Hi All,
I have not contributed to this forum for long time now. Not because I didn't want to but I was simply buried with work-consulting, coaching and designing.
I'm working on a high performance street car (with FIA GT2 in mind - while I may be not racing myself right now due to sponsorship problems, but this racing bug is impossible to get rid of) project. I have to apologies because it's not rear/mid engined like this thread is supposed to be but front mid engined.
This is a business project. I invested and still do everything I had in design (diverse is the word I hear often). I might be able to finish design stage myself but seeking for financial backup to make it to production. I have a comprehensive project plan and I can safely say that doing things here in Russia gives some real "unfair" advantage (HUGE savings) compare to companies that operate in western countries.
Car is planned in two models - roadster 270hp, 800kg, ally skinned/ally honeycomb chassis. Crushable structures front/sides/rear. Save as a tank and stiff as hell - 28000Nm/deg. 49000Euro target price
Coupe - 405hp, rear mounted transaxle, carbon fiber skinned/ally honeycomb chassis - I would not even mention the numbers for this unit - but trust me it has some stiffness and strength. carbon fiber body panels etc., etc. Target price 99000Euro.
Cars are aimed to compete with Lotus Elise and Noble respectively.
Thanks to my friends - Paul Martin, the guy who designed and build all composite structures in McLaren F1 road car as well as 88 race cars, and Warren Rowley www.rowleyrace.com I do believe that this car will outhandle, outbrake, outgun it's rivals in every aspect . Design process involved all the latest and highest level CAD/CAE instruments and simulation tecniques.
Cars are very efficient aerodynamically - group C style underbody aerodynamics - fully optimized.

I understand that it all sounds like a self advertisement but hey! I'm not giving ball sh$$t here

Here's a couple of images. Those are not class A surfaces yet – those are in the works now.

Thank You
Ted

[Edited on 25/10/05 by Tudor (Ted) Miron]
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Some more. Something gone wrong with perspective here and makes it look too wide assed... which is actually not the case.

[Edited on 25/10/05 by Tudor (Ted) Miron]

[Edited on 25/10/05 by Tudor (Ted) Miron]
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Not to be confused with the old ChryslerTalbot/Matra Murena also a mid engined sports car

http://www.matrasport.dk/Cars/Murena/Gallery1/index.html

BT, I don't see any resemblence or similarity between your link and what is posted above, am I missing something?!

Ned.

If it is front engined then it is front engined period, regardless of where the weight balance may be!

Nice looking car though!
Very Aston Martin looking!

Terry

Hmmm... Terry... now what is that mid engined? I thought that it's about engine being inside the wheelbase... But I may well be wrong. Should I remove the post because the engine is well withing wheelbase but in front of the driver?

Anyway - thanks for kind words, glad that you liked it.

Thanks
Ted

quote:

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Originally posted by ned
BT, I don't see any resemblence or similarity between your link and what is posted above, am I missing something?!

Ned.

---

I have to say that Murena is an "internal" name and it may well change.
On the other hand I'm not sure that any company can own a name of a fish... I'm not a lowyer thought so may well be wrong.

Thanks
Ted

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tudor (Ted) Miron
Hmmm... Terry... now what is that mid engined? I thought that it's about engine being inside the wheelbase... But I may well be wrong. Should I remove the post because the engine is well withing wheelbase but in front of the driver?

Anyway - thanks for kind words, glad that you liked it.

Thanks
Ted

---

Beautiful car I'll just need a better paying job to be able to get one

What kind of engines are going to be used?

/Carl

That looks nice! May I ask what software you used to produce the renderings? It looks like you did the 3D model in Solidworks, but were the renderings done in PhotoWorks?

Cheers
Andy

whilst not officially mid engine I think Mclaren also used the same argument with their new SLR.
However that would make my R1 powered MK indy mid engine

Regardless, I think its a very good looking car... if you can make the car look that good in the flesh then you will have one hell of a product, its a rare thing that looks that good AND has performance to match.

definatelly has an air of Aston about it, which is a very good thing.

How longs the wheelbase to get the engine packaged in that possition?

[Edited on 25/10/05 by andygtt]

I was thinking that it looks like a love child from Aston Martin and TVR with maybe a little DNA from Corvette ...... which is meant as a compliment by the way

[Edited on 25-10-05 by RazMan]

It is really quite spectacular and if you can get it built I don't doubt that they would sell. It better go as good as it looks though, so you are talking powerful engine. What do you have in mind for the powerplant?

In any case, it's certainly not a simple car in the locost sense, no matter how nice it is!

But I like the shape quite a bit.

Thanks for the kind words. To answer some of the questions:
Rug: Mozda's Renesis rotary is going to be used. Fairly light and very compact it suits the concept very well. And sounds very sexy.
Coupe will use supercharged 405hp version.

Bigandy: Body panels initial 3D model was made in surfacing software (SolidWorks is uncapable for such things) Renderings was made in old and simple 3D Max. Class A surfaces are made in ICEM Surf.

Andygtt: It should look much better in the flesh - during current creation of class A (tooling ready) surface model, it's undergoing some redesign to be sure that every shadow, reflection etc. is absolutely perfect.

Wheelbase is 99"

RazMan: I guess that rodsters B pillar (rear roll hoop) is what ressembles a bit of a modern Vette. In fact it is undergoing some redesign and it may well be different. Also those siluette lines on the sides should remind of 60's corvette.

I agree that there is something from Astons... But not TVR I like TVR's ideologic consept of independent sports car but I dislike them technically and aesthetically. I don't say much about Aston's technical side as this is a usual mass production car with all pluses and minuses assosiated with it. Simply said it's way too heavy and engineers simply think that we're all very old ladies when developing handling characteristics. Bit it (Aston) does look very nice.

Steve: It is designed the way race cars are designed... so it's very simple and very complicated at the same time

Thanks
Ted

Lovely car, but ...
The windshield corner is dangerusly sharp in the open top version. Will not be allowed in the EU atleast.

Renesis engine ?, must be quite tricky to get hold of any larger number of engines from a RX-8, why not Subaru boxers etc ... The buyer will be more willing to take a risk ( which an independently manufactured cars is!) if the engine is easily serviceable and spare parts readily available at a smaller cost.

another tip, start writing the manuals and spareparts lists now, when (if?) the product is finished there will be no time for that.

Cheers.

RallyHarry:

Thanks for spotting the sharp corner - it is already rounded in tooling model.

As for Renesis - there is a problem with this engines - luck of knowledge available to general public.
There are LOTS of rotary engine builders around UK, US, Japan
It is MUCH easier servisable (and cheaper in service) than subaru unit is. It is easy to get - not any harder than subaru.

Thanks
Ted

The car, to me, looks like a BMW Z4 crossed with a TVR Tuscan. I don't see much Aston in this design.

It's probably too late now but I'd get rid of the sharp edges and creases that define the side profile and smooth them into a continuous surface.

The car would then look very muscular and less angular. This is a good thing as the muscular rounded look of TVRs' and Astons' is usually regarded as better looking than the "flame surfaces" of the Bangle designed Z4.

Hope that your not including all wankel 13b enigines from RX7 etc in the term "Renesis", the Renesis is only installed in the RX-8, but of course you already know that ...

Cheers