New details for Gordon Murray's T.27 City Car

Gordon Murray has long been considered one of the most innovative engineers and designers in the automotive world. The latest project from the mind that created the McLaren F1 supercar is the new T.27 electric city car. The T.27 is the battery powered variant of the T.25, a model that will debut shortly with a gas engine. Both models use the same basic architecture, and like the seminal supercar, they feature a three seat layout. That's largely where the similarities end, however.

Essentially an electric version of the T.25, the T.27 features a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery and a small electric motor with 25 kW (34 hp / 34 PS) and 875 Nm (645 lb-ft) of torque. This allows the car to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than 15 seconds, before topping out at 105 km/h (65 mph). While it's not fast, the 680 Kg (1,500 lb) T.27 will have a range of 129-161 kilometers (80-100 miles). More importantly, "projected emissions, using a UK energy mix, are 48g/km CO2 for the combined cycle and 28g/km CO2 for the urban cycle alone, with zero emissions at the point of use.  Full lifecycle CO2 damage will be 42% less than the average UK car," according to the press release.

T.27 has a length of 2.50m, width of 1.30m and height of 1.60m, and it offers s wheelbase of 1.78m. The car’s turning circle is 6.0 meters and the weight including the battery is 680Kg.





Press Release

Gordon Murray Design announce the Specification and Performance Targets for the T.27 City Car, a pure electric drive vehicle designed to fully optimise packaging, weight and performance. The announcement marks an exciting leap forward in efficiency for electric vehicles and working closely with their powertrain partner, Zytek Automotive, a brand new, innovative, lightweight and fully integrated electric motor, control system and battery will be designed to ensure that maximum efficiency is achieved.

Projected emissions, using a UK energy mix, are 48g/km CO2 for the combined cycle and 28g/km CO2 for the urban cycle alone, with zero emissions at the point of use. Full lifecycle CO2 damage will be 42% less than the average UK car.

Vehicle Specification

eMotor:	25kW	Height:	1.60m
Battery Type:	Li-ion	Weight:	680Kg (incl. battery)
Battery Spec.	12kWh	Wheel Base:	1.78m
Length:	2.50m	Turning Circle:	6.0m
Width:	1.30m

Performance Targets

Top Speed:	105kph
0-100kph:	Less than 15 seconds
Range:	80 – 100 miles

The T.27 vehicle concept closely follows the layout and geometry of Gordon Murray Design’s innovative T.25 city car, an MPV with 6 possible internal layouts.

The efficiency in cost, weight and performance comes in part from the ‘clean sheet of paper’ approach, part from the full integration of the powertrain and also from the low energy manufacturing system developed by Gordon Murray Design called iStream®.

iStream® massively reduces the capital investment required to produce the vehicle and also the energy required for manufacture plus the flexibility of the iStream® process would also allow the petrol powered T.25 and the T.27 to be manufactured at the same plant.

The 16 month programme started in November 2009 with a running prototype scheduled for completion in April 2011 and is supported with a 50% investment from the Technology Strategy Board. The next phase in the programme will include a push to secure partners and funding for UK manufacture. A UK partner or consortium to produce the city cars in the UK would keep the technology at home and could create 6,000 jobs.

Professor Gordon Murray, CEO of Gordon Murray Design said:

“The Technology Strategy Board have been incredibly supportive of the T.27 programme and together we are working to keep this in the United Kingdom. It is a great opportunity to work with Zytek Automotive and our other partners on this very exciting programme. We always strive to lead the way in automotive design and our current goal is to maximise efficiency of electric vehicles.”

Bill Gibson, Chairman of Zytek Automotive said:

Zytek’s new innovative powertrain, developed from our substantial experience of EV and hybrid vehicle production programmes, will substantially reduce the weight and cost of the electric engine, whilst delivering the quality, refinement and driving experience that T.27 customers will demand.”

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board said:

"This is another example of the UK positioning itself to benefit from the economic opportunities offered by the emerging low-carbon vehicles market.It’s great that the T.27, a fantastic example of smart engineering and sustainable design, is at the forefront of this. We are also glad that we were able to support a project that enabled Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive and the other partners to work together to be truly innovative.”

Orders Open for the Hulme CanAm Supercar

Hulme Supercars the makers of NZ’s first Supercar the Hulme CanAm have just announced plans for a 20 unit limited production run. To reserve a Hulme CanAm Supercar you need to make a 10,000 GBP and the final Hulme CanAm price is set to 295,000 GBP, without local taxes.

