Passionate about Hillclimbing

Current Projects

Current Projects

Our current Aston Martin Vantage GT4 hillclimb car has been constructed over the last three years, starting with a Prodrive prepared chassis complete with FIA approved rollcage, and built with the precept of keeping everything as light as possible by using carbon fibre composites and utilising aluminium in place of steel components where possibl;e without causing detriment to safety or reliability.

The finished car ready for it’s first shakedown run at Shelsley Walsh July 2020

This new car supersedes the Red Prodrive GT4 car that we have driven for the past 4 years. It has been in the build process and worked on by both drivers for the last 3 years. It is also based on a 2016 Prodrive GT4 VH (verticle/horizontal) platform of bonded and riveted aluminium sections and castings to create a very rigid and strong chassis.

Built from the ground up,and engineered specifically with speed hillclimbing in mind, a great deal of time and effort has been spent on reducing the weight of the car. This has been achieved by replacing the standard doors, bonnet and rear hatch with carbon fibre panels, as well as many of the incidental components. A lot of heavy or steel components and brackets hace been replaced or re-machined from aluminium or lighweight materials. To give you some idea of the weight saving, the Prodrive GT4 car was specified as 300 kgs lighter than the road car. This car is 100kgs lighter again.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: Aston Martin N24 4300cc V8

Engine Management: Motec M150 ECU with Launch and Traction Control, complete with C125 Dash Manager and Data Logging

Power: Adequate – Our experience shows that exceptionally high HP and torque figures can be obtained, but are dependant on the choice of Rolling Road Dyno coupled with the amount of money you wish to spend!

Clutch: Twin Plate cera-metallic with lightweight flywheel.

Transmission: 6 Speed rear mounted gearbox/transaxle with central mounted sequential shift with Hewland straight cut gears. For 2021 this system has been modified to a pneumatically operated paddle shift.

Exhaust: Silenced Stainless Steel system with race spec catalyctic converters and manufactured by RS Fabrications.

Suspension: Double wishbone spherical bearing suspension front and rear suspension and adjustable for toe, caster and camber. 2 way adjustable Bilstein dampers with coil springs

Brakes: Brembo Front – 380mm diam ventilated steel rotors with 6 pot calipers. Rear – 330mm diam ventilated steel rotors with 4 pot calipers – Pagid brake pads

ABS: Bosch M4 driver adjustable motorsport system

Safety: Prodrive FIA approved 10 mounting point roll cage. Carbon drivers seat fitted with Schroth Racing six point safety harness

Wheels: Magnesium 5-stud GT4 Wheels – 10×18″ Front and 11×18″ Rear

Tyres: Avon Hillclimb slicks and Michelin Wet weather tyres

Aero Devices: Increased protrusion Carbon front splitter with front dive planes, rear diffuser and rear hatch mounted adjustable wing.

These three pics show how we started with a bare Prodrive GT4 Chassis

This FIA approved rollcage produced in-house at Prodrive is a work of art.
The engine is an Aston Martin 4.3 N24 V8 unit,previously used by the Aston Martin factory team to compete in a 24 hour race at the Nurburgring.
This view is from the lightened flywheel end with a twin plate racing clutch. The driveability of this setup has proved to be excellent, with the bonus of smooth power takeup. This has been a bonus when manouvering around the paddock, unlike our previous Porsche GT3 cup car, which was like a bucking bronco!

The engine installed in the front subframe
This pic shows engine installed with front suspension in place – we finally used Brembo high spec endurance brakes.

Side view of front suspension and brakes – the spring and damper units were eventually replaced with Bilstein units as they proved so successful on our previous GT4

The rear suspension and brakes
We are slowly getting there!
This pic shows the rear end. It is parked next to our Prodrive GT4 which we used for four seasons, 2016 to 2019.

The cockpit during construction, the dash shown was eventually replaced with a superb lighweight carbon dash. This pic also shows the centre mounted sequential gear shift, which was used for the few meetings we used for shakedown in during 2020. The gearshift system has been changed to paddleshift for 2021.
An example of our machining prowess, showing the top suspension mounts machined from aluminium. The one on the RH side is from the Prodrive GT4 and was used as a pattern to replicate the other four.

A further example from our machine shop, this is the twin cylinder adjustable brake bias setup. There were a few modifications made during the process of prototype to finished article!

The engine bay with all the most important items in place. A lot of midnight oil spent!
The finished car ready for graphics to be applied
Check the rear wing and diffuser out, Adrian Newey eat your heart out!

The car still on the ramp awaiting the final inspection
The graphics all now finished
Rearing to go! (sic)