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Back on track
Q2, 2006
Has motor racing lost its relevance?
GM’s former sporting chief has answers
Particulates
RICARDO QUARTERLYREVIEW
Ricardo develops revolutionary
measuring technology
Diesel record bid
JCB unveils world land speed
contender, supported by Ricardo
BUGA TTI VEYRON
SPECIAL
Ricardo supports Bugatti to design,
develop and manufacture the driveline for
the Veyron – the world’s fastest road car
Bugatti Veyron
“The most advanc e
One thousand and one horsepower, sixteen cylinders, seven speeds and over
400km/h – transmission engineering challenges don’t come much tougher
than Bugatti’s fabulous million-euro Veyron supercar.Tony Lewin reports on
the support provided by Ricardo in the development and manufacture of one
of the most sophisticated driveline systems ever conceived
I
t’s the front-cover splash of almost but fact; thanks to Bugatti, this easy to forget what a monumental
every car magazine in the world. remarkable display is now seen as technical achievement the Veyron
Everywhere, writers are struggling achievable with a car that’s also represents. It is especially important to
to find new superlatives to describe its elegant, luxurious and refined, and recall that, at the time it was originally
astonishing performance. And which does not demand racing-driver proposed in 2000, the idea of the 1001
everywhere the message is the same: skills at the wheel. horsepower sports car seemed a nigh-
this million-euro machine redefines, Bugatti has defied the doubters and on impossible technical challenge.
dramatically and decisively, our idea proved that 400 km/h and first-class
of what a car can do. comfort can indeed go together. Yet VW chief astounds the industry
The concept of a road car faster than with expectations so suddenly and so A moment of stunned silence gripped
a Formula One car is no longer fantasy dramatically transformed, it is all too the audience of international
08 RICARDO QUARTERLY REVIEW • Q2, 2006
ed car of our time”
automotive journalists as the crowd of 21st century revival of what had in its Bugatti marque was held during its
normally talkative reporters choked in heyday been the most glamorous 1920s and 1930s golden age. Its sports
disbelief at what they had just heard. marque in the world. “This will be the and racing cars were engineered with
The scene was the Nogaro Hilton most exciting and most advanced car absolute purity of focus, always light,
Hotel in Geneva in March 2000, when ”
of its time, no more, no less, he ingenious and elegant; the integrity of
correspondents had assembled to predicted. the road-car chassis attracted the very
hear Volkswagen’s then CEO, Dr Previously, only a select few racing best coachwork builders of the era,
Ferdinand Piëch, deliver his annual cars had breached the thousand- producing style landmarks such as the
state-of-the-union address to the horsepower mark. It would clearly be a Atlantique coupé and, at the opposite
world’s business and technical media: major technical challenge to feed this end of the scale, the mammoth Type
in the middle of a long stream of power to the road safely enough for 41 Royale. In its exotic aura Bugatti
corporate results, sales predictions drivers with standard rather than was the Ferrari of its time, but with the
and bland technical statistics, Dr Piëch competition licences: delivering such equivalent of Rolls-Royce luxury,
had casually tossed in the number stupendous performance with the radical thinking from Lotus and hard-
which was to astound everyone – one smoothness and refinement demanded wired race heritage from McLaren
thousand and one horsepower. by an elite millionaire clientele was thrown in too.
For this, said Dr Piëch, would be the likely to be a bigger issue still. Undeniably, the task of
power output of the new Bugatti reinterpreting this unmatched legend
Veyron sports car. Only the absolute Bugatti’s Heritage for the 21st century customer has
ultimate in power, performance and It is difficult from today’s perspective been a daunting one. Accordingly,
sophistication would suffice for the to imagine the awe in which the Volkswagen decided to call upon the
Q2, 2006 • RICARDO QUARTERLY REVIEW 09
Bugatti Veyron
With seven speeds, dual clutches, four wheel drive and an active rear axle,
the Veyron driveline (right) is one of the most complex ever bulit
very best skills on offer among the
world’s automotive engineering
providers to ensure the born-again
Bugatti would satisfy the
extremely high demands
placed on it by customers
whose automotive
portfolios already include
the likes of Bentley,
Ferrari, Porsche and
Mercedes-Benz.
For the embryo Bugatti
division, set up under
Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg
roof pending the
completion of the Bugatti
Atelier at the marque’s
famous Molsheim home
across the border in France,
Ricardo was the natural choice
of engineering partner for the
transmission and driveline system.
