It's now nearly two years since the
Deltawing
shocked the world at Le Mans, stunning everyone with its amazing efficiency and styling. Now the Deltawing team have released a rendering of the racer as a four-seat road car, with ambitions of collaborating on a production project.
Unsurprisingly Deltawing is keen to point out the same benefits that help it on track would be advantageous on the road also; low rolling resistance and a slippery shape improve efficiency, as does low mass. That it's also fantastically agile is of course encouraging to hear from a PH perspective.
In America, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirement for 2025 is 54.5mpg. That's quite a target but the Deltawing team believes its technology can assist. The claims so far are that it could be 35 per cent lighter and use 35 per cent less power whilst also consuming 35 per cent less fuel. Virtuous cycle and all that. Performance predictions (assuming a 'small displacement, four-cylinder engine producing between 85 and 110 horsepower' is used) are 0-60mph in six seconds, 130mph flat out and 70mpg. Who wouldn't want that? Moreover, that's with a petrol engine; imagine if a roadgoing Deltawing used a diesel or hybrid powertrain.
The official line from Deltawing is that it could 'work closely with each OEM to incorporate their brand styling design requirements and meet their vehicle content needs'. President and COO Al Speyer goes one step further, saying that "the DeltaWing deserves the higher volume that an OEM can provide to truly have a beneficial impact on the future and the environment".
With many advocating low mass as the future of efficient yet enjoyable cars, the Deltawing concept would seem perfect. Is a major manufacturer bold enough to take Deltawing on board? We certainly hope so.