.
. .
.. . . .
Other Enginering Companies & Coachbuilders ©
1998 - 2004 Copyright & |
. IVM Automotive: The Callaway C12 Racing Racing car based on the C12 competes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series Geneva, 1 March 2001 – This year a racing car based on IVM AUTOMOTIVE’ s C12 will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) for the first time. The Callaway C12-R will be driven under the banner of Aspen Knolls Racing, a team that has already completed the 2000 season in the ALMS. Team owner Bob Mazzuoccola shares the cockpit with Shane Lewis. The racing car has been built at Callaway Competition, a partner company of IVM AUTOMOTIVE. The team will celebrate its debut in the C12-R at the Texas Grand Prix on 4 March 2001.
In accordance with the rules of the ALMS, the C12-R is based on the road version of the C12 engineered by IVM AUTOMOTIVE and built in small numbers since. However, with regard to performance, the racing version differs considerably from the road vehicle. The C12-R covers the racecourse with 480 bhp. In spite of this, the primary developmental goal of the team was not to increase the vehicle's power, but instead to optimize its torque. The LS1, the C12 series-production engine, was completely reworked by Callaway in the US. For racing use the engineers increased the displacement from 5.7 to 7 liters, and the maximum torque from 520 to over 650 Nm. This enables high power to unfold at low torques. The engine consumes less fuel and is protected - especially with regard to the factors important in long-distance racing. As specified by the racing rules, the engine receives its intake air through two air quantity restrictors with an inside diameter of 31.83 mm.
To optimize the aerodynamics, the air routing through the radiator has been modified. The racing weight of the C12-R is 1,250 kg, i.e. approximately 230 kg less than the weight of the series-production vehicle. The body and main vehicle parts are made of carbon. Components that must be left in the series-production state according to the rules are the exceptions. IVM AUTOMOTIVE designed and built a safety cage of high-strength steel tubing for the C12-R. The weight was to be kept as low as possible while obtaining the best possible rigidity. The engineers achieved this with intensive testing on a torsion test bench. The racing car's chassis is now 4.5 times stiffer than that of the series-production model. This benefits the roadholding and handling characteristics of the C12-R. «Aspen Knoll already has championship caliber driving expertise, thanks to Shane Lewis’ exceptional skills, and we’ re certainly not short on passion for getting to the winner’ s circle», says Bob Mazzuocola. «Add in what we consider to be an aggressive contender in the GT class, and we’ re ready to give our friends at Porsche and BMW a real challenge.» The series-production vehicle, the C12, was developed by IVM AUTOMOTIVE, and the engine is provided by Callaway. The C12 celebrated its premier in 1998 at the Geneva Automobile Salon. IVM AUTOMOTIVE produces a small number of the C12 in three versions: as a C12 coupe, a C12 convertible and the C12 Carbon with a body of colored optical carbon.
|
During GT-class races, the C12 benefits from its dimensions. The width of
two meters enables the designers to mount a comparatively wide rear wing
to maximize the contact pressure on the rear axle at high speeds.