Q1, 2005 RICARDO QUARTERLYREVIEW Mercedes SLK55 AMG Ricardo’s responsibility for the exhaust system Interviews Bob Lutz: General Motors vice chairman Tobias Moers: AMG head of development Business focus Why R&D is going global Grand Transmission Ricardo develops and manufactures the transmission for Ford’s born-again GT supercar — to a timescale everyone else believed impossible INSPIRED BY U-HAUL® INSPIRED BY NASCAR® THE ALL-NEW DODGE MAGNUM RT. OPEN IT UP FROM EITHER END. Put the pedal down and you’ll find the power of a 340-horsepower HEMI® V8 engine and the performance of world-class ride and handling. Lift the unique access liftgate, and you’ll find more cargo space and comfort than you ever thought possible. Dodge Magnum. Either way you open it, it’s perfect for you. Visit dodge.com or call 800-4ADODGE. NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. U-Haul is a registered trademark of U-Haul International, Inc. For moremore information about Chrysler Financial, ask your local dealer. Contents RICARDO QUARTERLYREVIEW Q1, 2005 08 16 06 20 news features 04 Industry news 08 Ford GT: Grand Transmission The hybrid roll-out begins; hybrid Escape and Prius win Ford chose Ricardo to develop and manufacture the awards; GM and Ford reveal hybrid plans; Jeep concept transmission for its sensational 320 km/h GT supercar. turns full circle; state of the art engines from Mercedes- Jesse Crosse documents a demanding programme Benz and BMW/PSA completed in a timeframe no-one else believed possible 16 Ricardo news 16 Sound engineering Ricardo to build 2/4 stroke engine; control and Mercedes-AMG demands the very highest standards electronics expansion in Cambridge; police vehicles from its suppliers – so it went to Ricardo’s Prototechnik delivered; manufacturing simulation subsidiary for the exhaust system on its latest SLK 55 AMG. Tony Lewin reveals the engineering secrets questions and answers 06 Robert Lutz, GM 22 RSC focus He rejoined GM in 2001 with the mission of revitalising The globalisation of research and development is one of the US giant’s lacklustre model range. Hugh Hunston the emerging trends at first tier suppliers. This, says caught up with the world’s most prominent car guy at Edmund Chew is providing local production expertise January’s Detroit auto show and access to skilled engineers at lower cost 20 Tobias Moers, AMG Muscular V8 engines are everyday business for Moers, head of vehicle development at Mercedes-Benz’s high- performance arm, AMG Head office: Conceived and produced for Ricardo by: Ricardo plc, Shoreham-by-Sea, TwoTone Media Ltd West Sussex, BN43 5FG, Editor:Tony Lewin United Kingdom Contributors: Edmund Chew, Jesse Crosse, Hugh Tel: +44 (0)1273 455611 Hunston, Mark Roberts, Anthony Smith TwoTone Media Ltd contacts: Ricardo contacts and locations: Anthony Smith: [email protected] www.ricardo.com/contacts Tony Lewin: [email protected] RQ subscriptions: www.ricardo.com/rq RICARDO QUARTERLYREVIEW Sales enquiries: [email protected] Industry News Bold words from Detroit’s bosses four fuel fronts: gasoline-electric hybrids, clean diesels, fuel cells and hydrogen powered ICE vehicles. Unveiled by GM R&D vice president Larry Burns, the Sequel is the third step in GM’s self-imposed challenge to bring emission-free fuel cell power to volume production vehicles. “The Autonomy and Hy-wire concepts were the outgrowth of that challenge,” said Burns. “They were a revolution in how vehicles would be designed, built and used in the future. But, they were concepts. Today, with Sequel, the vision is real – not yet affordable, but do-able.” The Sequel is a user-friendly SUV Detroit 2005: Rick Wagoner and Larry some five metres in length. It carries Burns present GM’s fuel cell Sequel over the skateboard chassis principle from the Autonomy and Hy-wire to Advanced technologies were thrust into the limelight at January’s North integrate three carbon composite American International Auto Show in Detroit, as General Motors and Ford vied tanks storing hydrogen at 700 bar. with each other for pole position in the race towards more environmentally With an all-up weight of 2170 kg, a 73 friendly vehicles. kW fuel cell module, a lithium ion GM chief executive Rick Wagoner Thanks to an agreement to share battery pack and three electric motors, declared that it was no longer a case hybrid technology with the Sequel has an operating range of of whether the hydrogen economy DaimlerChrysler, GM would, said its 480 km and reaches 97 km/h in nine would occur, but more a question of global powertrain chief Tom Stephens, seconds. Steering, braking, traction when. Unveiling the fuel cell powered be able to tackle its highest- and chassis systems are all controlled Sequel concept as an example of the consumption vehicles first. Ford, by-wire and the complete vehicle long term goal, he boasted that GM celebrating