COMPUTER-BASED VIRTUAL ENGINEERING Chas already helped compress vehicle development times and reduce costs. It allows complex engineering solutions to be packaged and tested before a physical prototype has been built, and many car makers now hold highly detailed digital models of their complete cars, and their tyres. Some anticipate that the next step will be to use these models to drive them virtually in a simulator instead of building early, physical engineering prototypes.
That's the view of Horiba MIRA, the research and development business based near Nuneaton in the Midlands, which has just opened a new £4million driving simulator complex. Its centrepiece is a VI-grade DiM250 Dynamic Simulator, pictured here, which is one of the world's most advanced multi-axis simulators.
Building the first physical, driveable prototypes of a brand-new model is both expensive and time-consuming, and the learning that results from driving and testing them is not definitive. This is because they are often hand-built from a combination of design intent and non-intent parts and so can be unrepresentative in significant areas such as structural rigidity. Also, if engine and gearbox development is ongoing, early drivetrains will also be unrepresentative, while chassis components may also be fabricated rather than 'off-tool' and the set-up will be best guess.
Yet despite their lack of maturity, these early prototypes are valuable for confirming proof of concept and may also highlight unforeseen issues. The first drive is a significant milestone in the development cycle of a new model, a real watershed moment, offering the first insight into the dynamic character of the car, how it performs against expectation, what areas are to target or on the right trajectory, and which will need more focus or even a rethink. You need to be able to see beyond the crudeness of the prototype to identify the potential, and that takes skill and experience.
This story is from the May 2024 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2024 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BEST BUYS AUDI RS
THERE'S NO GETTING AROUND IT: AUDI RS PRODUCTS haven't taken home nearly as many group-test trophies as BMW M cars have over the years.
BMW M3 E46
The E46 was the first M3 to be launched during evo's lifetime, and its unique. unrepeatable character ensures it remains one of the very best
XX RATED
The Spider version of the SF90 XX provides our first taste of Ferrari's track-focused 1016bhp hypercar on the road
RADICAL SR3 XXR & REVOLUTION 500 EVO
No road car pretensions here: the Radical and Revolution sit where race car meets trackday car
ANALOGUE ELISE & ALPINE A110 R
No-expense-spared restomod Elise by Analogue Automotive makes an intriguing pairing with the lightweight, track-focused A110 R
FORD FOCUS ST TRACK PACK & HONDA CIVIC TYPE R
The Civic Type R has so far seen off all challengers, but will it meet its match in the trackday-friendly Focus ST?
TOYOTA GR86 & BBR MX-5
GR86 and supercharged MX-5 look closely matched on paper; how will it prove on the twists and undulations of Cadwell?
PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS
It’s the perfect blend of speed, poise and precision: what better car than the GT3 RS to establish our benehmark lap
TRACK CAR OF THE YEAR
From hot hatches to flyweight sports cars to actual racers, 15 contenders vie to be crowned evo Track Car of the Year 2024
ORANGE RUSH
The new Vantage has the power and speed to take on the mighty Porsche 911 Turbo S, but is it all about the numbers or does it have the ability to engage and entertain too?