Michael Kodra, Bugatti engineer in
charge of the liaison with Ricardo
throughout the programme, explains:
“We had already worked with
Ricardo on smaller programmes – they
built the axles for two different show
cars that were presented, and these 1250 Nm of torque, but also for
axles worked perfectly and without any automated shifting and electro-
further problems. We also needed a hydraulic control of all key functions.
company which could supply us with a The driveline, too, was to be of
gearbox at low volume: most of the exceptional complexity, with drive to determine not just straightline traction
other big gearbox suppliers are seeking all four wheels, an innovative active but high speed vehicle dynamics too.
to make money through volumes, and rear axle, a Haldex coupling built into What at the beginning was simply
we can only offer a run of about 300. the front axle, and all the electronic an outrageously fast pure sports car
Thanks to this and our previous and hydraulic control systems to soon found itself doing double duty as
experience with them on the W18 and
W12 sports car, we decided that
Ricardo would be the best company to
support us on this job.”
Ricardo’s biggest-ever driveline
programme
Though Ricardo enjoys an
unparalleled reputation in the field of
ultra high performance transmission
systems across both sports and racing
cars (providing drivelines for the
Jaguar XJ220, McLaren F1 and Audi’s
Le Mans winners, for example), once
the specification of the Veyron was
revealed it soon became clear that the
Bugatti transmission system would be
much the most sophisticated the
company had ever built. As a result,
the programme would be the largest
ever supported by the company’s
driveline and transmission engineers.
Bugatti’s brief called not just for a
seven-speed dual clutch gearbox
capable of handling an unprecedented
10 RICARDO QUARTERLY REVIEW • Q2, 2006
companies anything ever seen among normally
supporting the fragile supercars.
Veyron The durability requirements make
programme. truly terrifying reading for any
Yet, at the engineer with an ounce of mechanical
same time, sympathy. Given that much of its
the fact that 50,000 km is driven with the
the Veyron thousand-horsepower engine at full
programme throttle, the Veyron’s transmission
became part of durability programme must rate as
the mainstream one of the toughest the auto industry
Volkswagen has ever devised.
product development Mike Everitt, senior programmes
process provided what manager at Ricardo, believes that this
was to be the most challenging regime makes the Veyron the
task of all. strongest ultra high performance car
By bringing the Veyron ‘in-house’, ever built. “Wolfgang Schreiber has
Bugatti’s new technical director, genuinely shifted the goalposts in the
Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, ensured the ”
supercar segment, he says.
whole vehicle met the same daunting Big-name supercars all too often
durability targets that would normally prove fragile in service. It is rumoured
a much more be fulfilled by standard million-a-year that one model is only capable of
luxurious, more Golf-platform family cars – models doing three full-bore launches before
Bentley-like vehicle – which have to perform faultlessly in the clutch needs to be replaced. The
while of course retaining service over many years of hard use. Veyron, on the other hand, completed
all its daunting performance Prior to the arrival of the Veyron, the 200 consecutive full-throttle launches
requirements. Attaining all normal life expectancy for a rare with consummate ease. “The testers
these demanding design goals, supercar was frighteningly short, with only stopped because it was getting
many of which would numerous pit-stops and replacement ”
too dark, remembers Everitt. “The
conventionally be seen as totally systems required at frequent intervals. clutches were still fine.”
incompatible, was a major What Schreiber prescribed was
achievement by Bugatti and all the massively more demanding than
“When exposed to the full 1,250 Newton-metres torque of the
16-cylinder engine, the resistance of the air and even the force of
gravity itself seem to have no chance: the EB 16·4 Veyron eats up
the road as if these physical laws had just been abolished”
Bugatti publicity, 2003
Q2, 2006 • RICARDO QUARTERLY REVIEW 11
Bugatti Veyron
“
Design, development and brings home the scale of the multi-
MICHAEL manufacture national Ricardo and Bugatti driveline
KODRA The complexity of the driveline and its team’s achievement. There are no
Michael Kodra is control system was such that Mike fewer than 660 part numbers for the
the Volkswagen Everitt and his colleagues at both driveline’s 1200 components and the
group engineer in Ricardo and Bugatti had to bring in system breaks new engineering
charge of liaison extra engineers to ensure the ground – particularly in its use of
with Ricardo and programme would keep to the very seven forward speeds and twin
other key suppliers demanding schedule set by Bugatti: at clutches, and in its real-time role in
its peak, Bugatti’s engineering team determining high speed vehicle
Did the experience with Ricardo were supported in the programme by dynamics through its active rear
gearboxes on the Audi Le Mans over 50 Ricardo driveline and differential and Haldex coupling.