its Escape Hybrid’s meets federal safety standards. was already the fuel economy leader winning of the North American Truck “It’s a real vehicle which could in the US and that it would launch 12 of the Year award, countered with the appeal to a large market,” said Burns. different hybrid models over the next claim that it was the only automaker “You could easily imagine it parked in few years. pursuing technology development on your driveway.” Hybrid roll-out begins different Stung by the sudden success of hybrids such as the technologies, Honda Civic and Toyota Prius, Ford, GM and Nissan are including the stepping up development work to launch gasoline- new two-mode electric and even diesel-electric models onto the US system co- market in a short time frame. produced with Toyota is poised to begin manufacture of hybrids in DaimlerChrysler. the US in a bid to cut waiting lists for its gasoline-electric Shown on a Prius, which in November added the 2005 European Car compact Astra to of the Year award to its 2004 North American COTY demonstrate its accolade. Ford will launch gasoline-electric versions of scalability to small cars and diesel engines, the system the Mercury Mariner and Milan, Mazda Tribute and its employs twin electric motors and gearsets housed own Fusion by 2008. within the envelope of the automatic transmission. On GM’s programme runs to 18 models using three the diesel Astra the fuel saving is 25 per cent, says GM. Radar gets European go-ahead Mercedes US diesel forecast Emissions trading begins The EU has allocated a radar A diesel market share of 20 percent The world’s first CO2 emissions frequency for short-range vehicle is possible in the US by 2010, trading scheme came into operation applications, opening the way for according to Mercedes-Benz R&D in Europe on January 2nd. Under carmakers to begin use of collision chief Thomas Weber, confident the system, CO2-efficient companies avoidance systems on their models. California regulations could be met. can sell allowances they do not use. News in brief News 04 RICARDO QUARTERLYREVIEW • Q1, 2005 RICARDO Reinventing QUARTERLY cars – REVIEW Welcome to the new-look RQ. The task of RQ is to highlight the latest and the thinking in automotive engineering and technology worldwide – both wheel Mercedes- within Ricardo and among other Benz, unveiling the leading companies. By presenting an DaimlerChrysler, fond of latest generation of up-to-date mix of news, profiles and dramatic entrances and its US-built M-Class interviews with top business leaders outrageous concept vehicles at the luxury SUV, revealed we paint an interesting and exciting Detroit show, this year chose to that it would begin picture of R&D activity at a world- show a Jeep concept with selling diesel versions in most class automotive engineering not one but two HEMI V8 US states, using the latest 3.0 services provider. engines, each developing litre direct-injection V6 (see It is a formula that has certainly 335 horsepower. below). Emissions limits been a hit with the worldwide Christened Hurricane, it and fuel quality issues automotive community: in the four was described by would however prevent years since RQ was launched we Chrysler Group CEO the Mercedes diesels have had to increase our print run to Dieter Zetsche as “HEMI selling in New York State 14,000 copies to keep pace with the squared”. and California. demand to read about Ricardo and Yet, remarkably, the twin Michelin, meanwhile, its activities. engines are not the most sought to reinvent the wheel. The Client confidentiality is of the radical feature of this unusual vehicle. world-leading tyremaker showed utmost importance to Ricardo, which It has a four wheel steering system three new concepts – the Airless tyre, means that we can only report on a with three distinct modes, promising currently being tested on motorcycles small fraction of the work carried out the Hurricane unprecedented agility. and cars, and the Tweel combined tyre by the company. So we are Conventional opposed steering allows and wheel, now in use for light especially grateful to those Ricardo a tight turning radius, while parallel applications and at the prototype customers who have kindly agreed steering allows the vehicle to crab out stage for passenger cars. to co-operate with RQ and allow of tight spaces. Most astonishing is a Tweel incorporates suspension their programmes to be highlighted third mode which sees both front characteristics, too, but a third in print: without such help from wheels and both rear wheels steer Michelin innovation, the Active Wheel customers it would not be possible inwards, allowing the Hurricane to (above), goes a step further and to present such a fascinating insight spin round in its own length, as if it contains a drive motor, steering, into the way vehicles are conceived were on a turntable.