. It is activated hydraulically and can be operated in automated mode or manually using the shift paddles. The car is equipped with an advanced, weight-optimised ceramic high-performance compound braking system. Its low weight reduces the unsprung masses, thus improving driving dynamics and agility.

Innovative pushroad suspension.

Multi-link designs are used at the front and rear. The adjustable coil-over suspension has several special features: Both push-rod spring struts have been installed across the direction of travel. The innovative arrangement of the spring/damper unit replaces the function and application of conventional tubular cross members. The overall setup of the springs and dampers is configured for perfectly balanced, easily controlled and above all sporty handling characteristics. These are also assisted by all-wheel drive and torque vectoring.

Not only a street-legal racing machine.

The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE will not only be a street-legal racing machine that directly brings current Formula 1 hybrid technology onto the road and combines top-class race track performance with full day-to-day suitability. Its purpose is also to obtain extensive findings about performance-oriented plug-in hybrid drive technology, further developments of suspension layouts and extended onboard electronics that will later benefit series production AMG cars.

Source: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/vehicles/mercedes-amg-project-one-formula-1-technology-for-the-road/

Audi Aicon

 Aicon: Audi technology demonstrator

Design study, technology demonstrator, mobility concept: The Audi Aicon exploits every possibility offered by a autonomous luxury sedan of the future with unprecedented consistency. As a design study, the four-door 2+2 boldly leaps ahead to show the exterior and interior design of the next decades. The technology demonstrator combines innovations relating to the drivetrain, suspension, digitalization and sustainability in a visionary manner. And as a mobility concept, the Audi Aicon shows the world of tomorrow, in which the advantages of door-to-door individual transportation are combined with the luxurious ambiance of a first-class airline cabin.
Pure presence – the exterior

Design

The Audi Aicon looks spectacular from any angle. Its sheer size – an exterior length of 5,444 millimeters (17.9 ft), a width of 2,100 millimeters (6.9 ft) and a height of 1,506 millimeters (4.9 ft) – places it in the automotive top tier, the D segment.The designers reduced the front and rear ends to a minimum of lines and focused on large, uninterrupted surfaces. As with the Audi e-tron Sportback concept, the Aicon front features the inverted hexagonal Singleframe, a typical feature of the upcoming generation of electric cars from Audi. The sharply inclined silhouette of the entire front end evokes a sense of forging ahead – this, too, is a typical sports car body line.

 

Emotion and information – the LED lighting technology

Conventional headlights and lighting units are absent from both the front and rear of this car. Instead there are fully digital display surfaces comprising hundreds of triangular pixel segments. They are three-dimensional recreations of the Audi AI symbol. Grouped around the Singleframe are large light fields, in which – as at the rear – more than 600 3D pixels are arranged in space. The large surfaces and high pixel count enable versatile graphics, animations and information visualizations in any color. The Audi Aicon is thus no longer bound to a daytime running lights look, but rather can adapt to the driving situation and even its passengers. The customization is boundless. Horizontally cut lighting segments to the left and right of the Singleframe look like eyes and can be expanded to resemble wide pupils or squinted for an aggressive look. If the car detects passers-by or other road users, it literally makes eye contact with them and follows them with its “eyes.”

Accommodating – operation and communication

The oft-cited paradigm change in the automotive world – it shows in the Audi Aicon. One glance is all it takes to realize that all of the controls and displays are missing. Steering wheel, pedals, groups of buttons and instruments – nothing. Instead just wide, uninterrupted surfaces. The interior quickly comes to life once passengers enter. Illuminated lines of LEDs set colorful accents in the area of the doors. The front display lights up with a welcome message. PIA, the empathetic electronic vehicle assistant, recognizes the passenger by his phone and activates all of his personal settings. There are custom settings for the air conditioning and seating position, interior light color and the layout of the infotainment system. The navigation system awaits entry of a destination, and all accessible channels of communication are ready for use, connected via the fastest available standard.

New are the variably positionable control interfaces in the encircling door rail. Depending on the position of the seats, which can be shifted by up to 50 centimeters (19.7 in), ergonomically perfectly positioned touch and display elements are available in the digitized wrap-around. Your hand instinctively finds its way to the touch-sensitive control panels.

There are multiple input modes available for engaging with the car. Besides the haptic-manual layer, there are also voice control and eye tracking, in which sensors in the front end of the interior track where the passenger is looking.

The full range of services offered by modern communications electronics are available at all times in the Audi Aicon. Travelers can relax and watch a film or surf the web. Video conferences are another option, as is interaction on social media. Depending on the seating position, the passengers can use the large front display as the output surface or a virtual head-up image displayed above it in the windshield.

