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| The ATL fuel cell has an internal surge tank and two Bosch 044 motorsports fuel pumps. The filter is external for easy servicing. |
The rest of the system consists of an ATL fuel cell and a surge tank for twin Bosch 044 Motorsports fuel pumps and regulators. The surge tank helps prevent fuel starvation in high G maneuvers. The ignition system is a high powered direct fire type using Denso coil packs firing Denso iridium plugs. The unusual engine management system is composed of an OEM SAAB ECU reprogrammed by Ultra Motors with boost and anti lag control. We are sort of puzzled by this choice in this day and age of advanced Pectel and Motec systems but that is what drives the motor. An AIM MXL electronic dash monitors the engine.
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| The AIM MXL dash is driven by the cars seemingly strange choice in engine management, a SAAB ECU. We figure the choice was made for OEM reliability with low price and some smart guy knows how to rewrite the ECU’s data structure so it can control all sorts of things like the anti lag and center diff control. |
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| Ken’s office is all business, flocked low glare carbon dash, carbon Sparco steering wheel, easily accessible fuses, at hand sequential shifter by right side of steering wheel, turning brake lever, and AIM MXL dash. |
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| Of course these switches control the window washer and wiper but they also seem to control the dampers, launch control and perhaps torque bias? |
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| Other switches include brake bias, fuel, blower, more damper switches, an Ohlins labeled shock controller that looks sorta like a Tein EDFC and a few mysterious switches we do not understand. |
This super engine puts out over 750 hp and 700 lb/ft of torque at an amazing 60 psi of boost with an 8000 rpm redline. It can do so for long periods of time with rally type reliability. You have probably witnessed the pounding it takes in Ken’s videos and we have seen it firsthand. This engine is bulletproof. It is longitudinally mounted in the chassis instead of transversely like a stock Fiesta to allow the use of a sophisticated AWD drivetrain.
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| The elaborate all inclusive cage is both for protection and to stiffen the chassis for better handling. |
The drivetrain is perhaps even tricker than the engine. OMSE and Maktrak collaborated by building a bespoke bullet proof, dog geared, six-speed, sequentially shifted in line transmission. The ultra strong six dog gears are machined from S135 grade steel with the case cast of RZ5 Magnesium alloy. The transmission is dry sump lubricated with an internal oil pump to ensure proper lubrication of the internals under all conditions and to reduce windage losses. When we took these pictures, the crew and PR person were very secretive about letting us look under the car so we suspect that it may have exotic WRC type electronic controls of the torque split and front to rear slip.
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| The alloy pedal box contains dual brake master cylinders with a cable adjusted balance bar which adjusts mechanical proportioning. The carbon sub floor is cool as well! |
The package reliably handles the Duratec’s turbocharged fury and weighs less than 57 kg. We think the center differential is electronically controlled for torque distribution and to lock and unlock according to the engine control mapping to help the car turn. We believe that the plate type center diff also unlocks the diff when the parking brake is applied as the parking brake cylinder has many unidentifiable hydraulic lines coming from it. An Alcon triple disc modular clutch handles the power transfer with a low moment of inertia while withstanding brutal AWD 7000 rpm electronically controlled launches and clutch kicks. The front and rear differentials are also built by Maktrak with a 3.73 final drive ratio and we are pretty sure that they use Salisbury style clutch plates. The diffs are tunable by changing ramp angles and spring preload. We know that these diffs are available as clutch style and viscous or a combination of the two together. We think that the diffs on the Block car are both clutch type but tuned differently at the front and rear. They have magnesium cases and weigh less than 22 kg each.
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| The entire body is reskined in dry carbon or carbon Kevlar. Carbon Kevlar is used in high impact areas like bumpers and fenders. Here is the roof skin as seen from the inside of the car. Look at the cool adjustable roof vent! |
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| Cool carbon door panels, this car has it all, so much attention to fine detail. |
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