2013 VUHL 05

VUHL 05 – An innovative new lightweight supercar for road and track

Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London, July 3, 2013 - the VŪHL 05 is an innovative mid-engined two-seater born of a motorsport heritage.

Guillermo Echeverria senior, the father of its designers Guillermo and Iker Echeverria, was a professional driver who built and successfully raced his own cars for 30 years. The sons inherited his passion and knowledge and added qualifications in transportation design. Guillermo Junior has direct experience of the performance car industry, while Iker won the Mexican QÚORÚM Industrial Design Award in 2007 when still a student - he was not only up against fellow scholars but senior designers, agencies and universities.

The brothers subsequently formed their own Mexico City/Detroit-based design agency, ETXE, which having worked on projects for numerous global brands then penned the 05 – a lightweight supercar for road and track in the vein of the BAC Mono, Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow etc.

Said Iker: 'Our background means the VŪHL 05 has been developed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. We were determined to create a highly intuitive machine that was both stirringly fast and immense fun to drive – a car we ourselves would want to own. We have endeavoured to endow it with class-leading ergonomics and a contemporary silhouette of striking proportions, and the aim of uncompromising build quality has underpinned the project since day one.'

Chassis/body
The 05's monocoque weighs in at a mere 78kg, while the dry weight of the entire car is a very competitive 695kg. The chassis comprises a three-section bonded tub constructed from aluminium extrusions and aluminium honeycomb - aerospace technology that endows the 05 with a remarkably high level of torsional rigidity for optimum handling. Bolted direct to the passenger cell is a chrome-moly steel subframe housing the engine and rear suspension. A three-stage forward crash structure and double layer sidewalls provide a matchless level of protection for the occupants. The standard body is made from RTM reinforced plastic, but carbonfibre is an option. The aero features include a flat underbody, front and lateral splitters, rear diffuser and rear spoiler.

Engine/performance

Transmission/steering


The engine drives through a six-speed manual gearbox. Steering is by a high ratio rack and pinion system.

Suspension/brakes


The suspension is by unequal length double wishbones front and rear. Braking is by four-pot alloy callipers all-round, operating on 310mm ventilated cross-drilled discs at the front and 280mm units at the rear.

Wheels/tyres

The 05 rides on OZ alloy wheels shod with Michelin tyres; the sizes of which are 205/45 x 17 front; 235/45 x 18 rear.

Interior

Dimensions

Width 1876mm
Length 3718mm
Height 1120mm
Wheelbase 2300mm
Ground clearance 110mm
Dry weight 695kg
Kerb weight 725kg
Power to weight ratio 400bhp/tonne
Weight distribution 37/63 (front/rear)

Pricing/availability

Orders are being taken now for delivery beginning in the spring of 2014. Pricing will start from c.£55,000 (plus tax, plus shipping). There is a wide range of performance options available to allow the 05 to be upgraded to personal taste.

Initial sales will be confined to the ÚK and North America (dealers are currently under appointment in both countries), but the intention is to make the car available in the other key European countries, China, Middle-East etc in due course.

For further information visit www.VÚHL05.com.

Source - VUHL

EXCLUSIVE NEW IMAGE OF THE VUHL 05 RELEASED

Michelin Technical Support Arrangement Announced

Following the global announcement from VŪHL Automotive in March, confirming it is embarking on the launch of an all-new road-legal lightweight supercar – the VŪHL 05 – the company today releases an exclusive new image of the car being tested at a secret location.



The VŪHL 05 arrives in the ÚK next month, in time for its world debut at Goodwood, fully equipped with Michelin tyres. Embodying the ultimate in automotive technology from around the world, the supercar's handling has been optimised in the ÚK, with further testing and development taking place, with assistance from Michelin in the Ú.S. and Europe, later this year. Car bodies will be fabricated in Canada with final assembly conducted by the advanced manufacturing concern, Adman Leku in Mexico City.

VŪHL Automotive director, Iker Echeverria, said: 'We are so pleased to add Michelin to our inventory of supporting companies, and look forward to the results of our testing with a variety of the brand's renowned tyres at their facilities in Europe and the Ú.S later this year. We will take part in the supercar run as part of the 'First Glance' class at Goodwood, and look forward to appearing on the stand at the Michelin Supercar Paddock amongst many of our heroes from the world of high performance cars and motorsport.'



Backed by a number of blue-chip companies and the Mexican government, and with an inventory of renowned suppliers and development partners that includes Ford, Multimatic and now Michelin, the VŪHL 05 has been precision engineered for the track and endowed with exhilarating performance for both the road and the circuit.

Source - VUHL

MICHELIN SUPPORTS THE VUHL 05 SUPERCAR GLOBAL LAUNCH AT GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED 2013

Michelin has entered into a technical support arrangement with VŪHL Automotive, the company behind the VŪHL 05 – an all-new road-legal lightweight supercar that makes its world public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, from 11-14 July 2013.

The VŪHL 05 arrives in the ÚK next month, in time for its world debut at Goodwood, fully equipped with Michelin tyres. Embodying the ultimate in automotive technology from around the world, the supercar's handling has been optimised in the ÚK, with further testing and development taking place with assistance from Michelin in the Ú.S. and Europe, later this year. Car bodies will be fabricated in Canada with final assembly conducted by the advanced manufacturing concern, Adman Leku in Mexico City.



VŪHL (pronounced 'vool') stands for Vehicles of Últra High-performance and Lightweight) is the brainchild of brothers Iker and Guillermo Echeverria, whose Mexico City-based design company penned the breath-taking 05 car. Their profound passion for all things automotive comes from a hands-on role in the GT and formula racing cars successfully built and campaigned over a 30-year period by their father, Guillermo Echeverria senior.

Backed by a number of blue-chip companies and the Mexican government, and with an inventory of renowned suppliers and development partners that includes Ford, Multimatic and now Michelin, the VŪHL 05 has been precision engineered for the track and endowed with exhilarating performance for both the road and the circuit.

Source - VUHL