The glass roof panels can block out the sunlight, if desired. Their transparency level changes upon application of an electric voltage. Integrated OLED lighting elements allow for precise mood lighting or the even illumination of the interior when getting in or out of the car, for instance.

The Audi Aicon opens up a new world of mobility to its passengers. Freed from the tasks of driving, they can choose how to spend their time in the car. Working, communicating or simply just relaxing and even napping: Anything is possible while the car autonomously and safely finds its way.

Power unit

A highly efficient electric drive provides for the dynamics of the Audi Aicon. A total of four electric motors are located in the area of the front and rear axles. The energy storage units are integrated into the area below the floor. The four electric motors produce a total of 260 kW and 550 Newtonmeters (405.7 lb-ft). Each drives one wheel, enabling electronically controlled, variable quattro all-wheel drive. Maximum acceleration played a less important role in the specification than maximum efficiency and thus also range.

This operating strategy is also pursued by the powertrain and electric brake units, which use recuperation to recover energy. Targeted lightweight construction of the multimaterial body and optimized aerodynamics also help the Audi Aicon to achieve ranges between 700 and 800 kilometers (435.0 - 497.1 mi) on a single charge.

Even charging has been reduced to a minimum. Thanks to a high-voltage system with 800 volts, the Aicon’s battery unit can be charged to 80 percent of capacity in less than 30 minutes. The car is also equipped with a unit of inductive, i.e. wireless, charging. The Aicon manages both without a driver. In an AI Zone, it can pull up to a charging station on its own and charge its battery without any human assistance.

As a true quattro, the Audi Aicon offers ample performance and even autonomously always reaches its destination safely regardless of the weather or road surface. The suspension is designed for maximum comfort. Pneumatic spring and damper units smooth out any road surface irregularities.

The Audi Aicon is an all-arounder well prepared for its primary task: to offer a maximum of comfort, communications technology and freedom for its occupants during a long journey. It combines the scopes for autonomous driving in an urban environment and on the highway with an unprecedented range for an electric drive. The Aicon will be followed by further multitalented Audi models, each with their own specialized discipline, ensuring that the vehicle range of the brand with the four rings remains as diverse as it is fascinating.

The Interior

Source: http://www.audi.com/en/models/showcars/aicon.html

Revelation of the new 2018 BMW M8 and BMW 8 Series GTE

The future BMW M8 - Hell Ride

27. May 2017

In 1990, a BMW was developed which left everything else in the dust. It was clearly well before its time and so it remained a prototype. But, in this case, out of sight...not out of mind. Of course, we’re talking about the BMW M8 – the legend. And now this fabled icon is going to be produced in a series soon. The fully camouflaged, early prototype of the future BMW M8 celebrated its first major appearance at the M Festival. At the M Corso, through the famous-infamous “Nordschleife” - two legends meet.

” The conception and development of the standard BMW 8 Series and the M model have run in parallel. The future BMW M8 will build on the genes of the 8 Series and augment its DNA with added track ability and generous extra portions of dynamic sharpness, precision and agility. ”
    Frank van Meel, CEO, BMW M GmbH

Luxury meets motorsport

Totally camouflaged, yet the centre of attention – the high-performance car fascinates thousands of M fans along the nearly 25-kilometre course. Classic M features like the enlarged air vents, the modified braking system or the sports exhaust system with four tailpipes not only highlight the significantly boosted performance and potential for driving dynamics, but are also guarantors for a highly-emotional driving experience.

“Developing a new racing car is always exciting, and in the case of the BMW M8 GTE the anticipation is that much greater still. We can’t reveal any pictures yet, but I can promise you that the BMW M8 GTE will look spectacular. We are planning an initial roll-out for the first half of this year and are looking at giving the car its race debut in the Daytona 24 Hours in late January 2018”, says Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director.

While it will be the first production M8, it's not the first M8 to be built by M, which crammed the McLaren F1's 6.0-liter, naturally aspirated V12 in a 1990 8 Series Coupe. While it remained a one-off prototype, it did carry M8 badges on its trunklid. BMW's M division will also be the basis of a new GT Le Mans racer, the M8 GTE, which should debut at next January's Daytona 24 Hour race.

