Latest news with #Multimatic
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ferrari F80
The Ferrari F80 is the Prancing Horse that's too fast for Fiorano. It's the latest limited-run, extreme-performance Ferrari of the kind that appears once a decade, a lineage featuring the GTO (aka 288), F40, F50, Enzo and LaFerrari, and it is the first that hasn't been demonstrated at Ferrari's home test track. Instead, it was presented at Misano, a wider and longer circuit than Fiorano and more suitable for a car with the F80's astonishing performance. Misano is popular with motorcycle racers and looked as expansive as Silverstone on the video I watched of an Audi R8 GT3 lapping it. The F80's speed made it feel about half the size in reality. Stay tuned for a review of Ferrari's fastest-lapping car it has ever fitted with with numberplates. To the details first, though. The F80's development timeline almost mirrors that of the 499P Le Mans-winning race car. The two are different – this is not a road-going competition car – but there are similarities both in ethos and with some mechanicals. The F80 has a two-seat carbonfibre passenger tub, 5% lighter but 50% stiffer than a LaFerrari's (the next most recent special), with the passenger slightly offset behind the driver so they don't bang shoulders in a cabin that's 50mm narrower. At the front and rear are mostly extruded aluminium subframes, from which hangs double-wishbone suspension all round, with 3D-printed upper wishbones and active Multimatic spring and damper units similar to those that made their Ferrari debut in the Purosangue, mounted horizontally to maintain a low centre of gravity. As well as having adjustable damping, they extend or withdraw to control pitch and roll, so there are no separate anti-roll bars. The car is 4.84m long, 2.06m wide and just 1.14m tall, and it has a 2.67m wheelbase. It comes with carbonfibre wheels as standard (you can buy forged alloys to supplement them), wearing 285/30 R20 front and 345/30 R21 rear tyres, either Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s or stickier Cup 2Rs. Brake discs are a new carbon-ceramic material, 408mm in diameter at the front, 309mm at the rear. In the car's middle is the latest iteration of Ferrari's 3.0-litre 120deg V6, which made its debut in the Ferrari 296 GTB and also powers Ferrari's Le Mans challenger. But it has been tweaked here to levels not even found in the 499P. More than 200 components have been changed from the 296's version of this engine, so it makes 888bhp at 8750rpm – Ferrari's meteoric target of 300 metric horsepower per litre. Its two in-vee turbochargers also include a small electric motor to get them spinning quickly rather than waiting for the boost (which I think technically also makes them electric superchargers, but we know what an e-turbo means). The V6 engine is supplemented by an 80bhp crank-mounted electric motor, sited beside the engine so there's only 100mm between the crank centre and the bottom of the sump, in turn meaning the engine can be mounted much lower. The top of it is about knee height. This all drives through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox with no reverse. At the front is an e-axle with two electric motors of 141bhp each (they do the reversing), and when everything is firing at once, the total system output is 1184bhp (or 1200 continental horses). Then there are the F80's aerodynamics. Three bargeboards split air at the front and direct it either over the top of the car or underneath to a diffuser that, at 1.8m long, constitutes more than half of the underbody. There's a rear wing that raises by 200mm and through a 22deg angle. In total, at 155mph the F80 makes 1050kg of downforce, split 460kg front and 590kg rear, which is twice as much overall as LaFerrari. You don't get a choice about which aero mode it's in. The car can easily predict what's best, and apparently 'it's not so nice' if available downforce disappears mid-corner. The engine is canted 1.2deg upwards to the rear, to give the diffuser more room to work. Stitching all of this together is what must be some heinously complex software and subsequent tuning. There's no rear-steer, but there is torque vectoring via braking on both axles, plus a rear electronically controlled limited-slip differential and yet another iteration of 'Slide Slip Control'. Braking is by-wire, with regeneration from all three electric motors, including from the crank-mounted motor, which can drag on the engine as a form of traction control. Should you opt to record yourself over a hot lap, the car will decide for itself when it would be best to boost the motors to give you as fast a lap time as possible. The interior is excellent. Buttons are back, the driving position raises your