winners influence your choice of transmission engineers, with a further The use of ADAMS simulation
driveline partner? 12 -15 electronics specialists working modelling of vehicle dynamics
No. We started this programme just on the transmission control system allowed Ricardo to provide Bugatti
before the Audi programme became and additional engineers in vehicle with much necessary data to develop
public. Ricardo always keeps its engineering too. Two Ricardo and optimise suspension kinematics,
other customers secret, so even we engineers even took up residence in to fine-tune the car’s driving
at VW did not know that this work VW’s home city of Wolfsburg. characteristics and present a range of
had been done for Audi in the race “One mustn’t forget the absolute options to Bugatti management.
cars. enormity of the task that faced “Bugatti engineers determined what
”
Bugatti, explains Everitt. “It designed the preferred calibration was to be, ”
The driveline for this car is very a car that’s not only the fastest and says Mike Everitt. “They have been
complicated and has a huge effect fastest-accelerating car in the world, highly successful in calibrating the car
on the handling and driving but one which is technically far more in precisely the desired manner, with
characteristics of the whole vehicle. advanced than any of its our assistance. We have helped them
How is it that VW can work together predecessors. give the Veyron the character they
with an outside supplier when it is ”
“It has far more features in it, were looking for.”
really determining how that vehicle continues Everitt. “It’s four-wheel
will drive? drive, it is turbocharged, it has an Driving the Veyron
Using the knowledge we have active differential and an active drive As a key figure in the Veyron
gained through working with transmission system with dual development process, Mike Everitt
Ricardo we have implemented the clutches. The car is very sophisticated was familiar with the astonishing
correct features into the car, such as and is entirely new: new engine, new abilities of the 16-cylinder Bugatti long
the rear axle differential, the driveline, new chassis, new everything before the international press was
electronic/hydraulic control, the – and it’s attacking the market as the finally allowed access to the car in
Haldex coupling which enables us to most prestigious sports car ever built. Sicily in October 2005.
have four wheel drive, and this dual It has been a very formidable While the assembled
clutch gearbox. We have been very challenge. ” correspondents were excited, effusive
successful in learning how to Even a quick glance at the cutaway and often emotional in their
calibrate and to optimize them. of the Veyron driveline on page 10 comments, Everitt retains the level-
headed detachment of an engineer
What about the active rear professionally reviewing a technical
differential? mission successfully accomplished.
At that time the rear differential Complex though the transmission
control was something VW had hardware undoubtedly is, he says, the
never had in its ordinary cars: we
were about to introduce it in the
Touareg luxury SUV. This is
definitely an item where we
needed to have a close look and
liaise with these [Ricardo] guys
in their work. On the gearbox
side, we have done
the same gearbox, though
much smaller and lighter, for
our ordinary passenger
ranges such as the Golf.
Here, Ricardo learned from
VW concerning some
software strategies and
so on. So I think we both share
a little bit, we both learn a
little bit.
12 RICARDO QUARTERLY REVIEW • Q2, 2006
while the second continuously
MANUFACTURING THE VEYRON DCT monitors it to double check that a
double engagement is not about to
take place.
Surprising though it may seem for a
car of such phenomenal performance,
the concept of everything working
faultlessly and seamlessly in the
background is an important part of the
Bugatti’s make-up – again making a
potent contrast to supercar
competitors which can be famously
temperamental and tricky to drive.
Mike Everitt describes it as silky
smooth and easy. “When the car
accelerates it is so fast that if you have
a clear road in front of you and you
can accelerate up to 150 mph (240
R icardo is no stranger to low-volume, high precision transmission
manufacture: its workshops have witnessed the assembly not only of the
drivelines for the McLaren F1, Jaguar XJ220 and Volkswagen W12 Nardo record
km/h) – which it will do in a matter of a
few seconds – it will be up to fourth or
fifth gear and you really didn’t even
breaker, but also five years of Le Mans winners for Audi and numerous other count them.
