The Taurus Diesel

[Liz]

Simon Dawson has provided us with some material on the Taurus Diesel and asked me to share it with the rest of the forum. Here's the Diesel Overview:

DIESEL PROJECT OVERVIEW:
Taurus has developed the first Diesel engine sportscar entered in the 2004 Le Mans 24 hr race under the revised regulations.

The chassis being used is the Lola B2K/10B, which Taurus campaigned successfully during 2003. Lola based in Huntingdon is still today one of the largest racing car manufacturer in the world.

Engine development and in particular Diesel technology is in the hand of the Caterpillar/Perkins Group based in Peterbourgh.

The donor diesel engine is a 5.0-liter twin turbocharged 45 deg V10 now producing in the region of 500 bhp with 950 n/m torque. This is the first phase of what is seen as a long-term development program, which is taking cautious, steps in producing a respectable and reliable large capacity competition diesel power plant for the future.

Race engine assembly is being handled by Mountune in Essex whom have a wealth of experience over many years with Turbo Charged engines.

Caterpillar electronics and engine management systems have been supported by a business and technical alliance with the Cambridge based company PI Research.

The various eastern region companies listed have all worked closely together generating a true business link by supplying components and technical know how to achieve the completed racing vehicle ahead of other major global car manufacturers whom have been evaluating the building of such a competition vehicle.

With the involvement of the many other attached companies this has been a 75% British built program, which Taurus as a small company has been able to attract an impressive list of major partners in a unique collaborative long-term program.

Our first goal was to be the first in testing a diesel powered sportscar.
Then to be the first to be racing in the famous Le Mans 24-hour race in June 2004.
We aim to take one car to race in North America in August and again be the first to race a diesel on that continent.

Longer term we see a growing global interest in diesel powered cars showcasing the technology along side the development of fuel supplier’s future products.

Taurus has a goal to be working with a car manufacturer in the production of a new racing vehicle partnering with our current partners as leaders in the global market of alternative fuels, which are now readily available to the public.

At present Taurus has been responsible for 100% of the initiative and 75% of the funding to bring this groundbreaking program to fruition.

We see this as a growing company taking the lead in developing a true technology program integrating the skills available within the area UK and internationally as a whole.

[Liz]

Here is the engine.

[Liz]

And here is a look at the car:

[gttouring]

so this is another diesel?
not the Judd V10? oooh man this is gonna be good.

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by gttouring
so this is another diesel?

Looks like this is the only diesel at the moment; the Judd/Ricardo project seems to have been put on the back burner for the time being.

[gwyllion]

The donor diesel engine is a 5.0-liter twin turbocharged 45 deg V10 now producing in the region of 500 bhp with 950 n/m torque.

So it is not the VAG V10 TDI. This engine has a V angle of 90 degree.

The Judd V10 have an angle of 72 degree.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by gwyllion
So it is not the VAG V10 TDI. This engine has a V angle of 90 degree.

The Judd V10 have an angle of 72 degree.

Before I add a myriad of comments on this I must begin with:

THANK YOU, LIZ!!!!!!

As always, you are a superb source of sportscar news...all of us really appreciate your hard work and your willingness to share so much with us.....

On the Quote Above:

Now this IS big news!!!! Everything seemed to point to the VAG-VW V-10....but unless they really did a huge amount of alteration to the VW block or heads, there is no way they could alter the valve angle to that degree....

But if not VW, then where did the base engine come from??? CAT doesn't have a V-10...

Now for the Car:

950 ft./lbs. of torque???? WOW....

Their biigest issue may be keeping gearboxes or drive lines together and in one piece with that kind of twist power...

Also, it seems fitting the the Lola B2K/10B is the chassis it will be mounted in.....

Most "Tractors" are diesel-powered


My ONly Downside:

"Our first goal was to be the first in testing a diesel powered sportscar.
Then to be the first to be racing in the famous Le Mans 24-hour race in June 2004.
We aim to take one car to race in North America in August and again be the first to race a diesel on that continent."

(from the initial statement posted by Liz from Mr. Dawson that began the thread)

No!!!!!!! I want to see it run at Mid-Ohio!!!!

and I assume that "August" probably means Road Amereica....I can't get there that weekend!!!!!

C'mon, Taurus.....put it on a plane to Ohio after LM...


Final Note:

I'm putting this in almost as an afterthought, because I really think it is minor....and I'm not trying to pick fly turds out of pepper by saying this....but

From the context of that final statement by Mr. Dawson above, I assume that he means the first "Turbo-Diesel Sportscar" in North America....

But the sentence by itself doesn't say that...and it is woefully incorrect by at least 50 years, if not more....

The first Turbo-Diesels to race in North America were built by Cummins many, many decades ago, in partnership with Louis Schweitzer, who is in many versions of racing "Halls of Fame" for pioneering both supercharger and turbocharger technologies for racing applications...

BTW...that same man, as a young lad, was on the pit crew of the very first Indy 500 winner...Ray Haroun...in 1911...


