9-Star Beta Tester
Posts: 451
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2012 5:19 am
Location: England
Cars: Toyota GT86 Giallo, Citroen 2CV6 Spécial
Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:21 am
Re: Automation Touring Car Championship - Season 2[ENTRIES O
This car might look a bit familiar to anyone who participated in the first ATCC, so I'm going to have a go at making a prequel to the previous story...
May I present the Penonez SuperTouring RV8.
In 1987, a factory Polonez team made the decision to try and expand the motorsport success of the Polonez outside of the rally world. The budget allocated to the project was reasonably sizable, and several base cars were sent out to 4 different tuning companies, each of which would produce their attempt at a car. Each car ended up being completely different, one entry even with a small mid-engined turbo power unit. After the 4 cars were completed, the winning design was chosen.
The design that came through was that of Peniston Motor House, a small tuning and motorsports specialist in South Yorkshire, in England. Peniston already had race experience with the Rover V8 engine, a lightweight engine around the correct size. Using a modified crankshaft, they reduced the capacity of a 3.5 RV8 engine to just under the strict 3500cc limit. They had previously developed SOHC heads for the engine, but due to the new budget allocated to them they were able to further develop this into a high flow DOHC setup. The engine proved to be strong and free revving, so was chosen as the final power unit.
Suspension was changed to a more updated design, along with a braking system more capable of withstanding race use.
The final car was to be sponsored by Peniston in order to try and gain business, in the hope that the car would be a success. Due to the Rover V8 unit the engine was based on, the name "Penonez SuperTouring RV8" was chosen.
As we now know, the remnants of the Penonez team would later be bought out by Peniston and re-developed to race in the mid-90s BTCC championship. At this point in time however, whether the Penonez would prove as successful as they hoped remained relatively unknown.
(Think I wrote that pretty well, given that in the original ATCC I basically said this was a failed project...
)
May I present the Penonez SuperTouring RV8.
- p11.png (224.49 KiB) Viewed 4279 times
In 1987, a factory Polonez team made the decision to try and expand the motorsport success of the Polonez outside of the rally world. The budget allocated to the project was reasonably sizable, and several base cars were sent out to 4 different tuning companies, each of which would produce their attempt at a car. Each car ended up being completely different, one entry even with a small mid-engined turbo power unit. After the 4 cars were completed, the winning design was chosen.
- p12.png (191.07 KiB) Viewed 4279 times
The design that came through was that of Peniston Motor House, a small tuning and motorsports specialist in South Yorkshire, in England. Peniston already had race experience with the Rover V8 engine, a lightweight engine around the correct size. Using a modified crankshaft, they reduced the capacity of a 3.5 RV8 engine to just under the strict 3500cc limit. They had previously developed SOHC heads for the engine, but due to the new budget allocated to them they were able to further develop this into a high flow DOHC setup. The engine proved to be strong and free revving, so was chosen as the final power unit.
Suspension was changed to a more updated design, along with a braking system more capable of withstanding race use.
The final car was to be sponsored by Peniston in order to try and gain business, in the hope that the car would be a success. Due to the Rover V8 unit the engine was based on, the name "Penonez SuperTouring RV8" was chosen.
As we now know, the remnants of the Penonez team would later be bought out by Peniston and re-developed to race in the mid-90s BTCC championship. At this point in time however, whether the Penonez would prove as successful as they hoped remained relatively unknown.
(Think I wrote that pretty well, given that in the original ATCC I basically said this was a failed project...
)
