Showing posts with label VUHL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VUHL. Show all posts

Mexico's Vuhl Details New Ford-Powered 05 Sports Car

As it turns out, we don't have to wait for next week and the Goodwood Festival of Speed to learn the preliminary details of the firstproduction car from Mexican startup Vuhl, the open-air 05, as the company just came out with a fresh set of pictures and specifications.
Vuhl says the 05 was designed as a "lightweight supercar for road and track in the vein of the BAC Mono, Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow etc." It is built on a monocoque chassis with a three-section bonded tub constructed from aluminium extrusions and aluminium honeycomb that tips the scales at just 78kg (172 pounds), with the body made from RTM reinforced plastic, though, carbon fiber panels are offered as an option. The dry weight of the entire car stands at 695kg (1,532 lbs).
For power, Vuhl knocked on Ford's door and borrowed the Detroit brand's 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost engine from the Focus ST, tuning it up to 285hp (289PS) and 420Nm (310 lb-ft) of peak torque for an impressive power to weight ratio of 400bhp per tonne. A six-speed manual gearbox drives the rear wheels.
The Mexican carmaker quotes a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 245km/h (152mph), which should be more than enough to give you a freaky hairstyle if you don't wear a helmet, since the 05 doesn't come with a full windshield.
Other interesting bits on the mid-engined Vuhl 05 include a suspension with unequal length double wishbones front and rear, a four-pot caliper braking system with 310mm ventilated cross-drilled discs at the front and 280mm units at the rear, a high ratio rack and pinion steering system, and a set of 17-inch wheels in tires 205/45 up front, and 18-inch rims shod in 235/45 rubber at the back.
As for pricing, Vuhl stated that is taking orders now for first deliveries in the spring of 2014, with UK prices starting from £55,000 (plus tax and shipping) – that equals US$84,000 / €65,000. According to the company, the car will initially be sold only in the UK and North America, but added that, "the intention is to make the car available in the other key European countries, China, Middle-East etc in due course".

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VŪHL Releases New Photos of its 05 Supercar, Announces Michelin as Tyre Supplier

Following the first teaser photo of the VŪHL 05 lightweight supercar, VŪHL Automotive has released two new images of the car being tested at a secret location. The startup company has also confirmed that it has entered into a technical support arrangement with Michelin, which will support the VŪHL 05 global public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 11-14, 2013.
The VŪHL 05, which of course, will wear Michelin tyres, will have the bodywork fabricated in Canada with final assembly to be conducted by the Adman Leku manufacturing company in Mexico City.
VŪHL says the car’s handling has been optimised in the UK, with further testing and development to take place later this year in the U.S. and Europe, with assistance from Michelin.
The photo reveals the VŪHL 05 is a roadster, but as the car is camouflaged, we can't see many details except the large roll-over bars behind the two seats. A second photo reveals a detail of the front end, which includes a trapezoidal honeycomb grille and projector headlights without a protection glass.
“We are so pleased to add Michelin to our inventory of supporting companies, and look forward to the results of our testing with a variety of the brand’s renowned tyres at their facilities in Europe and the U.S later this year,” said VŪHL Automotive director, Iker Echeverria.
VŪHL (pronounced “vool”) stands for Vehicles of Ultra High-performance and Lightweight and has been founded by Mexican brothers Iker and Guillermo Echeverria. Their Mexico City-based design company was responsible for the design of the 05 sports car.
The VŪHL 05 project is backed by a number of blue-chip companies and the Mexican government, and has as suppliers companies like Ford, Multimatic and now Michelin. Unfortunately, no technical details were released, so we’ll just have to wait for the official reveal of the car next month.
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