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Oldsmobile Aerotech

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Oldsmobile Aerotech
Overview
ManufacturerOldsmobile
Also calledAerotech ST
Aerotech LT
Aurora Aerotech
Production1987–1992
AssemblyLansing, Michigan, United States
DesignerEd Welburn (1985)[1]
Body and chassis
ClassDevelopment prototype
Body style1-door coupé
LayoutRear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
PlatformMarch 84C CART (modified)[1]
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,827 mm (111.3 in)[2]
Length4,882 mm (192.2 in)[2]
Width2,184 mm (86 in)[2]
Height1,016 mm (40 in)[2]
Curb weight726 kg (1,600 lb)[2]
Oldsmobile Aerotech engine at the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum

The Oldsmobile Aerotech was a series of experimental high-speed vehicles manufactured between 1987 and 1992 incorporating the latest in performance technology with the intention of breaking multiple automobile speed records. The first such car was driven by four-time Indy 500 winner A. J. Foyt to a world closed-course speed record of 257.123 mph (413.788 km/h) on August 27, 1987, at the 7.712-mile (12.411 km) test track near Fort Stockton Texas. Prior to this, on August 26, 1987, the car had posted a top speed over a mile of 267.88 mph (431.10 km/h).

Development

At the end of 1984, development of the Oldsmobile Quad 4 engine started. This inline-4 engine incorporated four valves per cylinder and dual overhead camshafts, the first time an American automaker used these features in a volume production engine. Oldsmobile described the engine as highly fuel efficient and powerful. The Quad 4 generated a maximum power output of 150 hp (112 kW) and 160 lb⋅ft (217 N⋅m) in its initial standard configuration.

The engineers behind the development of the Quad 4 engine were eager to showcase the engine's capabilities. Under the leadership of Ted Louckes, head of the Quad 4 engine program, they convinced top management at General Motors to develop a research vehicle which would showcase the engine's true potential. In 1985, a group of engineers was formed under the leadership of Louckes in order to develop just such a vehicle, called the Aerotech. The car was to use a sleek body made from carbon fibre, to keep both weight and drag to a minimum. The chassis would be a modified March Engineering 85C CART chassis, the same one that underpinned the 1985 Indianapolis 500 winning car. Powering the Aerotech would be a turbocharged version of the Quad 4 engine, modified to generate in excess of 900 hp (671 kW). The task of designing the car was given to Ed Welburn, the then assistant chief designer at the Oldsmobile studio.

The initial design sketches of the car were inspired by famous Le Mans winning race cars such as the Porsche 917. Completed in early 1985, they were quickly approved by GM's top management, and the first mockup was finished shortly after the design's approval. Wind tunnel testing showed that the design was aerodynamically efficient but would benefit from a few enhancements suggested by Max Schenkel, an aerodynamicist at General Motors who also served as a staff engineer on the Aerotech project. After many hours of wind tunnel testing at General Motors' Technical Center at Warren, Michigan it was decided to alter the design by rounding off the nose and refining the canopy design. The air intakes were also moved from the sides of the car to the top of the rear fenders. Welburn had originally wanted the car to have faired-in wheel wells but an objection by Goodyear, the tire supplier for the project, prevented him from making the change.

The biggest aerodynamic innovation of the design was the car's underbody, incorporating adjustable panels that changed the amount of airflow that flowed through the car's underbody tunnels. This system not only generated great amounts of downforce but also allowed the engineers to optimize the system for different race tracks.

Welburn's original design incorporated a long tail inspired by the Porsche 917 LH, which ran counter to Louckes' plan for setting a closed-course record on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A long-tail version would hinder the car's handling despite providing a lower coefficient of drag. A short-tail version coupled with a pedestal rear spoiler was deemed more feasible.

Construction of the first car was completed by the end of 1986, and was then tested by Foyt at the General Motors proving grounds at Mesa, Arizona. Although skeptical about the car's potential as first, Foyt managed to take the car to 218 mph (351 km/h) on the test track. Foyt is said to have admired the car for its stability at high speeds.

As development neared completion, General Motors' senior management withheld approval for the record attempt at the General Motors Brickyard test track. The development team then chose to test the car at Fort Stockton test center located in Texas.

After successful runs at the General Motors proving grounds, the development team decided to test Welburn's long-tail design as well. Construction of a second car with this configuration had begun in late 1985. The second car was almost the same as the first but featured elongated rear bodywork tapering downwards and a different engine, replacing from the 2.3-liter single-turbocharged Quad 4 built by Batten with a twin-turbocharged 2.3-liter Quad 4 built in collaboration with Fueling Engineering. The new engine proved to be even more capable than its predecessor, generating a maximum power output in excess of 1,000 hp (746 kW).

Land speed record runs

On August 26, 1987, in the presence of FIA officials, the development team tested the two completed cars on the Fort Stockton test track. Initial tests with the short-tail version of the car resulted in an average speed of 250.919 mph (403.815 km/h), falling just short of the closed-course speed record set by the Mercedes CIII-IV development prototype. As the team adjusted the car's aerodynamics, Foyt tested the second, long-tail car. The long-tail version proved to be even more capable than its short-tail sibling, allowing Foyt to reach a top speed of 275 mph (443 km/h) in the flying mile after some practice runs.

Foyt set a new speed record with the long-tail version the next day, averaging 267.399 mph (430.337 km/h) after flying-mile runs in both directions of the track. Subsequent runs made with the now modified short-tail version resulted in a new closed-course speed record of 257.123 mph (413.799 km/h), beating Mercedes' record by a large margin.[1]

Oldsmobile produced three versions of the four-cylinder Aerotech to prove the capabilities of the company's Quad 4 engine. Two cars were built with short rear body work and were called Short Tail versions (ST), and one was built with long rear body work and thus called the Long Tail (LT).

Between December 7 and 15, 1992, a different version of the Aerotech powered by a 4.0-liter Oldsmobile Aurora V8 engine and fitted with functional lights broke 47 speed endurance records, including the 10,000- and 25,000-kilometer world speed records. Other national and international speed records ranging from 10 kilometers to 24 hours were accomplished by a team of drivers working 24 hours a day for 8 days. These records were also set at the Fort Stockton test track.[1]

The speed records resulted in great publicity for Oldsmobile, and helped improve sales. The Aerotechs made several appearances at autoshows across North America. A non-functional mockup with a makeshift interior also made appearances at various circuit races. Ed Welburn, the designer of the car, was given the opportunity to drive the Aurora Aerotech in December 2010. During that run, however, the car was limited to a mere 61 mph (98 km/h) to prevent damage to the internal components.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e McCausland, Evan (December 30, 2010). "Ed Welburn drives the Oldsmobile Aerotech". Automobilemag.com. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Oldsmobile Aerotech Specifications". Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  • [1] HowStuffWorks.com - Oldsmobile Aerotech.
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