BluKoo
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Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
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As some of you will know, my cousin is involved in hillclimbing, and a while ago, he was asked to get involved with a new project.
BRM (British Racing Motors) and Beeautomobiles have asked him to help develop, and then race a new type of hillclimb car. An electric one.
It will be the first of its kind in the world.
If you think the name BRM rings a bell, then this will be why:
BRM is a previous winner of the F1 world Drivers and Constructors championships and a total of 17 F1 Grand Prix’s, with Graham Hill and Sir Jackie Stewart as two of the winning drivers.
(They're also responsible for those bloody awful Rover 200s with the orange grill) 
"Designed by a team accustomed to winning Formula 1 Grand Prix, the BRM Bee Four ERV is the ultimate Electric Racing Vehicle. Designed to win races and show how motor sport can be fast, quiet and green the BRM Bee Four ERV can achieve a top speed of 250 mph. 
This is a rough render of what it will look like.
As you can see, its similar to an F1 car, but because it has no engine too cool, there is no need for side pods. Therefore making the car more aero-dynamic.
The engine it will use is the same as the engine on this electric drag bike. Except, there will be two of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVv0NVLFPig
One engine will controll the front two wheels, and the other will controll the rears. This also makes it the first 4WD car of its type. God knows what the 0-100 time will be.
The car is scheduled to be completed and raced in 2010, and i can't wait to see it in action.
Heres a link for more reading if anyone is actually interested
http://electricracing.dnsalias.com/index.htm
[Edited on 11-02-2009 by BluKoo]
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Neo
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Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: Essex
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Now thats very 
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CorsAsh
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Registered: 19th Apr 02
Location: Munich
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Looks impressive, but motorsport, quiet, and green just don't belong together.
Half the excitement is in the noise and smell of the event.
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*JonnyG*
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Registered: 2nd Jun 08
Location: Lincolnshire
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BluKoo
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Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
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quote:
Originally posted by CorsAsh
Looks impressive, but motorsport, quiet, and green just don't belong together.
Half the excitement is in the noise and smell of the event.
That is true, and its a long way off his current car.
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Graeme-Wight-Junior-F_17818.htm
Its probably the most amazing sounding hillclimb car around at the moment
This seems to be a "look at what we can do" project.
I can't see him staying with this team. He's too much of a petrolhead.
I'm more excited about the launch of this car because he's basically got another invite to race at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed again.
Last time he raced down there, he set the fastest time of the weekend (beating a few F1 drivers in their current cars), and more importantly, we got VIP passes into the paddock and drivers area were i met JK, David Coulthard and Murray Walker
I'm looking forward to going down again
[Edited on 11-02-2009 by BluKoo]
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slash
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Registered: 30th Jul 06
Location: South Wales
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wont be fast at all
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Butler
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Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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Im almost got annoyed with the line starting 'If you think the name BRM rings a bell, then this will be why:', never felt so patronised in all my life
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Mattb
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Registered: 2nd Feb 03
Location: Under your sisters bed
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quote:
Originally posted by slash
wont be fast at all
why do you say that 
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Ellis
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Registered: 11th Sep 07
Location: Aberdeenshire
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That would be a cool project to be involved with 
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DaveyLC
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Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
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Its got no wishbones?
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Tom
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Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
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That vid 125 in
Have to agree with Ash, motorsport is all about the noise and the smell!!
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Tom
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Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
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Is that your cousin driving the arrows btw, if so he's awesome!
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by slash
wont be fast at all
I disagree...
The pure torque from electric motors thrash the hell out of petrol.
I think an electric car is ideal for hill climbing... Short duration runs (means no need to last a long time) and a need of a lot of torque.
I expect it to be v.quick. Hardest bit will be dealing with the weight balance.
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_Allan_
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Registered: 24th Mar 04
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quote:
Originally posted by slash
wont be fast at all
You have seen the Telsa on Top Gear recently?. Electric cars have come a long long way. With 2 engines, a decent battery source, lightweight chassis etc... I'd expect it to be rapid.
[Edited on 11-02-2009 by _Allan_]
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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Electric cars suck. Fact.
Sure they have instant torque, no gears to worry about etc..
but they are still fundimentally run by batteries.
Now remove your laptop battery and see how heavy it is for such a small item.
Now put 4000 of them together..... More weight than an engine and full tank of fuel.
Sorry but electric cars suck, as the electricity still has to come from a natural resource. So instead of creating a new technology, all they are doing is shifting the balance from oil to other natural resources.
that hyrdogen car is the way forward. Clean, normal car, normal fillings, no natural resources needed, can be filled up in minutes not hours, doesn't weigh 1 billion tonnes.
Although the above car looks good, probably will go fast, whats the point? Might as well build a petrol car.
Hydrogen is the way forwards. They should look into that instead.