legs so that air can pass beneath the tub and the steering wheel pulls so close you could almost lick it. It's heavily squared but entirely in keeping with the Le Mans-adjacent view out. Paddles are still attached to the column, which usually I like in Ferraris, but here it feels like they would be better on the wheel. The supportive driver's seat adjusts but the passenger's pads don't. It's more hospitable than, say, a McLaren F1 or GMA T50, which seat their passengers further behind the driver. This gives just enough space to clear shoulders while leaving it easy to chat across the cabin, so it is a sociable car too. There's only a tiny amount of luggage space behind the occupants' heads, mind. This, it's fair to say, is not a hybrid system designed for economy. It's 'for performance and nothing else', according to Stefano Varisco, Ferrari's manager of dynamics and energetics. The battery, which sits crosswise just behind the passenger cell, is only 2.3kWh. If you tried, and there's a Qualifying mode in which you can, the car will flatten the battery within a lap. Our first go is on track. The first thing of note is that this car is extraordinarily, rocket-ship fast. With motors helping spin the turbos and boost low-rev torque gaps, there is no turbo lag. The engine, regardless of whether you're at the 900rpm idle or near the 9200rpm rev limit, surges. There are no Bugatti-like delays while it takes a breath. It's more like a McLaren P1 or McLaren Artura, or a 296 GTB, but more so in its immediate punch forwards. Ferrari's numbers say it will go from 0-62mph in 2.15sec, but rather more significant is the 5.75sec 0-124mph time: LaFerrari took 6.9sec. Ferrari's gearshifts (and the paddles that enable them) are usually the best in the business, and there's no exception here. Upshifts are immediate, downshifts impeccable. The engine, a variant of the 'piccolino V12' – a six that is meant to sound as good as one with twice the cylinders – is engaging, although it headbutts the rev limiter with alarming ease. I don't mean that as a criticism. I just feel clumsy, until better drivers than me say they repeatedly do the same. What's odd is how quiet the car is from the outside. Towards the end of the pit straight, where the car must be pulling 140mph, all you hear is the whoosh – vast quantities of air moving, like a fast jet entering the Mach Loop, according to photographer Jack Harrison. A least that will make it easy to adhere to track-day noise limits. There is a very fast corner at Misano. 'It doesn't look like a corner on the track map,' they say in the briefing, 'but when you get there, it is.' Even I can feel the aerodynamics working as I take it faster than I feel I should. Pitch, dive, roll: all are brilliantly contained. Just a little of each is allowed, for feel, to lean against. With this suspension it would be possible to tilt the car into a corner, which would feel weird. Bump absorption is first-class. The steering is medium-weighted and consistent, and although it's only two turns between locks, as Ferraris tend to be, it is linearly responsive and neither nervy nor over-sensitive. Lower-speed corners need less faith than aero-heavy ones, but this car likes precision. Brake feel is brilliant on corner approach, and you can detect something somewhere easing back an inside wheel to help it turn, but it's not an open-book hoon machine like other Ferraris. It wants to put power to the front wheels, wants you to ease open the steering and get it into a straight line, because that way is fastest. And it likes going fast. Still, if you do turn all the assistance off, it will move around. There's a touch of steady-state understeer as you begin to turn, but it boosts through that easily and adopts a benign slide, until I think the front axle decides it has had enough of this and starts to pull it back straight because it would like to accelerate, thank you. So while it will slide – unlike, say, a Ferrari F8 Tributo – that's not its natural state. If it feels like anything else I've driven, it reminded me of an Audi R10 TDI Le Mans prototype. They share a snug high-foot driving position, precise medium-weighted controls, a steering wheel on which your hands never leave the 2:45 position and immersive and unburstable but perhaps undramatic performance. At eight-tenths effort, an F80 will go twelve-tenths faster than almost any other production car. It's a brilliant car, but it's the performance and the capability rather than the drama that impresses. Given all of that, I don't expect it to be a great road car, but it surprises me. Ferraris tend to ride well and, with three damper settings, the F80 eases over even the gnarliest surfaces. I remain aware of, but not daunted by, its width. Ferrari has sold 799 