The DeltaWing Racing Car is a radical proposal for a new
type of vehicle for the 2012 IndyCar racing series.
DeltaWing LLC, of Indianapolis, introduced the concept
at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. During the unveiling, Dan
Partel, Chief Executive Officer of DeltaWing LLC said
of the vehicle; "Today marks a fundamental shift
in how race fans and the general public will view all
racing cars in the future; this is a game changer. This
radical prototype takes open wheel racing to a new level
from both an engineering standpoint and the overall spectator
experience."
By targeting reduced aerodynamic drag and lighter weight,
the DeltaWing Racing Car achieves outstanding on-track
performance with only half the engine power of its recent
predecessors. The unique vehicle design provides optimum
and consistent distribution of loading for the Firestone
Firehawk tires, which are specifically developed for the
dynamic characteristics of the DeltaWing racer.
"We are confident that this car will outperform
the current generation IndyCar and do it in a more environmentally
friendly way," said Partel. "Auto racing
has always been a powerful marketing tool for propelling
new technology into the hearts and minds of consumers.
This new car was specifically designed to be more closely
aligned with the new reality of automobiles that are arriving
on the road today. Consumers are choosing cars that provide
impressive performance capabilities but with greater fuel
efficiency. This prototype IndyCar features those same
characteristics, making it much more relevant to the public
and the auto industry. It is our goal to make participation
in the series highly attractive to the automobile manufacturers
as well as the fuel, technology, information and entertainment
corporate sectors."
According to the company's projections the DeltaWing Racer
should weigh around half the amount of the current IndyCar
racers, and also offer around 50 percent less aerodynamic
drag. Thanks to this reduction in excess baggage, the
DeltaWing Racing Car requires less horsepower than the
current IndyCars, but offers speeds of over 235 mph, while
delivering a 100 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.
The first prototype car will be powered by a 2.0 liter
4 cylinder turbocharged engine. Final horsepower figures
will be based on the car’s performance on the track,
but by using state-of-the-art computer modeling, it is
anticipated that the engine will need to produce approximately
300 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm to attain the performance targets
and will run over 4,000 miles before requiring a rebuild,
a dramatic 100% improvement over the current engine.
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