Holden unveils radical 1000kW ‘Time Attack Concept’ for Bathurst

HOLDEN has unveiled a radical new concept car – the 1000kW ‘Time Attack Concept’ racer built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Lion Brand’s first victory at Bathurst.

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Designed entirely in-house by GM Holden’s Design and Engineering team in Australia using virtual simulations, the concept looks as though it’s headed for space-orbit rather than an event like the World Time Attack Challenge in Sydney.

Holden envisages the Time Attack Concept racer as a one-lap-wonder destined to set a blisteringly quick pace and then hit the pits, a complete opposite of the endurance of the Bathurst 1000 on Sunday.

GM Holden’s Design Director Richard Ferlazzo set the challenge to his team to create a futuristic race car which utilised the latest technology from around the world and was suitably impressed when Lead Designer Ewan Kingsbury proposed the Time Attack Concept.

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“Concepts are always meant to push the boundaries but are even more impactful when they are feasible and this concept is plausible as an advanced racer of the future,” said Ferlazzo.

“Ewan perfectly captured the essence of what we wanted to achieve; an expressive, futuristic design which also displays innovative engineering solutions.”

Technical highlights of the Time Attack Concept racer include the four magnetic 250kW electric motors which combine to give the racer 1 Megawatt of power and 3240Nm of torque. The top speed of the time attack monster is said to be 480km/h and it’ll reach 100km/h in 1.25 seconds.

The carbonfibre composite chassis utilises a honeycomb core design to provide extra strength and rigidity, enabling the car to achieve a maximum lateral g-force of 6.5G.

The pilot of this spaceship will be equipped with an augmented reality helmet which projects 3D graphics onto the visor showing essential technical information in addition to the racing line and braking markers.

Holden are clearly serious about this being a preview to the future of race cars.

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“Automotive design and engineering remains a core strength and competitive advantage for Holden and Australia,” Ferlazzo says.

“You can see from the extremely detailed approach to incorporating the advanced technology in our Time Attack Concept racer that this is more than just a visual exercise.

“Holden’s recent announcement of the expansion of 150 new engineers to our Advanced Vehicle Development team means we have the talent, resources and technology to continue delivering to that charter.”

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The final design was digitally rendered into a 3D model, in collaboration with Holden’s engineering team.

Richard Ferlazzo explains: “The technology we employ today has transformed the way we design cars. We have the ability to simulate a car’s appearance, technology and dynamics in convincing animations, which enables us to deliver better designs in a shorter time.”

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Ever since motor shows left Australian shores in 2012, Holden has struggled to show off its design creations citing “the cessation of motor shows in Australia” as a reason for its diminutive involvement in pushing the design envelope.

“However, with the realism and detail achievable through modern technology, I felt we could still deliver uniquely Holden concepts via virtual technology and digital media,” said Ferlazzo.

Holden has also detailed the Time Attack Concept’s design using a realistic video of it lapping the iconic Mount Panorama circuit in a simulated record-beating time of 1:29.30. The video will be released on Saturday October 6 during television coverage of the Bathurst 1000.

SPECS

Performance:
Simulated Mount Panorama Lap Time: 1:29.30
0-100km/h: 1.25 sec
Top Speed: 480km/h
Maximum Lateral G-Force: 6.5G
Maximum Braking G-Force: 6G

Weight:
900kg (without driver)

Powertrain:
250kW Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Electric Motor Drives x 4 (Inboard mounted)
Total output – 1000kW (1Megawatt)
3240Nm Total Motor Torque
5000RPM Maximum Revolutions
Enables full programmable Torque Vectoring Traction Control at each corner

Gearboxes:
3-Speed Planetary Automatic Shift Gearboxes x 4
Ratios 1st 2.97:1, 2nd 1.7:1, 3rd 1:1
First gear ratio enables 9620Nm total axle torque at launch
Gearbox casing integrated into Chassis structure

Power Source:
Reconfigurable Graphene Hybrid Power Pack
1MW power output, 90MJ Usable Charge Capacity
Fast Recharge: Fully recharged in 90 seconds (1000kW, 800V, 1250A)

Chassis:
Carbon Fibre composite with cellulose Honeycomb Core
Full Integrated safety cell and crash structure, utilising stressed powertrain components

Suspension:
Carbon Fibre Double Wishbone all-round, aerodynamically engineered profiles
Titanium CNC’d Uprights with bushed underbody mounts
Pushrod / bellcrank activated Hydraulic Active Suspension Actuators. Computer controlled programmable ride height adjustment, anti-dive, anti-squat, anti-roll
Electric Power Steering

Body:
Carbon-Fibre/Kevlar Composite panels with Polycarbonate Graphene Coated Upper

Underbody:
Full Carbon Fibre / Kevlar Composite quad-venturi underbody, with flexible co-moulded membranes at Body and Chassis junctions
Underbody is structurally mounted to Suspension uprights at all 4 corners, enabling full aero load to be applied directly to each wheel
Torsional twist capability enables underbody to maintain consistent relationship to ground even with extreme road camber change

Wheels:
310/700 R18 Slick tires all round
Carbon Fibre Composite Rims
Active Wheel Fairings support low drag or brake cooling positions
Wheel Fairing supported by a Kevlar/Elastane woven skin enabling consistent low drag performance whilst supporting full wheel steering and suspension movement