F80s and they're €3.1 million a pop before local taxes. If it hits the spot, it could boost the allure of the hybridised SF90 and 296; miss, though, and it's another sports car that carried more cables and fewer cylinders than it should have. I wonder if there are more than just 799 F80s riding on how it performs. Lapping 5.0sec faster than a LaFerrari around Fiorano is one achievement; making you buy it is a different one. If all of this sounds like a very nuanced and complicated car, given that Ferrari has a V12 that could quite easily blow customers' minds, you would be right. And if it had used it, Ferrari would have had 'very happy' customers, according to Matteo Turconi, Ferrari's senior product marketing manager. 'But we'd have lost a lot of aerodynamic efficiency.' The V12 is a big engine and eminently charismatic, but Turconi says Ferrari has stopped using it for the 'top-performing' cars: 'We have to be honest to our heritage. This is the best car,' he said. Should best be in air quotes? There is a good argument that the F80 is true to Ferrari's heritage. Each of the previous specials has a link, of sorts, to Ferrari's motorsport stars of the time. But the decision to run a hybrid V6 shows a continued commitment to electrification, a willingness to make a nuanced performance car and even, perhaps, a little bravery. As a road car there's enough for luggage space for 24 hours, they say. But whether on the road or, like its 499P stablemate, on track, the F80 feels ready for both. It may not be the most dramatic Ferrari, but I think it is the 'right' one. ]]>
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The Mustang GTD Is Revving Up To Be Ford's Crown Jewel
The Mustang has been a popular car for Ford since its first generation. With such an impressive legacy, there are high expectations for the upcoming Mustang GTD. However, based on what Ford has revealed about the supercar thus far, the automaker aims for the vehicle to be a crowning achievement. Their latest tease shows off the GTD's advanced Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve rear shock absorbers like they are prize jewels. Ford's letting everyone know they are about to unleash something special. A press release from Ford highlights the state-of-the-art semi-active suspension of the Mustang GTD. Notable is how the car's in-cabin suspension window, which is also visible from outside the GTD, shows off its rear suspension like it's "jewelry." According to Ford, this cutting-edge semi-active suspension system is at all four corners of the vehicle. This system features a race-proven tubular subframe with a pushrod-actuated rear end. Ford states that the engineering company Multimatic created the GTD's Adaptive Spool Valve dampers. This creation aimed to "bring race car technology to the road" so that GTD drivers could have enhanced "agility and confidence" in challenging track driving circumstances. According to Ford, these Adaptive Spool Valve dampers can go from their softest to firmest setting in 15 milliseconds. Jim Owens, the marketing manager for the Mustang GTD, said of the rear suspension's aesthetic appeal, "The rear suspension is designed for purpose, but it's also just a beautiful thing to look at." Owens added that the window framing the GTD's suspension system is necessary, allowing anyone who sees the car to admire the rear suspension's beauty and performance. "It would have been a shame for us to hide it away, never to be seen. With the suspension window, owners can admire the blue and gold accents on the dampers without removing the tech panel, and the passenger can literally watch the suspension in action." Ford's decision to display the GTD's rear suspension system is a novel idea. The automaker equates the display window to a Skeleton dial, allowing people to observe and admire the inner workings of a "finely crafted precision timepiece." Owens added that the display window and what it reveals about the GTD's inner workings are "just plain cool." It's also a stylistic touch, which he believes GTD "owners will appreciate." Ford states that the GTD's picturesque display window measures about 24 inches wide and 10 inches tall and has a scratch-resistant coating on both sides. The automaker also specifies that they made the window out of polycarbonate. More than simply adding an aesthetic flourish to the latest edition of an iconic vehicle, the GTD's suspension system breaks new ground for a Mustang. According to the Mustang GTD's Chief Program Engineer, Greg Goodall, "We've never done a suspension like this on a Mustang." Goodall added that with Ford setting high expectations for the Mustang GTD's debut in Europe in the coming weeks, the vehicle's suspension needed to do things it has never done before: "To meet the aggressive lap time targets we set, we looked to motorsports for that inspiration to do something advanced. This cutting-edge suspension and advanced dampers are key to turning a Mustang into a Mustang GTD." The Mustang GTD will compete in June at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. Later this year, it will attempt an officially timed sub-seven-minute lap at Germany's iconic Nurburgring Nordschleife track. Racing technology played a significant role in shaping the GTD's innovative suspension setup. Instead of mounting the shocks and springs above and in line with the rear wheels, the GTD's inboard rear suspension tucks them low and between the wheels, just like you'd see on a purpose-built race car. Multimatic's proprietary Adaptive Spool Valve dampers take things even further, bringing serious motorsport engineering to the street. These dampers can shift from their softest to firmest setting in just 15 milliseconds — about six times faster than the blink of an eye. Each one features a dual-spring design. In Track mode, the system can hydraulically compress one of those springs, lowering the car by approximately 40 millimeters and doubling the spring rate to enhance its track-ready performance. That stiffer spring rate isn't just for show: it enhances both mechanical and aerodynamic grip. And when the GTD's active aero kicks in and starts pressing the car down at speed, those firmer springs fight aerodynamic squat, keeping the tires planted and maximizing grip through every corner, brake zone, and straight-line launch. [embed] The Mustang GTD isn't just a high-performance Mustang. It's a whole new chapter in the Mustang story. Ford went all in, blending serious race tech with jaw-dropping design to create something that feels fresh, bold, and totally exhilarating. That suspension window isn't just a cool detail; it's a full-on celebration of what makes this car so special. From the lightning-fast dampers to the aggressive aero and track-ready stance, every piece of the GTD screams performance. Whether it's tearing through the Nürburgring or stealing the spotlight at a car meet, this is more than just a Mustang. It's Ford showing off what they can really do, and we're absolutely here for it.
Car and Driver
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2025 Ford Mustang GTD Officially Starts at $327,960
A window sticker posted online shows that the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD officially starts at $327,960 after destination and gas guzzler fees. With a $10,000 carbon-fiber roof and $1500 red brake calipers, the GTD in question comes out to $339,460 out the door. A representative for Ford confirmed the authenticity of the window sticker to Car and Driver. When it first broke cover in August 2023, the Ford Mustang GTD was anticipated to carry a roughly $300,000 starting price. Sometime after that, the rumored starting price edged closer to $325,000. Well, we can now confirm that the 2025 Mustang GTD officially starts at $327,960 before any options. One lucky owner's window sticker began floating between forums this week, giving us our first official look at the GTD's price breakdown. The sheet shows a base price of $318,760, but that doesn't include the $5500 delivery fee and $3700 gas-guzzler tax. A Ford spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the window sticker to Car and Driver. Ford Since the anonymous owner kept the options list to a minimum, we don't know how much some of the other options cost. Still, the Monroney for this specific car includes the $10,000 carbon-fiber roof and $1500 red brake calipers. The car isn't equipped with the optional aero package, so we're in the dark about the price of the drag-reduction system. Instead, this GTD will be outfitted with the huge static wing that a Multimatic spokesperson told us produces more downforce at 150 mph than a Porsche 911 GT3 RS at the same speed. Still, even without a laundry list of options, every GTD comes with a thundering supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 that generates 815 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. It also comes with a standard Akrapovič titanium exhaust, which you can listen to in this video of Dirk Müller piloting the GTD around the Nürburgring. Jack Fitzgerald Associate News Editor Jack Fitzgerald's love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn't afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
NZ Autocar
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
The Ford Mustang GTD Runs Riot around the ‘Ring