But I think I understand what Mr. Dawson intended with his statement, so I'm not really trying to make a stink over it...just thought I'd mention it....

Now for a Tangent:

If it were me....I woudl have approached Cummins Diesel to partner with on the project....they build turbo-diesels of all sizes, have pioneered the electronic fuel management and engine management units for them, and they even have developed an computerized "torque adapter and reducer" system that interfaces with the previously mentioned electronic units to mazimize the efficiency as well as effectiveness of the engine based on the driving conditions and what is needed from the engine...

That's all for now...

[eddsc]

The diesel engine in the Taurus Lola is a 90 degree unit; Simon's reference to 45 degrees must be a slight slip, or referring to one bank, from the vertical.

[Tim Northcutt]

Thanks for that clarification eddsc....thus it probably IS the VAG V-10

[rdjones]

I was thinking about this one at work yesterday. I had actully pretty much decided that the engine had come from somewhere within VAG.

Now with this in mine, and this is pure speculation on my part, and remembering that that Audi where talking about entering diesel engine this year or in the future.I came conclusion that is this them evalulating things for the future.

[paul-collins]

Originally posted by eddsc
The diesel engine in the Taurus Lola is a 90 degree unit; Simon's reference to 45 degrees must be a slight slip, or referring to one bank, from the vertical.

I thought it was a bit odd, 45 degrees... Even at those low diesel revs, it would probably shake itself apart.

[eddsc]

No, nothing to do with Audi at all. The VAG reference is part of the answer, but Caterpillar execs. will be at LM this weekend, and that company has no connection with Audi or Le Mans, so far...
MC

[rdjones]

Thanks for that eddsc, interesting stuff. Saying that I can think of another part of the VAG Group that has been looking at putting diesel engines in racing cars, now I wonder............

[paul-collins]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
No!!!!!!! I want to see it run at Mid-Ohio!!!!

and I assume that "August" probably means Road Amereica....I can't get there that weekend!!!!!

C'mon, Taurus.....put it on a plane to Ohio after LM...

I hope you're wrong, Tim - at least for me, that August means Mosport. But it may be R-Am...

There is other Taurus news that suggests to me that some of the American funding picture may be coming together...

[gttouring]

Taurus may be my new fave team- what advantage do rule give them to run the diesel? I imagine the fuel wieght and the diesel motor itself is heavy heavy heavy...any news on this?

[therealdeal]

i think this beast is going to sound amazing!!!!

[eddsc]

Is diesel fuel heavier than petrol? I don't know.
The engine carries an 80 kg penalty, but is more economical than the regular prototypes, so fewer pit stops.
MC

[Tim Northcutt]

Once at the Indy 500, a Cummins Diesel with a supercharger went the full 500 miles without a pit stop for fuel....

Of course cars run about twices as fast today as they did when that was accomplished, but fuel mileage will definitely be a factor with a diesel...

[someone]

80kg penalty on the engine? I thought that VAG diesel road car engine weighed 500kg - compared to 150 odd for a race petrol. They must have done some serious lightening to try and minimise handling problems

and fuel consumption - it won't be that different at higher power outputs to petrol, and you will be limited by tyres and driver fatigue in terms of longer stops - I think i read somewhere that bently were only in the pits for 28 mins in total. Lets imagine you can triple stint the tyres and drivers, you will only save a percentage of that total time, not even enough to jump you up a position in the final standings, let alone run and hide in the lead. average pit stop time is about a minute i think.

not sure how VAG feel about the use of their engine if it is theirs? did they know it was being done? was the engine picked up from a local VW dealership? wouldn't they prefer to do bespoke race diesel engine development in private, where their brand is protected?

can't wait to see and hear it running...

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by Liz
And here is a look at the car:

It won't win too many prizes in the Le Mans beauty pageant though, will it.......?

(IMO)

[tblincoe]

although you make a good point about tyres and drivers someone, audi has triple stinted both tyres and drivers before, so it can be done i guess... if you went the time of a triple stint between pit stops the entire race, you could save a third of the pit time, which would equal out to 10 minutes or so which is 2+ laps

also, the acceleration of the car must be awesome with 900+ nm of torque... hope this project works out for the taurus boys

[Aysedasi]

Expect Audi UK to triple stint drivers throughout.....

[Fab]

This is the PQs livery...

-

[Tim Northcutt]

A Few Observations:

1. Is there a sale on Silver paint at the aoutomotive paint stores this year?

2. Is there an ACO rule that the LMP2 class is "required" to paint the car a shade of Blue? Especially the color I will simply call "Courage medium-dark Blue?" (Even the Intersport Lola B2K/40 is painted that color).

Just wondering....

[PascaLM]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
A Few Observations:

1. Is there a sale on Silver paint at the aoutomotive paint stores this year?

2. Is there an ACO rule that the LMP2 class is "required" to paint the car a shade of Blue? Especially the color I will simply call "Courage medium-dark Blue?" (Even the Intersport Lola B2K/40 is painted that color).

Just wondering....

It's look like the official Audi grey paint...strange coincidence.
Maybe Rob is not far from the truth.