With virtually all of the world’s top motorsport teams including F1 relying on Xtrac’s expertise in high performance transmissions, the company will be a welcome participant at the 4th European Cleaner Racing Conference as well as displaying new and exciting driveline products at the Autosport International Exhibition, being held at the NEC in Birmingham this week.

At the exhibition, Xtrac will participate in the Engineering Show on 14-15 January, where it will be exhibiting in Hall 9 on stand number E141. The centrepiece of its display is the new Axis Drive by Caudwell Marine, which features a unique gear system designed and manufactured by Xtrac. The Engineering Show is an important event for the transmission specialist, attracting significant international buyers every year. The company, which has just celebrated its 25th anniversary, will also be supporting the industry’s annual awards ceremony by sponsoring the ‘Business of the Year’ award.

To help start the proceedings, Xtrac technical director Adrian Moore will join a discussion panel of experts at the Cleaner Racing Conference that will bring delegates up to speed with the topical subject of low carbon and electric vehicle developments. A pioneer for the past decade in energy efficient motorsport initiatives, Xtrac’s participation will make a significant contribution to the conference, having been increasingly selected as a technical partner for the development of more energy efficient road vehicles.

“The UK benefits considerably from its multi-million pound motorsport industry, which exemplifies the rapid technical innovation we need to help tackle the problem of energy efficiency,” says Moore. “Significantly, many of the technical solutions we develop for motorsport can be applied to the automotive mainstream and other transport sectors. Indeed, our engineering skills are increasingly being sought after by the aerospace, defence and marine industries to help develop new products.”

Organised by the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA), the conference is supported by Autosport International and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). Immediately preceding the racing car show, the conference will help draw attention to the motorsport industry’s ability to engineer practical energy efficiency solutions. Xtrac, for example, has been heavily involved in the design and manufacture of more than 100 prototype gearboxes for advanced hybrid and electric vehicles intended for the automotive mainstream. To highlight this capability the company will display at the Engineering Show its latest high efficiency ‘6011’ electric vehicle transmission.

“The space available in electric and hybrid vehicles to package all the driveline components is at an absolute premium,” says Moore. “To help develop an optimum solution, we can utilise our years of experience of packaging high performance powertrains within the compact dimensions of a race car. This is but one example of where our engineering expertise and experience can help.”

With increasing focus by the automotive industry on electric powertrains, Xtrac has applied many of the high precision techniques learnt in motor racing to design transmission systems suitable for electric drives, and has successfully demonstrated its rapid product design and development capability in several mainstream projects.

Xtrac has been just as busy in the marine industry and taking pride of place on the company’s stand this year is the new and revolutionary Axis Drive by Caudwell Marine, which is being seen for the first time at an international motorsport exhibition. The award winning marine propulsion system is a unique and innovative design that adopts a clean sheet approach and includes literally hundreds of new innovations. The patented drive mounting method was designed to go through the transom (a transverse beam for strengthening the stern of a motorboat) and installs the engine at a 45 degree angle to the horizontal drive shaft, which has the effect of improving compactness, internal boat space and the steering axis.

Significantly, the design includes a patented mid-section gearbox that enables the drive to yaw its steering and trim its pitch without a U-joint and without articulating the engine. Designed and manufactured by Xtrac, the gear system for the Axis Drive helps reduce power losses and gear noise and includes a dry sump arrangement. Its electro-hydraulic clutch provides smooth and effortless shifting, and the multiple stage transmission provides reduction ratios of 2.68 and 1.88. It is specified for a 1,000 hour extreme duty cycle.
The South African developed and internationally patented Axis Drive is aimed at the leisure boating market in the 16 to 40 foot range. Although marine propulsion systems for the leisure boating market have improved over the past few decades, there have been no fundamental changes. Caudwell Marine says the system has ‘rewritten the rule book on how to get greater efficiency to the propeller in the water and consequently enhance the total boating experience’. Available with three gasoline and three diesel engines, the model on display is the ‘350VI’ 4.5-litre V8 petrol unit, which is rated at 350 horsepower.

Back on dry land and for engineers with responsibility for designing vehicles with robust off road performance, such as in the Defence industry, Xtrac has developed its ‘522’ super heavy duty differential. This special axle unit is designed for both front and rear drive applications, typically for cross country or rally raid vehicles, and is of a type that is highly suitable for use in light armoured vehicles. The oil system and universal mountings allow the differential to operate in virtually any orientation, which combined with its high quality and low cost make this product ideal for a wide variety of endurance type events. The unit builds on the company’s distinguished record for reliability and performance in the famous Dakar rally raid event.