successful but less well known products. Even so, such is the importance of “If you are not watching the gear
Bugatti and the complexity of its driveline that a whole separate area of the display change or watching the rev
Ricardo transmissions facility is dedicated exclusively to the assembly of the counter needle change, if you’re just
Veyron system. looking at the road and get to 150 mph
Conditions in the Bugatti assembly area are akin to those of a scientific clean and back off, you won’t actually know
room, with each of the driveline’s 1200 components receiving a three-stage what gear you were in because it does
cleaning process – culminating in an ultrasonic phase – before assembly. ”
it so smoothly, he enthuses. “Even if
Component tolerances are close to aerospace levels at 6-8 microns, and exotic you were in manual mode, if you don’t
materials include rare-earth magnets located on the gear selector forks for do anything the transmission will shift
extremely precise position sensors mounted on the external casing to monitor up for you anyway when you reach
the exact location of selectors. This information is used in the control strategy maximum revs. ”
and helps rule out double gear engagements.
”
“This is a very high quality, and clearly very high cost operation, says Adrian Step-change for VW engineering
Turner, manager of Ricardo’s low volume production operation, of the From the customer side, VW liaison
manufacturing process. “It’s more akin to an advanced prototype build than engineer Michael Kodra is open in
series production – we call it dedicated cell manufacture. ” acknowledging that Ricardo’s expertise
The cell system sees two technicians each assemble a single transmission a has been invaluable:
week. Each stage of the assembly process is meticulously documented, with “I think that by being able to bring
the technician confirming every operation, measuring every tolerance and this car to the market with its driving
critical dimension and noting the thicknesses and positions of all shims behaviour every bit as [good as] we
employed. The multi-page document is held in the Ricardo database so that any expected it to be, we have done a very
in-service problems can be traced back to individual parts of known history. good job. Using the knowledge we
have gained we have implemented the
correct features into the car, such as
key throughout is the software that selected gear and so on. ” the rear axle differential, the
controls it – even though the driver is One of the key challenges of the electronic/hydraulic control, the
unlikely ever to sense it doing its job. gearbox is that it has, on VW’s Haldex coupling which enables us
Yet even Everitt cannot resist insistence, a non-interlocked gear have four wheel drive, and this dual
beaming broadly as he revels in the selection system. This enables super- clutch gearbox. We have been
experience of driving the sixteen- fast shifts but, in contrast to successful in achieving a good
cylinder, 400 km/h machine: conventional gearboxes where it is calibration and optimisation of them. ”
“If you are driving the car you just physically only possible to engage one “The toughest part in most
pull a lever and all you see or sense gear at a time, the mechanical programmes is always the timing, ”
(of the gearshifts) is that the rev arrangement of the Veyron box makes explains Kodra. “Right from the
counter needle falls or rises: it is slick it theoretically possible to engage up beginning of this job we had a very
and smooth but in the background to four gears at once. It is a vital task tight timetable to get this car into
there are a dozen valves controlling of the control software to ensure that series production. You need to
key parameters, changing clutch such a damaging occurrence can remember that almost all the
pressures, shifting which gear is never happen, and to this end Ricardo components of the car are brand new
engaged and which is the next pre- specified twin control networks, each – the monocoque and suspension, a
running on different software codes, complete new engine, gearbox and
Left: Complex seven-speed dual clutch gearbox written by different teams using axles – all the systems have never
takes one week to assemble at Ricardo’s different methodologies. The task of played together in one car. We had this
precision manufacturing facility the first is to control the transmission, timetable because the car was
Q2, 2006 • RICARDO QUARTERLY REVIEW 13
Bugatti Veyron
“
presented quite early on, but as a
MIKE rear axle behind the engine was defined, prototype car. ”
EVERITT but we explored issues such as whether Such striving for engineering
Chief the rear axle should form part of the perfection is of course precisely what
programmes engine cylinder block or should it be the Bugatti marque stands for. Mike
engineer Mike separate. Everitt cites the example of the
Everitt led the significantly raised durability
work on the Did you know the power and torque requirements applied from 2004
Veyron driveline since joining outputs? Did the very high values onwards: new gear tooth designs
Ricardo in November 2000 force you to think differently? were employed to ensure they could
Yes, we knew the power and torque, but not only last the distance, but also
Ricardo has a lot of experience in high only as headline numbers, and also the maintain the level of expected
performance transmissions. Can you wheelbase and the predicted weight. We refinement at the end of the 50,000 km
build on designs you have done in the knew that they wanted it to be four durability test. The new gears solved
past, or does it have to be completely wheel drive and that they wanted it to be that issue conclusively.