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BluKoo
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Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
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quote:
Originally posted by VXR
...but they are still fundimentally run by batteries.
Now remove your laptop battery and see how heavy it is for such a small item.
Now put 4000 of them together..... More weight than an engine and full tank of fuel.
Wow, you could not be more wrong.
Yes it will be run by batteries, but since the car only has to do short sprints up a hill, it doesn't need 4000 batteries. It will weigh about the same as his current car (which is lighter than an F1 car). And considdering its 4WD thats something special.
quote:
Although the above car looks good, probably will go fast, whats the point? Might as well build a petrol car.
Hydrogen is the way forwards. They should look into that instead.
First of all, this project only has a budget of about half a million, so no where near enough to dabble with the world of hyrodgen fuel cells.
And second of all, becuase it is 4WD, and each of the wheels are powered and controlled by motors, it will be possible to controll each wheel individually. Think what that will do for traction.
[Edited on 11-02-2009 by BluKoo]
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by BluKoo
quote:
Originally posted by VXR
...but they are still fundimentally run by batteries.
Now remove your laptop battery and see how heavy it is for such a small item.
Now put 4000 of them together..... More weight than an engine and full tank of fuel.
Wow, you could not be more wrong.
Yes it will be run by batteries, but since the car only has to do short sprints up a hill, it doesn't need 4000 batteries. It will weigh about the same as his current car (which is lighter than an F1 car). And considdering its 4WD thats something special.
Exactly... As a race car it'd need loads of batteries, but since a run may take a minute or so it doesn't need to carry around enough batteries to do a 80 mile trip.
I do agree though Daimo VXR we shouldn't be looking at electric cars to solve our problems. After all electric cars have to be charged by electricity, which comes from power plants burning fossil fuels and with everyone in an electric car the national grid wouldn't be able to cope with the demand!
However, for this cars purpose, I think it'll be more than capable to compete on hill climbs.
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BluKoo
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Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
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What about electricity coming from wind wind turbines, thats totally green, free energy.
In one day, one wind turbine can produce enough energy to light up to 350 homes.
[Edited on 11-02-2009 by BluKoo]
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antnee
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Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
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Hydrogen fuel cells are the way foward, if we as car fans can push this technology on and welcome it to the world, then more petrol can be conserved so all the old classic cars can still be run in 30+ years time!
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BluKoo
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Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
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Yes, i agree with that. They really are the way forward, but this thread isn't about hydrogen fueled cars.
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Daimo B
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Registered: 20th Mar 00
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quote:
Originally posted by BluKoo
Wow, you could not be more wrong.
Yes it will be run by batteries, but since the car only has to do short sprints up a hill, it doesn't need 4000 batteries. It will weigh about the same as his current car (which is lighter than an F1 car). And considdering its 4WD thats something special.
600kg.
Thats fair enough, but 4000 batteries on mild driving gets about 200-250 miles... I know sprintclimbs are only usually 1-2km, buut something to consider.
quote:
Although the above car looks good, probably will go fast, whats the point? Might as well build a petrol car.
Hydrogen is the way forwards. They should look into that instead.
First of all, this project only has a budget of about half a million, so no where near enough to dabble with the world of hyrodgen fuel cells.
And second of all, becuase it is 4WD, and each of the wheels are powered and controlled by motors, it will be possible to controll each wheel individually. Think what that will do for traction.
[Edited on 11-02-2009 by BluKoo]
No neeed to get moody. I like the idea, im just saying why electric cars are bad.
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BluKoo
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Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
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What makes u think i was getting moody I was just getting my point across.
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FlamingCorsa
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Registered: 22nd Apr 03
Location: Shropshire
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looks like pretty exciting proect, that bike is FAST, looks funny when he is on the start line with no noise ready to go, hehe!
just imagine the grid at an electic formula one race , no car making a noise! hehe
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by BluKoo
What about electricity coming from wind wind turbines, thats totally green, free energy.
In one day, one wind turbine can produce enough energy to light up to 350 homes.
[Edited on 11-02-2009 by BluKoo]
Cracks me up when 'green' people say that
350 homes is fucking nothing.
To replace coal burning plants with wind turbines the whole country would be covered in them from head to toe!
People seem to forget that currently we don't have cars on charge 12 hours a day outside our houses... IF everyone had an electric car, this would be the case and you'd suddenly have 10 million + 'cars' charging for say 12 hours a day...
Considering we get power cuts when Eastenders comes on due to the increase of power demand by people switching on all their tvs and boiling a cup of tea to watch it, I think these electric cars may be quite a heavy demand increase
Electric cars are fine for the minority, but not for the majority as far as problem solving goes.
As said in the long run look at hydrogen, or if like me you don't believe Global Warming is man made and is just part of the worlds natural cycles then invest in bio fuel.
Once again nothing against your bro racing the electric car, I think it's quite cool.
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