Powered by a 7.0-litre V8 Chevrolet LS7 V8 worth 600 bhp (447 kW / 608 PS) and 600Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque at the rear wheels, the car is said to be capable of sprinting from 0 - 100km/h in under 3.5 seconds. Top speed is over 200 mph (322 km/h). Mated to the engine is a close-ratio 6-speed manual gearbox. A sequential manual shift option will be available.

Hulme will put the deposits in a trust account that will be returned for any prospective customers that decide to cancel. For those that decide to take delivery, the $700,000+ purchase price includes two business class tickets to Auckland, New Zealand for final fitting of the car and some local driving time. Once the customer is satisfied, the car will get shipped to its final destination.




Press Release

HULME CANAM SUPERCAR OPENS TO ORDERS

A limited run of just 20 New Zealand-designed and built Hulme CanAm supercars ensures extreme rarity value.

The developers of the eagerly-awaited 200+mph Hulme CanAm Supercar, named in honour of New Zealand racing legend and F1 World Champion, Denny Hulme, have announced an attractive proposition for those wishing to purchase an option to order one of an extremely limited production run.

The Auckland based Supercar developer-manufacturer, Hulme Supercars, has launched a package which is designed to guarantee rarity value by offering options to purchase the total production run of just 20 Hulme CanAm supercars, on a first-come, first-served basis.

The only production road car to bear the name of a F1 World Champion,

The Hulme CanAm is an ultra high-performance, mid-engined roadster. Created for both road and track use, the car blends the raw flavour and appeal of a Formula racing car with dramatic design, superb craftsmanship, exceptional performance and a thrilling and achievable driving experience.

An order for the CanAm will be secured by the deposit of £10,000 which, as Jock Freemantle, Hulme Managing Director, explains, is fully-refundable if the option is not converted to an order.

"Deposits will be held in a Trust account", he confirms, "pending a private viewing and driving experience of the car at or before the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed for those who have purchased an option to order. Following that, if anyone does not wish to proceed, the terms on which the deposit is paid will provide a guarantee that their total deposit will be returned immediately."

The 20 customer cars will be coach-built and equipped to customer order, with delivery commencing in the UK in the Autumn of 2011 and into 2012, the 20th anniversary of Denny Hulme's death.

Those who proceed to purchase are promised an experience as unique as the Hulme CanAm itself. Having determined the specification of their car, Hulme customers will enjoy two Air New Zealand Business Premier (Full flat bed) return tickets to Auckland, New Zealand, with one-week luxury accommodation, for their final fitting in the car and further road and circuit driving, before the car is shipped to their chosen destination.

All production cars will be numbered, with a guaranteed certificate of authenticity, and a 1/8 scale exact replica, finished in the same livery and specification, plus a full photographed dossier of the car's build.

For Freemantle, the purchase offer is a significant milestone in the development of the Hulme CanAm:

"The concept car, in coupe form, was first revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2006. Such was the interest that we conducted extensive research to assess demand, culminating in the decision to initially offer an open-top CanAm version, celebrating Hulme's victories of the "Can Am Championship" in 1968 and 1970," he said.

Development of the ultra-sleek F1-inspired CanAm car continued, with a finished prototype extensively tested on both road and track before the decision was made to accept orders.

Designed and hand-built by the Hulme Supercars technology team in New Zealand - including members who were responsible for the nation's America's Cup triumphs - the road-legal "Hulme CanAm" features an ultra-lightweight carbon composite tub and bodywork, and race-orientated chassis, suspension and braking.

To honour Denny's CanAm Championship wins in McLaren CanAm cars powered by Chevrolet V8's, the Hulme CanAm is powered by a 7-litre (427cu.in) Chevrolet LS7 V8 developing 600bhp and 600Nm torque, fed through a close-ratio, six-speed CIMA manual gearbox (Paddles or Sequential shift will be options available). As a consequence of its lightweight construction, the Hulme CanAm weighs in at less than 1,000kg. This combination promises a sub-three and a half second sprint to 100kph, and top speed in excess of 200mph.

Despite its ultra-performance and emphatic race car credentials, the Hulme Supercars' design and development focus has been on driveability, with power delivery and handling dynamics optimised for maximum driving enjoyment on track and on the road.

For Greeta Hulme, the widow of Denny - who passed away in 1992 - the announcement of the Hulme CanAm's production is warmly welcomed: "Jock Freemantle's desire to honour Denny's life with this unique car has been matched by his irrepressible enthusiasm and passion to create it. I am both proud and immensely impressed with what he and the Hulme Supercars team have achieved."

The purchase price of the Hulme CanAm will be fixed at £295,000 (plus local taxes) on receipt of an order, including delivery worldwide.

