Test drive Chevrolet WTCC Ultra

The first thing we did was look at the piles of political documents for the whole world.

World Touring Car Championship, in short

also WTCC, op. a.), is that we threw them out the window,” said the chief

WTCC Ultra prototype designer Ewan Kingsbury. Young, only 25 years old

The Briton, who studied car design in London, then worked

at the well-known company Tom Walkinshaw Racing, and is now working on the design

new cars at GM Australia, he said, are the rules

too strict for the WTCC.

“We wanted to check if there were

was able to make a cute racing car that will make our two stand out this year

victory,” said the young man who – in all honesty – worked at the hippodrome.

pretty confused. As if forcibly dragged to an international event where

about 40 journalists from all over the world were able to test two Chevrolets

masterpiece, WTCC racing Lacetti and WTCC Ultra prototype. Because it is so

the event at the Portuguese racecourse Estoril was held in parallel with

at the end of the European Championship (ETCC) we all needed journalists

racing licenses and personal racing non-combustible equipment.

Na

The test included only an Auto store from Slovenia, which we are considering in

great honor, but the journey to the other end of Europe was significant

alone. And my personal racing gear was not peeking out of my suitcases

because - as you can see in the photographs - I was in vain dragging her with

to the westernmost part of Europe. The deal was clear: whatever

weather conditions i will be able to drive the racing Lacetti WTCC because

a fall or rainstorm did not damage the competition technique.

Pri

Ultra, however, has a different story: if the weather had been bad, it would have stayed in

garage, as it is the only example in the world. Besides what's already on it

waiting for a transport plane to take him from Estoril to the international

salon in Beijing, and then in Detroit, USA, there are no wipers either,

electricity is not insulated, there is no ventilation, and indeed no

rain rubber. I confess that these arguments have already convinced me, and even more so

an estimate that this prototype (which actually has no price) would be purely theoretical

the cost is about 1 million UAH.

When I'm in a hotel room

early in the morning looked out the window, was going to cry a little. Outside

there was a space dive. Okay, I said to myself, so all that's left is the Lacetti

which still took a long way. At the hippodrome

I was already at eight in the morning. At fifteen to nine already I

into the left passenger seat to drive a few laps with

Belgian racer Vincent Radermecker. Yes, you read that right, on

left seat, as last year's Lacetti WTCC had a right-hand drive.

because of

better weight distribution (heavier engine mounted right front, left

the gearbox is lighter than it is, so the driver on the left is a logical consequence! )

and treadmills that run mostly clockwise belong to them.

this year, the race car is still turning the steering wheel to a place where we are much more

House. Vincent insisted on pressing the start button, but he did.

The Lacetti (as befits a thoroughbred racing car) resisted for a long time, until

finally there is no harsh noise

Cut off after boxing and announced the awakening of the 206 kilowatt (280 horsepower) engine.

young

Due to the heavy rain, the Belgian quickly included every possible accessory.

it would be easier for us to look out of the car (read: additional heating

windshield, directing air also to the side windows,

headlights), and in second gear it rather slowly drove onto the track. At 3.000

at revs, the car pleasantly swallowed the asphalt, with a small

adding gas, but at 3.500 rpm the nose went completely mad and

I wanted where the slopes were. Vincent with a clutch (although he

this should not be) softened upshifting to third gear, after 50

meters again into another, as it has already begun to turn into a closed and slippery

right.

He started the right word since this is a machine

completely unattended drove straight into the sand. And turned it off.

Radermecker laughed, and while the clerk dragged us

from the sand on the SUV I heard him talking to boxing,

that we had pulled off the track and that the car was completely impassable. Who we are

all four wheels were on the rails again, followed by a new start of the engine, again

slip in each gear at 3.000 rpm (out of 8.500 possible!),

until the Lacetti fell silent in the middle of the plane.

»We have an engine

problems "- the driver diagnosed the red numbers on the cabin before

steering wheel and therefore a Calvary with unsuitable tires (for a track that

sushi, not under the downpour! ) finished. In the pits I found out that the engine was on.

waste, how the valves were twisted. Well, in Chevrolet they were attentive

and the event was not officially commented on, but rumors immediately spread that

a journalist colleague climbed one level higher the day before instead of one

transmission below. And that it was only a matter of time, otherwise it will become at the highest level.

the finished engine exhaled. ...

Lucky for Vincent, yeah

they had a new engine for him in a nice box (because he has a “journalistic”

race car the next day participated in the ETCC), but luckily for me, this is not

time in three laps behind the wheel of this car. In short: bad weather

(bad mood, as this in itself means the worst photos),

canceling the race car WTCC (now I'm desperate) and WTCC Ultra v

garage (now banging his head against the wall of the box). I really came

to Portugal in vain?

