As Yas Marina Circuit readies itself for A2RL’s inaugural event, a world first four car fully autonomous race, special attention needs to be given to two vital aspects of the competition: the car and the expert teams behind them.
Each competitor in the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League starts with the same vehicle: a Dallara Super Formula car. The car, in its original form, is used in the ultra competitive Japanese Super Formula, but here it’s been given a raft of high tech modifications and custom built to make it suitable for full autonomous driving and is known as EAV24. Outside of Formula One, the Dallara is the fastest open wheel racing car on the planet.
Its body includes sustainable composites. Mixing carbon and flax - a natural material that shares lightweight and rigid properties with traditional carbon fibre sourced from Swiss company Bcomp. It’s been shaped to help the car cut through the air cleanly, generate downforce to aid fast cornering, and, of course, to look good. To keep things light, its chassis is made of carbon fibre.
At the front and rear is cutting edge pushrod suspension and adaptive dampers to ensure it can get around corners as flat and as quickly as possible. Its suspension setup has been, much like its body, designed to be as space efficient and as light as regulations allow.
In the middle of the car is a modified Honda K20C1 engine. It’s a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol motor - A2RL isn’t an electric series - that produces a hefty 550 horsepower. That power is sent to the rear wheels via a six speed gearbox, and can, given the right circumstances, propel the car at speeds up to 185mph.
Source: Autosport