The Engine

We’ve gotten no specs as of yet, so we don’t know what sort of engine or power figures the M8 will have. We feel as if it could go in one of two directions. It could either get the same S63 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8 as the F90 BMW M5 or maybe the same 6.6 liter twin-turbocharged V12 as the BMW M760i. They both make around the same 600 hp, so either way it would be properly quick. The original BMW 850CSi, and prototype M8, had a V12 engine and it seems that as BMW’s flagship it should have its biggest engine. On the other side though, the new S63 V8 is just as powerful and significantly lighter, allowing the M8 to handle better and have sharper steering. So it will be interesting to see which engine it gets. It will be awesome either way, though.

The new BMW 8 Series Concept - Unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy

The luxurious new two-plus-two coupe is planned to return to the BMW line-up in 2018 after an almost two decade hiatus as part of what company bosses describe as the biggest model offensive in the company’s history. The Concept 8 Series is being displayed this weekend at the Concorso d’Eleganza on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, and is the first in a series of ultra-premium cars from BMW.

Speaking at the Concept 8 Series unveiling, BMW board member Ian Robertson said: "We want to bring more cars into the upper luxury segment. We have already announced we are in the development phase of the X7. We are working on other products as we feel there is a lot of opportunity there. The new 8 series is part of this. In the next couple of years we will see the most comprehensive change in the history of BMW."

The Interior

In the cabin, a large centre console stack pours downwards, featuring a large infotainment screen perched atop of it. BMW says that there's a "smooth connection" between the car's three control clusters - the centre console, the instrument panel and the doors. Slim sports seats feature, while the cabin is trimmed in 'Marino' leather in dark brown and white. To lend a sporty feeling to the cockpit, naked carbin fibre trim is applied liberally.

The first renderings 

The video bellow shows the first renderings provided by BMW. The car looks amazing.

Source: https://www.bmw-m.com/en/topics/magazine-article-pool/the-future-bmw-m8-hell-ride.html

Artega Scalo - the all-electric sucessor of the Artega GT

Artega Scalo

In 2015 an electric version of the Artega GT was showcased, powered by two rear-mounted high power electric engines.  Its name was Scalo, after a winning Westphalian stallion with the same name.  This concept car sowed the seed for a further developed model, with much more power, greater performance and even greater range. The target range was 500km.   

The Artega Scalo with a purely electric drive is the direct successor of the Artega GT, which inspired car fans around the world. The new German electric sports car promises pure driving enjoyment with aerospace genes. 

An impressive acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and an electronically limited maximum speed of 155 mph characterise the Artega Scalo. The range of up to 250 mls and the charging time are convincing as well. With a 64 kW DC quick charge, it is possible to charge the battery completely in less than one hour. 

The Artega Scalo has two Voltabox high-performance electrical motors with a total output of 300 kW and a torque of 575 ft-lb - using technology from aerospace. The energy storage is a world novelty: Lithium-ion battery modules, combined with perfectly customized SuperCaps (high-performance capacitors).

 Pursuing the electric power route Artega has dispensed with petroleum engines and wants to promote the switch to electromobility also in the arena of super sports cars. Consequently, Artega has now sold the know-how, the production facilities, and tools for the Artega GT to US company Saleen, which will build the vehicle with a different engines in China under its own brand. 

The focus of Artega is now on producing an exclusive car that embodies great looks, stunning performance, luxury and practicality, for customers with a unique lifestyle. The target is to become the alternative German super sports car maker, offering high performance cars for everyday use, with a car at the very top of its market segment.  

The Interior

 

About Artega and the Artega GT

The Company

 The German Artega GT sports car, which was first launched back in 2007, continues to be a real head-turner – both on the road and among the cognoscenti – with its still-innovative lightweight structural design and its maker’s special attention to the conservation of resources.

Artega GmbH, to give it its full name, has meanwhile returned to the family ownership of the company’s founder, Klaus Frers, who has taken on the mission of developing the Artega brand and putting the firm’s accumulated know-how to work in creating a sustainable corporate approach for carmakers and their suppliers. 

An extra feature was added in 2008 to Artega’s lightweight construction and onboard power-supply architecture: electric traction. Artega can now offer an unequalled range of products, thanks to its programme of cooperation with paragon AG (a supplier of electronics , display and control systems and body kinematics),  and a paragon subsidiary called Voltabox Deutschland GmbH (which produces li-ion battery systems and onboard chargers).

The outcome of all this is Artega already creating the intelligent mobility of the future.

 

Iconic Artega GT

 After a development phase lasting just 20 months, and a successful application for European short-production-run approval, the period from 2009 to 2012 saw the production and delivery of 153 Artega GT. The Artega GT continues even now to delight enthusiasts, and has won a place among the world’s best-known sports cars. 

