Αυτό είναι το VUHL 05

H VUHL παρουσίασε σήμερα με κάθε επισημότητα το 05, στο Royal Automobile Club του Λονδίνου. Μηχανικά φορά τον 2,0-λιτρο EcoBoost κινητήρα της Ford απόδοσης 285 ίππων με 420 Nm ροπής. Συνδυάζεται με ένα 6-τάχυτο μηχανικό κιβώτιο ταχυτήτων με τα 0-100 χλμ/ώρα να τα κάνει σε 3,7 δευτερόλεπτα έχοντας τελική ταχύτητα 244 χλμ/ώρα.

Έχει μήκος 3.718 mm, πλάτος 1.876 mm, ύψος 1.120 mm, μεταξόνιο 2.300 mm και ζυγίζει 695 κιλά. Έχει αναλογία 400 ίππων/τόνο με αναλογία βάρους 37% μπροστά και 63% πίσω. Φορά αλουμινένιο monocoque σασί το οποίο προσφέρει τρεις φορές μεγαλύτερη στρεπτική ακαμψία από αυτή της Lotus Elise.

Η εταιρία το χαρακτηρίζει ως ένα “road-legal” υπερελαφρύ supercar” το οποίο έχει κατασκευαστεί με στόχο την άψογη συμπεριφορά εντός πίστας. Υπόσχεται να προσφέρει “συναρπαστική απόδοση”, με το αυτοκίνητο να έχει αναπτυχθεί με την βοήθεια των Multimatic, Ford, Magna Steyr και άλλων σημαντικών ονομάτων στον κλάδο της αυτοκινητοβιομηχανίας. Η συναρμολόγηση του και το σασί θα γίνονται στη πόλη του Μεξικό, το σώμα θα γίνεται στον Καναδά, ενώ το fine tuning θα γίνεται στην Αγγλία.

Οι πωλήσεις του θα ξεκινήσουν από την άνοιξη του 2014 με αρχική τιμή τις £55.000 στην Αγγλία (χωρίς ΦΠΑ και έξοδα μεταφοράς), με την εταιρία να κατασκευάζει 50 αυτοκίνητα ετησίως. Η VŪHL, έχει ιδρυθεί από τους Iker και Guillermo Echeverria οι οποίοι έχουν χρηματοδοτηθεί τόσο από ιδιωτικά funds, όσο και από την κυβέρνηση του Μεξικό.

[Πηγή: VUHL]

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THE VUHL 05 SUPERCAR – EXCLUSIVELY UNVEILED AT THE ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB IN LONDON TODAY

Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London, July 3, 2013 – after many months of secrecy, the VŪHL 05 road-legal lightweight supercar has finally arrived, and was revealed to an exclusive audience in London for the first time today.

Unveiled by VŪHL Automotive founders Guillermo and Iker Echeverria and Alberto Chapa to an audience of invited press, VIP guests and motorsport royalty, including Sir Stirling Moss and Chairman of the FIA Foundation Tim Keown, the exciting newcomer’s first outing met with a very enthusiastic reception.

Ambassador Alejandro Estivill, Chargé d’Affairs of the Mexican Embassy to the United Kingdom, said: “I am very proud to welcome VŪHL Automotive to London, the global city in which the Echeverria brothers have chosen to launch their remarkable new supercar. The enthusiasm with which it has been received at the prestigious Royal Automobile Club today marks an excellent start for VŪHL Automotive’s new venture, and will help put this new supercar firmly on the map ahead of the first deliveries next year.”

VŪHL Automotive Design Director, Iker Echeverria, responded: “We are very excited to be revealing the detail specification of our new supercar for the first time here in London today. The VŪHL Automotive team is attending the launch in force, and very much looking forward to the 05’s world public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next week (July 11-14), where we will appear alongside many of our heroes from the world of motorsport and supercars.”

The VŪHL, which only landed in the UK from Mexico late last week, will run in the ‘First Glance’ class at Goodwood as part of the Michelin Supercar Run, and will be piloted on the Friday and Saturday by popular British driver, former Renault UK and Formula Ford Festival Champion Duncan Tappy, and on the Sunday by Mexican F1 rookie Esteban Gutiérrez.

Embodying the ultimate in automotive technology from around the world, the 05’s handling has been fine-tuned in the UK, while further testing and development is scheduled to take place with assistance from Michelin later this year, both in the U.S. and Europe. Production is scheduled to commence this November, with the first deliveries following in the spring of 2014. The bodies are being fabricated in Canada, with chassis production and final assembly conducted by the advanced manufacturing concern, Adman Leku in Mexico City.