To purchase one of only 20 options available, e-mail Jock Freemantle at jock.f@hulmesupercars.com or write to Hulme Supercars Limited, P.O.Box97853,ManukauCity2241,Manukau,New Zealand.

The final vehicle specification, customer options included in the sale price, and details of the order and payment terms, will be confirmed before the options are converted to an order. Development specifications are available now from Hulme Supercars by e-mail to jock.f@hulmesupercars.com or from Hulme Supercars Limited, P.O.Box97853,ManukauCity2241,Manukau,New Zealand. and from the website. www.hulmesupercars.com.

Hulme CanAm Standard Specifications

Body & Chassis
Chassis:	Carbon Fibre/Composite construction
Body:	Carbon Fibre/Composite construction
Engine & Transmission
Type:	General Motors LS7 V8
Cylinders:	8
Displacement:	427 cu.in /7,000cc
Stroke:	4.0” /100cm
Power:	450Kw (600 HP)
HP/Litre:	85.7
Torque:	600 Nm at rear wheels
Configuration:	Mid-longitudinal
Transmission:	CIMA 6-speed, transaxle with LSD
Drive Wheels:	RWD
Suspension
Front:	Double Wishbone & Pushrod
	Inboard Coil-over damper & anti-roll bar
Rear:	Double Wishbone & Pushrod.
	Inboard Coil-over damper & anti-roll bar
Braking
Front:	Ventilated discs (362 x 32mm), AP Racing 6-Piston Calipers.
Rear:	Ventilated discs (362 x 32mm), AP Racing 6-Piston Calipers.
Steering
Type:	Progressive power-assisted
Wheels & Tyres
Wheels:	Front: 8.5” x 19” alloy Centre lock
	Rear: 11” x 20” alloy Centre lock
Tyres:	Front: 245 x 40 x 19 Pirelli P.-Zero Rosso
	Rear: 315 x 35 x 20 Pirelli P-Zero Rosso
Dimensions
Length:	4712 mm / 185.5 inch
Width:	1958 mm / 77 inch
Height:	1095 mm / 43 inch
Wheelbase:	2830 mm / 111.42 inch
Front Track:	1665 mm / 65.55 inch
Rear Track:	1605 mm / 63.19 inch
Kerb Weight:	980 Kg / 2160 lbs

BMW 328 Kamm Coupé

The BMW Classic has been creating some buzz around automotive circles. Recently the BMW sub-brand instituted a Motorsport division and then they rolled down around Munich in some old-school, classy chariots.

Recreating the BMW 328 Kamm Coupé, named after the German engineer Wunibald Kamm, became a project of BMW Classic over the years. In fits and starts, various recreation programs were begun and abandoned until the Munich-based automaker found the right partners to do the work in time to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Mille Miglia win.

The project intitiall started in the 1990s, but there was a serious lack of information regarding the car. Only after receiving aid from a private collector who had detailed photographs of the car (including "a good number of shots detailing the car's tubular frame construction") could they proceed.

The bulk of the work was done by René Große, who had previously restored the BMW 328 Touring Coupé and Mille Miglia Roadster for the BMW Museum. Using modern materials, such as plastic, carbon fiber and alumimum, Große came as close to recreating the famous racer as possible given that none of the original design drawings were still in existence. 

Aside from recreating the body of the car, BMW Classic also had to deal with challenges to reproduce the drive train, radiator, and the rear axle. Looks like they have done a great job looking at the pics.





Press Release

Back to the future - the BMW 328 Kamm Coupé

Today the BMW racing cars which made history in the 1940 Mille Miglia continue to enthral and delight wherever they go. For many years, however, the fleet of silver BMW racers has been one car short. The BMW 328 Kamm Coupé, named after the German aerodynamics pioneer Wunibald Kamm, disappeared without trace back in 1953. But now - 70years after BMW's famous Mille Miglia victory - BMW Classic has recreated this legendary racing car, once again illuminating an important milestone in both motor sport history and the development of vehicle aerodynamics. "We are very proud to be able to bring this car back into the public spotlight," said Karl Baumer, Director of BMW Group Classic. "We've come up against some major technical challenges, had many discussions and racked up countless hours of research, but when you see the car for the first time you can sense the passion and expertise invested in the project by everyone involved - all those years ago and today."

