Volvo and Audi race against a conservative image
Volvo and Audi race against a conservative image
By Alexander Corne
A Volvo race car may seem at odds with the marque's
traditional conservative image, but the Swedish company is
shedding its skin and strapping on fat tires to compete more
effectively with BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
Evidence of this can be seen on the Indomobil stand at the
Jakarta Auto Expo where the British 2.0 liter racing 850 of the
Tom Walkinshaw Racing team is proudly displayed.
To carve out its new niche, Volvo has focused on the fast and
furious world of door-to-door saloon racing. A white-hot frenzy
of clashing armor, short tempers and on-the-limit car control.
Super Tourer racing offers ultracompetitive, big budget, high-
octane racing. It is spectator and television-friendly and the
series is spreading across the world like wildfire. Volvo hopes
to benefit from this high profile series, and the best way to
attract attention is by winning.
However, for its debut season in 1992, Volvo took the
courageous step of entering an 850 station wagon instead of the
more obvious 850 sedan. The move was a success, for although the
car didn't win too often, it created a sensation. Everybody, from
motorsport fans to those with no interest in racing, heard about
the racing wagon, and it began to change the way people perceived
the Volvo brand.
Super Touring car racing is centered around mass production
cars sold in vast numbers around the world. The racing version,
while sharing the external appearance of the road going cars, is
a purebred racer under the skin.
The first giveaway are the huge 18 inch wheels and licorice
thin tires shoe-horned into the wheel arches. Then look inside.
There is only a driver's seat and a complex web of tubing filling
the interior. This high-technology roll cage protects the driver
against the effects of the all-too frequent high speed departures
from the track. The roll cage helps to stiffen the overall
structure of the car, making it handle better and able to go
around corners at speeds the standard road car could not even
approach.
Under the hood is a highly developed 2.0-liter engine. This
can be developed from any mass production engine sold by the car
marque for road use. In many cases the engine is a blue printed
race engine, with special racing pistons, camshafts and valve
setup.
The gearbox is often a sequential, motorcycle style racing
system, which can be operated not via the usual floor mounted
lever, but by paddles fitted to the minute racing steering wheel.
This means the driver does not have to take his hand off the
wheel while changing gear.
The suspension is also completely reworked to racing
specification and there are fire extinguishers plumbed into the
cabin and under the hood.
So who is racing and how fast are they going?
The first series raced under the present rules started in
England in 1991. BMW, Ford, General Motors, Peugeot and Nissan
were among the first to become actively involved at manufacturer
level, but now about a dozen manufacturers compete including Alfa
Romeo, Toyota, Honda, Volvo, Audi, Mazda and Renault.
The cars cost hundreds of thousands to build and run for a
season. In 1994, Alfa Romeo had a budget of US$7 million for its
two-car team to race in the British championships.
The series was such a success initially, especially when
packaged for television with lots of dramatic in-car footage.
Clever management too, ensured the drivers were accessible to
race fans in the pits, unlike the Formula 1 where drivers and
fans are kept far apart.
The 2.0-liter Super Touring series runs series in South
Africa, Australia, Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany and
Spain. It is likely to start in the United States as well, and an
Asian debut for the race series cannot be far away.
The racing continues to be the closest of any in the world,
with as little as half a second separating the top dozen cars on
the grid.
Incidents and accidents are rare, but with cars capable of
more than 250kmh, there are sure to be some thrills and spills.
Power outputs are broadly similar between the cars, handling
limits also, meaning the race to the first corner always produces
a massive scramble off the line.
While Volvo made a massive impact on the British market with
its wagon in its first year, it subsequently opted for a sedan to
form the basis of its racing. This offers better aerodynamic
down-force, making the car more stable at race speeds.
The car on show at the Jakarta Auto Expo is one of these
sedans. It is packed with the latest Volvo race engine
technology. The closest racing Volvo on the race tracks is in
Australia, where track hero Peter Brock has been driving the car
for two seasons with a modicum of success.
Audi, which is set to launch the A4 on the Indonesian market
next year, is another key player in the Super Touring stakes.
Audi's A4 has been winning races in Australia, while last year
the team won the Belgian and Italian Super Touring championships
and is a serious challenger for titles in all the Super Tourer
championships this season.
The A4's compact dimensions, highly tuned handling and some of
the world's best sedan drivers have made the team a formidable
force. Audi's preparation and team management is another strong
point.
BMW founded its reputation on the race tracks of Europe and
its ever evolving motorsport department enjoyed a rich diversity
of product from which to craft its racing cars. The current 320i
race cars use highly developed four cylinder engines. Testing and
team management is now under the control of the British based
McLaren organization, well known for its participation in Formula
1 racing.
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Caption:
Audi, which launches the A4 here next year, is a formidable force
in worldwide 2.0 liter Super Touring races.