VŪHL (the name is pronounced ‘vool’ and stands for Vehicles of Ultra High-performance andLightweight) is the brainchild of brothers Iker and Guillermo Echeverria, whose Mexican/American design company penned the breath-taking 05. Their profound passion for all things automotive comes from a hands-on role in the GT and formula racing cars successfully built and campaigned over a 30-year period by their father, Guillermo Echeverria senior.

Backed by a number of blue-chip companies and the Mexican Government, and with an inventory of renowned suppliers and development partners that includes Ford, Multimatic and Michelin, the VŪHL 05 has been precision engineered for the track and endowed with exhilarating performance for both the road and the circuit.

Visitors to the Goodwood Festival of Speed are warmly invited to meet the VŪHL Automotive team at Stand #12 in the main arena, where a complete car and separate chassis will be on display. When not on the hill, the example running in the ‘First Glance’ class will be located either on the cricket pitch or the main stand in the Michelin Supercar Paddock.

VUHL 05 – AN INNOVATIVE NEW LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERCAR FOR ROAD AND TRACKRoyal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London, July 3, 2013 – the VŪHL 05 is an innovative mid-engined two-seater born of a motorsport heritage.

Guillermo Echeverria senior, the father of its designers Guillermo and Iker Echeverria, was a professional driver who built and successfully raced his own cars for 30 years. The sons inherited his passion and knowledge and added qualifications in transportation design. Guillermo Junior has direct experience of the performance car industry, while Iker won the Mexican QUORUM Industrial Design Award in 2007 when still a student – he was not only up against fellow scholars but senior designers, agencies and universities.

The brothers subsequently formed their own Mexico City/Detroit-based design agency, ETXE, which having worked on projects for numerous global brands then penned the 05 – a lightweight supercar for road and track in the vein of the BAC Mono, Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow etc.

Said Iker: “Our background means the VŪHL 05 has been developed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. We were determined to create a highly intuitive machine that was both stirringly fast and immense fun to drive – a car we ourselves would want to own. We have endeavoured to endow it with class-leading ergonomics and a contemporary silhouette of striking proportions, and the aim of uncompromising build quality has underpinned the project since day one.”

Chassis/body
The 05’s monocoque weighs in at a mere 78kg, while the dry weight of the entire car is a very competitive 695kg. The chassis comprises a three-section bonded tub constructed from aluminium extrusions and aluminium honeycomb – aerospace technology that endows the 05 with a remarkably high level of torsional rigidity for optimum handling. Bolted direct to the passenger cell is a chrome-moly steel subframe housing the engine and rear suspension. A three-stage forward crash structure and double layer sidewalls provide a matchless level of protection for the occupants. The standard body is made from RTM reinforced plastic, but carbonfibre is an option. The aero features include a flat underbody, front and lateral splitters, rear diffuser and rear spoiler.

Engine/performance
Power comes from a 2-litre version of Ford’s award-winning DOHC turbocharged EcoBoost engine, the output of which is 285bhp and 420Nm of torque, giving a power to weight ratio of 400bhp per tonne. This results in a 0-100kph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 245kph.

Transmission/steering
The engine drives through a six-speed manual gearbox. Steering is by a high ratio rack and pinion system.

Suspension/brakes
The suspension is by unequal length double wishbones front and rear. Braking is by four-pot alloy callipers all-round, operating on 310mm ventilated cross-drilled discs at the front and 280mm units at the rear.

Wheels/tyres
The 05 rides on OZ alloy wheels shod with Michelin tyres; the sizes of which are 205/45 x 17 front; 235/45 x 18 rear.

Interior
The unique specification can include: carbon bucket seats; 330mm quick release water-resistant suede-covered steering wheel; electronic data acquisition dash; integral HD camera; and water-resistant Dinamica suede trim.

Dimensions

Pricing/availability
Orders are being taken now for delivery beginning in the spring of 2014. Pricing will start from c.£55,000 (plus tax, plus shipping). There is a wide range of performance options available to allow the 05 to be upgraded to personal taste.

Initial sales will be confined to the UK and North America (dealers are currently under appointment in both countries), but the intention is to make the car available in the other key European countries, China, Middle-East etc in due course.

For further information visit www.VUHL05.com.

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