BMW was quick to appreciate the unique status of its Mille Miglia cars following the victory in 1940, and they were soon moved out of Munich into a rural hideaway to save them from potential destruction during the Second World War. The evacuation was successful, with all five surviving the hostilities essentially unscathed. However, in the upheaval of the immediate post-war period BMW lost track of the cars. With Allied soldiers scouring Germany for rare racing cars, it was hardly surprising that the three Mille Miglia Roadsters resurfaced in Russia, England and America. The winning Touring Coupé from 1940 was initially seized by the Americans before being whisked away by a senior BMW employee. However, it also found its way across the Atlantic when the employee decided to emigrate.

Only the Kamm Coupé remained in Germany, former BMW Director of Racing Ernst Loof having acquired the car for his personal use. By this time he had become a manufacturer in his own right, supplying speedy Veritas racing sports cars to customers in a resurgent post-war Germany.

However, he also laboured consistently under financial woes and a few years later he was forced to part company with the Kamm Coupé. Sadly, this automotive gem was not blessed with a long life under its new owner, succumbing to the scrap heap after an accident in the early 1950s.

There was certainly no denying the historical value of this very special car and, after BMW founded BMW Mobile Tradition in the mid-1990s to oversee an extended reappraisal of the company's history, plans were put together to build a reproduction. But the resurrection project proved to be a tricky undertaking. All design drawings for the car seemed to have disappeared into thin air and there was hardly a rich supply of historical photos around either. It was only with the hands-on assistance of a private collector in Munich that the project team were able to gather together a much larger selection of photos showing the car from a wide variety of angles. Indeed, these even included a good number of shots detailing the car's tubular frame construction.

Now it was time to tackle the exacting task of piecing together a likeness of the complete car from the available information. Computer specialists in the design department embraced the challenge. They started by scanning in the most detailed photos to use as a basis for a 3D geometry program. Then the few reliable constants, such as the wheel rim diameters, wheel offset, headlight size, door handles, wing nuts, indicators and BMW logos, were added until they appeared in the same position in every projection. Every image provided a fresh series of reference points for wheel arches, windows and other parts linked to the fixed constants. Gradually, the well of information deepened until the experts were able to produce a virtual solid model, in which every detail looked right in every view of the car. This was used to generate a program for a five-axis milling machine, which would cut an original-size model from a massive block of highly compacted foam.

A restorer was then commissioned to stretch an original BMW chassis by 20 cm and build a steel space frame according to the templates provided by the photos. However, not long afterwards the project was put on ice. As part of the concept design process for the new BMW Museum an idea was floated of rebuilding the intricate Elektron space frame of the Kamm Coupé as a showpiece for the "Lightweight design" area of the museum. An exact copy of the original space frame was duly produced with the help of a specialist based near Munich. Aluminium was chosen as the material in place of the original Elektron, and the frame's weight duly came very close to that of the original. Although this display frame was never intended to be used in an actual car, the Kamm Coupé idea remained on the table. In the end, it was a project initiated by the Meisterschule für Karosserie- und Fahrzeugbau Leipzig-Leisnig-Erlbach (master craftsmen''s college for body and vehicle construction serving Leipzig, Leisnig and Erlbach) in partnership with the BMW plant in Leipzig that got the ball rolling.

The original plan was to cover the existing steel space frame with aluminium body panels to replicate the external appearance of the car at least. The Meisterschule produced moulds of the foam model in which the panels of the outer skin could be shaped. The finished body has since been on display at the Leipzig plant.

With the 70th anniversary of the Mille Miglia victory fast approaching, BMW Classic was determined to bring its plan to recreate the Kamm Coupé to fruition. However, highly skilled specialists were required to turn the collection of individual parts into a car that could actually be driven. With his excellent BMW 328 Touring Coupé and Mille Miglia Roadster restorations for the new BMW Museum still fresh in the mind, it was clear that René Große - based in Wusterwitz in the state of Brandenburg - would be the right man for the job.

Große used the foam model as the basis for a glass fibre-reinforced plastic mould. This was then shaped (with the help of additional wooden elements) into a strong casing which was split down the middle into two parts. The 25 mm-diameter tubes for the space frame - made from an aluminium alloy that allowed work-hardening - were then fitted into these two half-shells. Extreme precision was the order of the day here, as no corrections could subsequently be made to the outer skin. All this endeavour was aimed at ensuring that the frame would get close to the 30 kg weight of the original. For the outer skin, the team used pure aluminium body panels from a second set supplied by the Meisterschule. The newly made panels for the inside - for the inner front wings, bulkhead, double floor section of the body, dashboard and fuel tank, for example - then had to be integrated into the mould.

