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Opel Eco-Speedster: Saving fuel at high speed
Source: www.hydro.com
When Opel wanted to showcase their new high-tech 1.3 litre CDTi diesel engines, what better way than by breaking some world records in a specially-built version of their sleek Speedster sports car? After running at full throttle for 24 hours and stopping only to refuel and change drivers, the Eco Speedster broke no less 17 world world records. But it took a bit of help from Hydro to get there.
Its not many years ago that diesel engines were widely regarded by the public as slow, smelly and noisy powerplants suitable only for workhorse vans and trucks. Even though Opel had shown that diesel engines could be sporty with the record-breaking Opel GT in 1972, it took many years of refinement and the combination of turbo diesel and injection before the public caught on to diesels advantages of economy, pulling power and low CO2 emissions.
The Eco Speedster is proof of the progess in the past 30 years and of the diesel engines amazing career in passenger cars. Now that over half of all European cars sold have diesel engines, Opel wanted a fanfare for their new range of ECOTEC CDTi engines developed by the FIAT-GM Powertrain joint venture. And what better way to mark the start of the biggest diesel campaign in Opel's history than by building a record-breaking prototype Speedster powered by a diesel engine?
Achieving the design goals
The two-seat prototype is based on the mid-engined Speedster roadster already in production, but to achieve the designers goals of 155 mph and a fuel consumption of 110 mpg, some radical changes to the standard production car were needed. Opels engineers calculated that they would need to reduce the standard production cars aerodynamic drag coefficient by half, to Cd = 0.20, and reduce the weight to just 660 kg ambitious targets that necessitated lowering the cars roofline to just 950 mm, fitting gull-wing doors, decreasing the width and frontal area, and cutting out all unnecessary weight.
So under the spectacular long-tail carbon-fibre body theres a specially-designed, hand-built Hydro aluminium spaceframe, developed in close cooperation with our specialists in our Worcester automotive plant in the UK. They achieved weight savings of 10 kg by drilling holes in the bonded spaceframe, reducing the thickness in many of the 70 parts, and re-anodizing the frame to reduce thickness all without compromising the structural integrity of the car.
Further factors such as particularly low-resistance tyres and special low-friction engine oil complete the Eco package for the Speedster. Just three cars were built: one for a study for the Paris motor show, and two for the speed and economy trials held at Opels International Technical Development Center (ITEZ).
17 world records
After the trials were over, Opel could successfully note no fewer than 17 new world records for special cars with turbocharged diesel engines in the 1100 to 1499cc class, including:
* An average speed of 141 mph over 24 hours (at an average 31.4 mpg)
* Top speed of 160.2 mph
* Best fuel consumption in Economy run: 111.2 mpg
The outstandingly efficient Eco-Speedster prototype impressively demonstrates the potential that exists in a combination of advanced driveline technology, sophisticated aerodynamics and systematic weight-saving construction.
In Hydro, we thrive on being where boundaries are broken and history is being made especially when innovation comes at no cost to the environment. Were proud to have contributed to Opels success with the Eco Speedster.
Source: www.hydro.com
When Opel wanted to showcase their new high-tech 1.3 litre CDTi diesel engines, what better way than by breaking some world records in a specially-built version of their sleek Speedster sports car? After running at full throttle for 24 hours and stopping only to refuel and change drivers, the Eco Speedster broke no less 17 world world records. But it took a bit of help from Hydro to get there.
Its not many years ago that diesel engines were widely regarded by the public as slow, smelly and noisy powerplants suitable only for workhorse vans and trucks. Even though Opel had shown that diesel engines could be sporty with the record-breaking Opel GT in 1972, it took many years of refinement and the combination of turbo diesel and injection before the public caught on to diesels advantages of economy, pulling power and low CO2 emissions.
The Eco Speedster is proof of the progess in the past 30 years and of the diesel engines amazing career in passenger cars. Now that over half of all European cars sold have diesel engines, Opel wanted a fanfare for their new range of ECOTEC CDTi engines developed by the FIAT-GM Powertrain joint venture. And what better way to mark the start of the biggest diesel campaign in Opel's history than by building a record-breaking prototype Speedster powered by a diesel engine?
Achieving the design goals
The two-seat prototype is based on the mid-engined Speedster roadster already in production, but to achieve the designers goals of 155 mph and a fuel consumption of 110 mpg, some radical changes to the standard production car were needed. Opels engineers calculated that they would need to reduce the standard production cars aerodynamic drag coefficient by half, to Cd = 0.20, and reduce the weight to just 660 kg ambitious targets that necessitated lowering the cars roofline to just 950 mm, fitting gull-wing doors, decreasing the width and frontal area, and cutting out all unnecessary weight.
So under the spectacular long-tail carbon-fibre body theres a specially-designed, hand-built Hydro aluminium spaceframe, developed in close cooperation with our specialists in our Worcester automotive plant in the UK. They achieved weight savings of 10 kg by drilling holes in the bonded spaceframe, reducing the thickness in many of the 70 parts, and re-anodizing the frame to reduce thickness all without compromising the structural integrity of the car.
Further factors such as particularly low-resistance tyres and special low-friction engine oil complete the Eco package for the Speedster. Just three cars were built: one for a study for the Paris motor show, and two for the speed and economy trials held at Opels International Technical Development Center (ITEZ).
17 world records
After the trials were over, Opel could successfully note no fewer than 17 new world records for special cars with turbocharged diesel engines in the 1100 to 1499cc class, including:
* An average speed of 141 mph over 24 hours (at an average 31.4 mpg)
* Top speed of 160.2 mph
* Best fuel consumption in Economy run: 111.2 mpg
The outstandingly efficient Eco-Speedster prototype impressively demonstrates the potential that exists in a combination of advanced driveline technology, sophisticated aerodynamics and systematic weight-saving construction.
In Hydro, we thrive on being where boundaries are broken and history is being made especially when innovation comes at no cost to the environment. Were proud to have contributed to Opels success with the Eco Speedster.
