In 1968, Holden won its first race at Bathurst. Now 50 years later GM is celebrating the anniversary of its Australian company’s success with a new concept vehicle.
Simply called the Time Attack Concept (TAC), it’s not a terribly original name. But when your car looks as bonkers as the TAC does, maybe it’s not needed.
Unlike the cars running at this weekend’s Bathurst 1000 endurance race, the TAC is all about a single, mind-blowing lap.
So, just how fast is it? Well, the car isn’t real, but GM did build it in a VR environment and had a go around the track. Its performance is actually pretty shocking too. According to GM, it lapped the Mount Panorama Circuit in 1:29.30.
That’s a little over 30 seconds quicker than the current record of 2:01.567. That record was set in 2016 by Shane van Gisbergen in a McLaren 650S GT3.
To achieve this simulated time, the car relies on both extreme aerodynamics and a huge amount of power.
At its heart, there are four 250 kW electric motors. This turns out a whopping 1,340hp and 2,389lbft of torque. However thanks to some clever gearing, first gear lays down a massive 7,095lbft to the axles at launch.
As you’d imagine, the TAC also comes with some rather impressive performance figures too. The spring to 62mph takes 1.25 seconds and the top speed clocks in at 298mph.
One of the most surprising things though is the battery pack. According to GM, it’s a Graphene Hybrid Power Pack with super fast charging. Just how fast? A mere 90 seconds when dumping 800V into it.
To keep all this power in check is an ultra-strong body and chassis made up of carbon fiber and kevlar. In addition to providing strength, it also makes the TAC very light at just 1,984lb.
The real party piece with the body is its fan system. In order to provide the utmost downforce, the vehicle relies on four 50,000rpm fans in venturi tunnels. This sucks it to the ground and keeps it firmly planted. As a result, the TAC can generate upwards of 6.5 Gs in the corner.
If this sounds familiar you’re probably a fan (ha!) of the Red Bull X2014 that found its way back to GT Sport during the v1.15 update.
In addition to the TAC, GM also has a concept helmet that works with the vehicle too. While offering maximum protection to the wearer, it also offers an augmented reality display. This puts various track and vehicle information front and center for the driver to see.
Obviously, there are no plans to make such a vehicle currently. However, this does give us a glimpse at what motorsports might look like in the future.
If you want to see the simulated lap, you can check out the video below:
https://youtu.be/IAvvbaQ70YU
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