Not satisfied with being the quickest American car around the Nurburgring, now the Mustang GTD has gone five seconds faster. Not the actual car but a GTD, nonetheless. The track-only Mustang GTD was the fastest American production car to ever lap the legendary circuit. It also broke the 7min mark for the feat, running a 6-minute, 57-second lap late last year. After some tweaks they've had another shot. Included are an updated powertrain calibration, a revised chassis with more torsional rigidity, a reworked ABS and TC system, and a refined aero set-up. The upshot was subtracting five seconds from the previous best, with a time of 6min 52.072sec. This is what it eclipsed, the Porsche 918 holding the previous title at 6min 57sec. The latest Mustang GTD is quicker around the 'Ring now than the Porsche 918 Spyder, previously the overall record holder for a production car. It's also quicker than the latest 911 GT3, the Ferrari 296 GTB, and the Lamborghini Aventador SV. The holder of the quickest lap for a production car is Mercedes-AMG One at 6min29sec. This may wear a familiar body but it is no regular Mustang. The GTD is essentially a ground-up build with a Mustang body over the top. It features a rear-mounted eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that connects to the engine via a carbon fibre torque tube. Semi-active suspension is developed by Multimatic and is track trick. As much as anything this reflects how far tyre and suspension technology have come in 12 years since Porsche set the record with the 918.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hold On Tight—the Fastest Mustang in History Has Entered Production
After more than 18 months since its debut, the Ford Mustang GTD is officially in production. According to CEO Jim Farley, the first 10 carbon-bodied, record-breaking 'Stangs are being assembled at the same facility that produced the GT supercar, with customer deliveries expected soon. Speaking on the 'Spike's Car Radio' podcast with Spike Feresten and Jonny Lieberman, Farley shared that the car has successfully passed all the "engineering and supply chain hurdles" and is now in full production. "Typically, Mr. Ford gets the first one, as it should be," Farley remarked about the GTD's arrival to customers. The "Mr. Ford" he's referring to is William Clay Ford Jr., executive chair of the company's board and great-grandson of Henry Ford. Once the head honcho receives his GTD, deliveries to the loyal Mustang enthusiasts will follow shortly, as long as they've submitted their configuration requests on time. While the Ford Mustang GTD is street-legal, it comes with several features that Farley suggests are best reserved for the track. For example, its active aerodynamics and drag reduction system are designed to activate at speeds that are typically not recommended on public roads. "Of course, we all want to engage the active aero, so we're always pushing ourselves to go fast in a straight line just to see the rear wing adjust," he said, laughing alongside Feresten and Lieberman. Ford's CEO has played a key role in the GTD program, but even he was surprised by the final version of the Mustang GTD. "For me personally, the rear suspension was much more dynamic and active than I anticipated," Farley shared. "I found myself constantly looking in the back seat. It's not every day you see a pushrod suspension in a production car, and it really works hard back there." He also noted that the active height control, carried over from the former GT mid-engined supercar, is more enjoyable to use in the Mustang than he had expected. The pushrod suspension, visible through a peekaboo window in the rear bulkhead, is one of the key reasons the GTD is built at Multimatic's facility in Ontario, Canada, rather than the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan, where all Mustangs have been produced since 2005. The Mustang GTD is a completely different beast compared to the EcoBoosts and 5.0 GTs that share its pony badge. While it starts as a shell at Flat Rock, the GTD is then shipped across the border to Multimatic's plant near Toronto, where it receives its dynamic spool valve pushrod suspension, carbon-fiber bodywork, rear-mounted eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle, and advanced active aerodynamics. This isn't the first time Ford and Multimatic have partnered on an extraordinary sports car; the revived 2017 GT supercar was also built at the same facility as the high-performance Mustang. The GTD shares another trait with its mid-engined counterpart as well. To ensure the car finds its way into the hands of true enthusiasts rather than speculators, owners must sign a contract committing to keep their new Mustangs for at least two years before selling. Ford took action against GT customers who tried to flip their supercars for a profit—John Cena even found himself sued for making money on his purchase. Source: Spike's Car Radio via Ford Authority