Even though everything worked out that Friday

against us, it's half an hour before my departure to the airport for a moment

the rain stopped and the wind dried up the track so much that the team boss hit me

Eric Neve was invited to drive the Ultra. Prototype - I'm not ashamed of it

admit it - it looks like the car of my wet dream, which, unfortunately

will not succeed Lacetti WTCC (because it does not comply with the rules) and will not

saw the lights of the world as a production car (maybe just a base building

passenger cabins). It actually looks much better than on

photo, actually like a born WRC racing car.

“This is the beat

one of the concerns that it might not look like a racing car on the track,

but we didn’t really bother with it, “was the answer to my

a provocation to make the Chevrolet Ultra WRC an incredibly beautiful rally special.

Since this is a prototype, it only has a steel floor and WTCC in common with the Lacetti.

pedals, everything else is redone. The body is made of glass and

carbon fiber, drivetrain - X-Trac, chassis - Öhlins and

AP Brakes the brakes. Apparently the Ultra schedulers really couldn't

helps a lot with Lacetti WTCC as it is armed with a six-speed

Hewland sequential gearbox, Sachs chassis and brakes

Alcon.

It took only nine months from idea to implementation,

However, Ultra is a very global project. He got the main moves in

design studio in South Korea, final design at Generalmotors

branch in Australia, certified in the USA, made in Japan (v

YDS, who have already done research on T2X and S3X) and with races

things are finished in Europe (Ray Mallock Limited, which is also different

Chevrolet racing partner).

When I tried to get mad at

seat, I managed to shove only my right leg inside, and then

stuck. Seventy-seven kilograms and 180 centimeters is a bit much,

to properly join Eric, who was already in the passenger seat

headquarters. This is why they are fast (and careful not to look like this

my belly is so big! ) took off the steering wheel so I could slip

a distinct shell-shaped seat where there is more than enough space. because

the seat is moved very rearward for better weight distribution

car, so the B-pillar is, so to speak, a neighbor on the left ear.

Z

Eric starts the engine, splits the sequential racing gearbox into the first.

gear, and we go on a slow circle. As I wrote earlier, this is WTCC

Ultra is the only prototype that is conditionally driven, and with an installed

with non-core tires, I did not want to laugh sourly again

in sand. If it weren't for the racing roll cage, the body would be

collapsed like a house of cards as well as the synchronization of the gearbox and engine

she was not the best. Imagine: racing direct steering, very

communication brakes (both steering wheel and brakes, of course, unaided

hydraulics! ), tuned racing chassis, raw sequential drivetrain and

... ... serial turbodiesel in the nose!

Because of marketing

activities and thinking that one day they will be possible in racing cars

turbodiesels were also more common, and the rows were installed under the windshield.

four-cylinder, which is via Common Rail, 16-valve technology and

variable geometry of the blades in the turbocharger develops 139 kilowatts

(190 "horses"). An engine that has been running great in Captiva since spring 2007.

however, it will also be installed in the Epico, it is in the Ultra as a children's tricycle, which

dictates the pace of, say, Armstrong on an extremely lightweight racing special.

You can't hear from the inside, you don't feel as soon as you step on your foot

on the gas on the tachometer everything is red at once, but I think that it is

The Ultra was the most fuel efficient vehicle on the race track.

Transmission

raw: although not coordinated with engine operation (switch

ignition) and the rigid clutch must be pressed each time, regardless of the sequence, in

each shift shakes the living like an earthquake with destructive force.

Wow, I imagined a powerful racing engine that would growl after

on the race track as a joke so that the adrenaline rush from the driver like a volcano

from Etna.

Although someone upstairs was not kind to us that day,

Boasting driving one of the most expensive and beautiful

prototypes in life. Slowly and respectfully as you study

correspond. But we will have to wait a bit for the correct action. We're already waiting, and so are you, aren't we?

drive unit

Engine (design): 4-cylinder in-line turbo diesel, common rail, variable-blade turbocharger

Movement volume (cm3): 1991

Bore x stroke (mm): X 83 92

Maximum power (kW / hp): 139/190

Drive: front wheels

Transmission: 6-speed sequential X-Trac

Just en masse

Length x width x height (mm): 4.324 x 1.906 x 1.490 (1.569)

Wheelbase (mm): 2.650

Front / rear track (mm): 1.685/1.670

Front to: Öhlins McPherson struts, triangular cross rails, racing shocks and springs

Last by: spring feet, two cross rails, longitudinal rails, racing dampers and Öhlins springs

Front brakes: brand AP

Rear brakes: brand AP

Tires: 20 '' dry tires

Race price: 1, 3 mln.

Alyosha Mrak