new? active not passive, meaning active
You have to visualize the project as differential controls and active torque "Nothing is too beautiful, nothing is
two distinct elements, the first being distribution from wheel to wheel. Most too expensive"
mechanical and the second the things about this project forced us to It was with this idealistic maxim that,
control. For both elements we worked think differently. almost a century ago, Ettore Bugatti
very closely with the VW/Bugatti founded the company that, like none
engineering team to ensure both that Is the transmission seven speed before and precious few since, was
they got what they wanted and that because with a Vmax of over 400 dedicated to absolute purity in design
we could incorporate their knowledge km/h you have to cover such a large and perfection in every detail. And,
of specific lessons learned from their speed range? though in 2006 the stakes are vastly
own DCT programme in the VW Golf Yes: it’s also seven speed because higher and the regulations governing
into the programme. reverse is in there as well, giving automobiles are infinitely stricter,
In terms of the mechanical side it is to eight gears in total, with four there can be little doubt that the re-
some extent an analytical and synchronizers and two gears per incarnated Bugatti has produced a
formulaic process, but it is heavily synchronizer – so that works very
influenced by the experience base nicely. It also gives a nice even gear
that Ricardo and the VW/Bugatti spacing on a car that will go seriously
engineering teams possess. Knowing fast. Another advantage we had with
how the transmission needs to be this transmission was that we could Zothecas conubium santet lascivius fiducia
designed for this sort of application, make first gear tall: this car will do its suis. Pessimus utilitas cathedras spinosus
with its very demanding and 0-100 km/h dash in first gear.
specialist environment, is something
that few companies have experience In terms of the mechanical design of
of, but it is ground on which Ricardo the system, is it more like a racing car
feels comfortable. transmission than a road car
The control element of this gearbox transmission?
was, however, the really innovative No: I wouldn’t say it is like a race car
side: there are increasing industry and transmission at all, it is like a race car
market moves towards dual clutch transmission in the limited sense that
transmissions because of the benefits it uses race car transmission type
you get in fuel economy and materials and very high grade steels
efficiency and driver feel. But to do for the gears and shafts. It is fully
something in this area of synchronized on all gears including
performance was quite a challenge: reverse, and all the gears including
things that work on a “normal” car reverse are fully helical rather than
simply don’t just scale up when you straight-cut. The emphasis on
get into this class of vehicle. smoothness of shift and pull-away
control is absolutely key to the whole
When you discuss a programme like this nature and character of the car.
with a customer, who sets out the basic I think everyone will be amazed at just
principles? Did VW simply want a what a pussycat it can be. You can
transmission for a 400 km/h car? bumble around at walking pace all
No. VW had some quite firm ideas at a day long with absolutely perfect
feature level – minimum seven gears, control: you have no juddering, no
very fast speed of shift and so on. Also, kangarooing, nothing that many
the fundamental layout options possible supercars suffer from. It is absolutely
were largely dictated by the defined the easiest car to drive in terms of the
vehicle architecture, but lots of details clutch and transmission as can be
were not defined at all.This meant for seen from the many complimentary
instance that the gearbox in front and the press reports of the car.
14 RICARDO QUARTERLY REVIEW • Q2, 2006
THE VEYRON IN FIGURES
Veyron speedometer reads up to 420 km/h; Engine: 8.0 litre W16, four
left-hand gauge shows horsepower deployed turbochargers
model of rare distinction and true many will go straight into private Power: 1001 hp at 6000 rev/min
engineering integrity – a model which collections, while the remainder are Torque: 1250 Nm at 2500 rev/min
does genuine justice to the Bugatti certain to lead a pampered existence Transmission: Ricardo 7-speed
legend. in air-conditioned garages under 24- dual clutch; drive
Yet, having designed, developed hour security guard. So, regrettably, to all four wheels
and built what is pretty convincingly only a few elite individuals worldwide Performance: 0-100 km/h: 2.5 sec
the world’s fastest, most powerful and will ever be able to savour the unique 0-200 km/h: 7.3 sec
most exclusive road car, there is just experience of 16 cylinders, 1001 0-300 km/h: 16.7 sec
one cause for regret. No more than horsepower and the sensational return Kerb weight: 1950 kg
300 examples of the Veyron will be of the most illustrious marque the
built over its production lifespan; auto industry has ever known.
Q2, 2006 • RICARDO QUARTERLY REVIEW 15
