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 | "Vangest" and "Grandesign" to present new "Vangest BY JH12 Grandesign".
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For over 26 years, the "Vangest" group specialized companies have developed unique expertise for the design, engineering, prototyping, tooling and manufacturing of automobiles for their customers.
This integrated set of expertise has now been applied, for the 1st time, to create a 100% Portuguese racing car, an bold project for the research and development of new processes, technologies and materials to reach more opportunities in the global market.
The "Vangest" BY JH12 "Grandesign" was born of the combined desire of Carlos Oliveira, president of the "Vangest" group and longtime off-road race driver, and João Ornelas, managing director of "Grandesign", to replace the old Mitsubishi Pajero with which Carlos Oliveira ended 25th place in the 2003 Paris-Dakar rally, with a demonstrator of the "Vangest" group’s extended expertise in automotive design, engineering and product development.
Thus was born the project of a new off-road racecar, to prove its worth by racing in Portugal’s Off-road Championship. The project explored the available synergies between the 14 "Vangest" group companies, where the existing technological resources - like 3D-simulation tools that were key to optimize the vehicle’s characteristics and speed the whole development process.
"With MSC Nastran software, it was possible to simulate the "Vangest" BY JH12 "Grandesign"’s aerodynamic performance, with very good downforce results at the rear, and in the mechanical components cooling management" refers Carlos Oliveira, who stresses that the project displays and proves the competence of "Vangest" specialized companies: "one of the main reasons for this project is to show our skills in automotive design and engineering".
With composite bodywork designed by "Grandesign" - the design company of the "Vangest" group - the "Vangest" JH12 BY "Grandesign" is a 4X4 racing car with a 280hp BMW 3.0 biturbo diesel engine and steel spaceframe chassis, a real demonstrator of the extended capabilities of the "Vangest" group, to be put to the test in the national off-road championship.
"In today's technology and marketing-led motor racing, off-road racing is one of the last motorsports where racecars can still be independently designed and built," says João Ornelas, managing director of "Grandesign".
The "Vangest" JH12 BY "Grandesign" is a dynamic off-road coupé, a bold project with which "Grandesign" revives the “romantic” tradition of independent racing coachbuilding. And as motor racing is also a sponsorship-lead environment, where multi-colored graphics dominate the appearance of racecars, it requires a dramatic design, a sharp-edged style made of expressive features to ensure the racecar’s uniqueness in this intensely visual context.
The combination of emotional criteria with the typical aerodynamic and cooling needs of a racing car takes shape in a design defined by arrow-shaped air intakes, to optimize the cooling of the mechanical components, and the integration of a rear spoiler to increase downforce for high-speed stability.
The extensive use of advanced product development technologies - from state-of-the-art 3D surface modeling to multi-axis high-speed machining - enabled "Grandesign" to quickly develop the "Vangest" JH12 BY "Grandesign" in just 9 months.
Several real-life tests on dedicated and tough cross-country racetracks - over 350 km already covered on race pace - provided the final validation of the refined aerodynamics, built ruggedness and outstanding performance of the "Vangest" JH12 BY "Grandesign".
"Vangest" JH12 BY "Grandesign" – a stylish racer for those who believe that a racecar is not just about raw performance, but consider beauty an integral part of racing success.
Technical Specifications Vangest JH12 BY Grandesign
4X4 Modified Cross-Country Car (FIA Art. 285 - T1)
Dimensions: 4600 x 1995 x 1840 mm
Wheelbase: 2900 mm
Track Width: 1700 mm
Weight: 1900 kg (FIA)
Engine: BMW 3.0L biturbo diesel
Common-rail injection system
Power: 280 hp
Torque: 640 nm
Ø 38 mm air intake restrictor (FIA)
230-liter fuel tank
500 km autonomy
195 km/h top speed
Transmission: SADEV SC-24/70 6-speed sequential gearbox with cooler
SADEV central autolock differential with cooler
Front/rear progressive autolock differential with cooler
Ceramic double-disc clutch
Chassis: Tubular chrome molybdenum steel space frame (Ø 50 x 2 mm tubes)
Front/rear ventilated disc brakes (315 mm) with 4-piston calipers
Front/rear crossbars
50/50 weight balance
4 integrated jacks
Suspension: Double wishbones, front and rear
OHLINS 3-way dual shock absorbers with hydraulic stop, front and rear
Straight/progressive steering with electric/hydraulic assistance
Body: Composite (fiberglass/carbonfiber) bodywork, with kevlar reinforcements
Chrome molybdenum steel underbody
Gullwing doors
Heated windshield
SPARCO seats
SCHROTH seatbelts
SABELT electric fire extinguisher
2 spare wheels
WHEELS
16-inch Rally-raid aluminum alloy wheels
TIRES
235/85 16 BFGOODRICH Rocky tires
2012/07/18 | 20:35 CET | ARTICLE: MR/HS/GOMES
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