Some specialist magazines have even earmarked the Artega GT as a “future classic”. Owners from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Japan, Mexico, Malaysia and China are all equally fired up by the incredible driving experience that possessing this very special vehicle entails. 

The knowledge and skills gained from this extraordinary project have created a unique worldwide combination of expertise in many areas. The long list includes electronics, electromechanical and mechanical systems, kinematics, on-board network architecture, electric traction, simulation techniques, active and passive safety, innovative materials, lightweight construction, road testing, validation, homologation and type-approval, project management and small-scale series production. 

Source: http://www.artega.de

The Effeffe Berlinetta "cafe racer" - legendary 50's car

An Italian dream made true

Today completely hand made, according to the standards of the legendary 50's, it is a car that will appeal to those audiences, who lived or dream the myth of those racing cars that ran on the streets of the "Mille Miglia", the "Targa Florio" or the "Carrera Panamericana" and at the meantime they were used in the weekend to go to the theater. A made in Italy masterpiece of design and engineering.

 

Passion and experience come together in the creation of this model, thanks to its design, recalls the “dream car” of many fans bringing them back a long time ago.

 

 

The tubular frame is designed with the help of CAD systems and innovative programs for the checking of the successive stages of cutting and automatic resistance control.
The result is a very rigid but at the same time considerably light frame.
All aluminum body, hand-hammered. The details of the body , grids, frame strips, door and bonnet handles are entirely hand-made.

 

The Effeffe Berlinetta "cafe racer" do not leave anything to chance, his whole "being" goes straight to the point and leaves no time to get lost in unnecessary frills.
Built and finished trying to guess and satisfy not only the aesthetic taste of his driver and immediately expressing his great personality.

 

 

 

 

Technical features

Engine

Engine deriving from Alfa Romeo entirely in aluminium
Engine : front central, straight four
Cubic capacity : 1962 cmc.
Maximum power : 180 HP DIN a 6500 rpm
Distribution :  by twin overhead camshaft driven by double chains
Feed : 2 horizontal Weber 45 DCOE double choke

Drive train

Rear-wheel drive
Clutch : single dry-plate
Gearbox : 5 gear all synchronized, plus reverse, floor shift
Gear ratios : I°, 1:3,30 – II° , 1:1,99 – III° , 1:1,35 – IV° , 1:1 – V° , 0,79 , RM , 3,01
Axle ration  :   9/41
Wire Wheel : classic centre lock, centre cap and splined hubs, rims in steel,  15x6.00”
Tyres : Dunlop Racing M5.00x15” or M 5.50x15” or M 6.00x15”, radial 205 VR15

Chassis & body

Chassis : frame work in welded steel tubes
Body : 2 seat coupè, 2 doors, in aluminium hand made

Front suspension : independent with wishbones. The adjustable pull stiffener liner is joined to hight and length adjustable bush upper swineing arm. Stabilizer bar. Strut bar. Push-rod coil spring and coaxially double acting shock-absorber.

Rear suspension : rigid axle. Lower trailing arms, with adjustable upper trailing arms, live axle on adjustable T-joint. Watt’s linkage to prevent relative sideways motion between the axle and frame work. Stabilizer bar. Coil spring and coaxially double-acting shock-absorber
Brakes : disc front and rear with brake pump lightweight Ate.
The two rear brakes have the cylinder separate from the caliper.
Steering : rack
Dry weight : 790 Kg
Power/weight ratio : 4,38 kg/HP
 

 

The driver's seat

Everything at the service of the pilot. The Jaeger tachometer with 10,000 full scale, a true legend in the world of racing many years ago, tachometer, oil pressure and temperature, water temperature, voltmeter. These are indicators for the monitoring of all the important parameters when the gait is at limit, and the pilot has to get these information at a glance. All information that we have probably forgotten over the time. Nardi steering wheel with mahogany rim and spokes in aluminum, diameter 360 mm. The knob of the gear lever, another must. The faithful reproduction of what the velocissine Alfa Romeo GTA and GTAm that both won on circuits throughout the world. The adjustable pedals in aluminum derived from the Sport.

 

The interiors

The bucket seats, a "baquets" with legs raised support, made of a soft leather, the lining of the upper part of the dashboard in matt leather and the rest enameled in the same finish as the rest of the body, the secondary controls in chrome lever, the central tunnel, the door panels and the inner lining of the boot in the finest leather with diamond stitching and all 'English, floor carpets of pure wool to report sensations and scents of the past.

Source: http://www.effeffecars.com/