Meanwhile, in its core business of developing high performance transmissions for motor sport applications, Xtrac has busy supplying gearboxes to the A1 Grand Prix ‘World Cup of Motorsport’ race series. It has been sole supplier since the series began in 2005. Xtrac will display the current gearbox featuring its lightweight magnesium casing and high torque and power capability. The transmission was designed from a clean sheet of paper to suit the new chassis introduced for 2009, which is powered by a Ferrari V8 engine.

Xtrac is also displaying its latest ‘633’ system; a complete 4WD gearbox and driveline designed to meet FIA Super 2000 regulations. Xtrac is an approved supplier for many high performance series and this new gearbox is a development of the ‘532’ six-speed sequential transmission and rear differential designed for four-wheel drive rally cars, which typically have power outputs of 280bhp and deliver 250Nm of torque. The new transmission reflects the FIA requirements for a reliable and durable system at low cost, which can offer excellent value for money.

The main benefits of this transmission system to the rally teams include easily removable gear clusters for ratio changes and differentials with external adjustment for the front, centre and rear. The main benefit for the rally driver is a light and positive sequential gearbox and high performance differentials, which fulfil the FIA mandated minimum weight of 90kg for the whole transmission. A range of homologated gear ratios is available, with the critical gearbox components being able to fulfil the recommended FIA duty cycle.

For endurance sportscar racing, Xtrac will present its latest ‘672’ gearbox, which has been designed for LMP2 applications. The rear mounted, transverse gearbox is a derivative of the type ‘529’ transmission, which is one of Xtrac’s most successful Le Mans winning gearbox designs and has arguably become the gearbox of choice for an LMP1 or LMP2 series car. Designed in such a way that various size clusters can be used, it also allows gear cluster changes without disassembly of the rear of the car.

The ‘516’ gearbox on display is a high performance front wheel drive transmission designed specifically for the World Touring Car Championship. It makes use of reduced centre distance F1 derived gear ratios to minimise the size and weight of the gearbox and to minimise inertia. The gear change system incorporates the latest polynomial barrel track design and low inertia gear change rack to improve gear change response and driver feel. The low positioning of the gear cluster enables easy removal from the car under the chassis rail, and lowers the centre of gravity. The gear cluster is fully exposed when removed from the gearbox allowing quick inspection, and easy access for ratio changes.

Xtrac will also display its ‘512’ Moto GP gear cluster, which takes an entirely new approach to the problem of designing a gearbox for high performance racing bikes. Essentially, it breaks with the tradition of conventional sliding gears, by scaling down a racing car design, which is more compact and helps to optimise the packaging. It also increases the range and flexibility of gear ratios. Most significantly, the system has been highly praised for the confidence it offers in the feel of the gear change, which is a critical issue for the rider. The gearbox is completely integrated with the engine and shares a common oil system. The material specification is again shared with F1 technology.

Other driveline components on display include a ‘622’ high precision rack and pinion steering assembly. With years of experience supplying F1 teams, Xtrac has designed its own range of steering rack assemblies, built to a similar high specification, which can be used in other high performance vehicle applications. The advanced design incorporates fully ground gears, a rack extension of titanium or steel and high specification bushes. The rack and pinion is contained in a single housing of lightweight magnesium.

The showcase of products also includes Xtrac’s ‘420’ in-car gear lever designed as a low cost solution for use with its sequential gearboxes. The lever supports universal installation, and is designed to link to gearboxes installed in the front or rear of the vehicle, with the linkage mounted above or below the transmission tunnel. Included with the lever is a reverse gear detent lift handle. The lever is offered in two versions, a basic specification for manual shifts, and a power shift version with micro switches to provide an input signal to the ECU. Value engineered to meet strict cost constraints, this lever offers high quality at a cost effective price.

Established for 25 years, Xtrac is a world leader in the design and manufacture of gearboxes, differentials and driveline components, which are used throughout motorsport and in particular within F1, IRL, Baja, Touring Cars, Rallying, A1GP, Dakar and other forms of sportscar racing including a major involvement in the Le Mans 24 hours.