The body experts in René Große's team called on all their skill and experience to fit the body to the space frame. An interesting detail of the construction were the 40-mm-wide aluminium strips which were welded to the frame at the outer edges of the metal skin. The outer skin was then edged inwards around these strips to a width of a few millimetres to achieve the visually intricate edges on the bonnet, windows, doors and wheel arches. This detail, like the design of the bonnet hinge and door hinges, had been patented by BMW. And that meant there were sketches available which enabled the team to render the new parts as close as possible to their original templates.

Other challenges included the technical tweaks which set the Kamm Coupé apart from its series-produced siblings, such as the set-back radiator, engine and transmission, modified rear axle and a host of other alterations requiring meticulous detailing.

The BMW 328 Kamm Coupé was finally handed over to BMW Classic in a brief ceremony in March 2010. That left only a short amount of time to prepare the newly created racing car for its big day at the 2010 Mille Miglia - 70 years after its last, memorable appearance in the race.

New Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa Concept unveiled at Villa D'Este

The Zagato-designed Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa has been unveiled at the Villa D'Este concours, and frankly, it's spectacular. Driven by the Alfa 8C Competizione's V8, the TZ3 is very much in keeping with its 60s-era predecessors, the TZ1 and TZ2, sporting similar detail elements and the same near-breadvan profile. Also like the originals, this is a legit racing car. Unlike its forbears, however, the new machine wears aluminum bodywork stretched over a tube frame and carbon-fiber chassis. Power, as indicated before, is also of thoroughly modern origin.

Zagato says the TZ3 was commissioned by German collector Martin Kapp as a special celebration of 100 years of racing from Scuderia Ferrari, Alfa Corse, Autodelta, and Scuderia Zagato. On that "special" bit, we think it's safe to say, "mission accomplished" - with class and panache to spare. Official PR pics are in the gallery below, and a full live gallery is posted at OmniAuto. Be sure to pay them a visit as well.

via:autoblog





Press Release

Show full PR text
Milano, April 2010: Zagato Atelier announces the introduction of the Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa at
the XII Villa D'Este Concours d'Elegance.

The TZ3 Corsa is not a design exercise.
It does not take inspiration only from the 90 year collaboration between the two brands, neither only
from the Milanese conjunction between Alfa Romeo and Zagato.
The TZ3 Corsa is a race car, honouring 100 years of races and victories across the whole 20th
century.

It celebrates men and machines of the Alfa Romeo Zagato common tradition:
Scuderia Ferrari of the 20's and 30's, Alfa Corse of the 40's and 50's, Autodelta of the 60's and
70's up to the latest Scuderia Zagato of the 80's and 90's.

Recalling these racing emotions, the TZ3 Corsa is based on a mono shell carbon fibre tubular
chassis, coupled with a tubular frame and a lightweight aluminium body.
It boasts Technical Partners such as OMP and Pirelli.

Following Zagato's gentlemen-driver heritage, the car has been commissioned by the Alfa Romeo
Zagato collector Martin Kapp, during the Zandvoort Tribute to Zagato event, where more than
130 Alfa Romeo Zagatos were celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the brand.
Martin Kapp owns, among his Alfa Romeo Collection: SZ coda tonda and SZ coda tronca, TZ
and TZ2, Junior Z and S.Z..

Tribute to the 100th anniversary of Alfa Romeo's Racing Heritage:
Alfa Romeo and Zagato achieved the best results since the beginnings thanks to the Mille Miglia
victories of the 1500 6C, the 1750 GS and the 8C 2300 Zagato of the Scuderia Ferrari. Already
in 1933 an official advert of the Alfa Romeo 8C proclaimed: "The Spider that, with the trio Alfa
Romeo - Scuderia Ferrari - Carrozzeria Zagato, brought countless victories in the homeland and
abroad for the honour of Italy."

Even the grandiose Quadrifoglio Verde was placed on the bodies of Zagatos of the Alfa Corse
team numerous times. Among the most glorious moments is the victory of the Formula 1
championship of Juan Manuel Fangio, aboard his Alfa Romeo 159 bodied by Zagato, as well as
the victorious Alfa Romeo 3000 CM bodied in 3 samples by Zagato.

During the 60's, the list of absolute victories of the Giulia TZ and TZ2 by Zagato for the Autodelta
of Ing. Carlo Chiti, was never-ending. Some of the most memorable victories included the 1964 12
hours of Sebring, the Targa Florio, the Nurburgring, and the 24 hours of Le Mans.
The single-brand Alfa Romeo S.Z. championship emphasized the Alfa Romeo ES30's
(Experimental SportsCar 3000) technical and dynamic abilities. The S.Z. delivered, and continues
to so today, constant performance and driving pleasure to the Gentlemen drivers of the Alfa Zagato
team, across the most important racetracks in Europe.