RE: Westfield working on all-new car

RE: Westfield working on all-new car

Tuesday 22nd September 2015

Westfield working on all-new car

'Advanced carbon fibre structure' and 'incredibly light rotary engine' promised for all-new Westfield sports car



Known for its wild Seven-style lightweights and bang-per-buck thrills, a press release by Westfield suggests a different direction for the firm and a new car based on a carbon fibre chassis using a rotary engine. Designed in collaboration with Axon Automotive and AIE there's very little information about the proposed new car, other than it will be "a lightweight sports car based around technology that will meet the low CO2 challenges." Indeed, efficiency seems to be a guiding principle for the new model.

Don't worry, they'll still do this
Don't worry, they'll still do this
"While there have been lots of attempts to make fuel efficient cars for the future all too often these have been rather too worthy and rather too little fun," says the press release. "Westfield Sports Cars is determined to address this challenge by building on its own heritage of high excitement cars together with new technology from Axon Automotive and AIE."

What technology might that be then, and where on earth are they going to get this lightweight rotary engine from? A little Googling on AIE reveals a historical link with Norton motorbikes and - therein - a clue, given that Norton famously pioneered the use of rotary engines on motorbikes. An interesting choice for a project claiming low emissions are a priority, CO2 and noise being two things rotaries traditionally chuck out in large quantities.

Axon and Hyundai worked on Intrado concept
Axon and Hyundai worked on Intrado concept
Axon Automotive, meanwhile, has extensive experience of developing affordable, production friendly carbon fibre platforms designed specifically for manufacturers seeking an off-the-shelf basis on which to design their own lightweight cars. Its patented Axontex 'beam', which can be used to build carbon fibre space frames but is also adaptable into many different forms. From electric city cars to motor show concepts - the 2014 Hyundai Intrado was built using Axon's technology - it's clearly a firm with bold ideas, including its 'Far Platform Chassis'. This is described as "a generic carbon fibre chassis designed for niche carmakers to use as the platform for their cars. The structure is strong enough pass the Euro NCAP crash test on its own and is available as a kit of parts or as a finished chassis."

All very enticing, a contact able to confirm the new car "will look like a Westfield" but little more beyond that. More when we have it!

[Sources: Axon Automotive; AIE]

Author
Discussion

mike150

Original Poster:

493 posts

199 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
If Westfield had any sort of customer service I would think this would be a big success but they don't.
If you have ever owned a Westfield or tried to build a kit and tried to get parts off them you will know what I mean!

SirSquidalot

4,039 posts

164 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all



Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
This has a "1st of April" sound to it.

See also, "Caterham's new supercar".

CO2000

3,177 posts

208 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
Electric powered would make far more sense.

sideways man

1,306 posts

136 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
Good luck to them. I have owned a couple of westies, nothing but great memories of them.

JohnoVR6

690 posts

211 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
Wonder where the inspiration for a composite, rotary powered Westfield came from? - Ignoring the airbrushing, bet this is a right hoot;



http://www.speedhunters.com/2010/03/car_feature_gt...

Edmundo2

1,328 posts

209 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
A screamer rotary would be fantastic if it were reliable etc and lets hope the car looks the part also.

What's ironic/laughable/frustrating is that the makers of a car that sells in very small numbers and gets driven circa 2000 miles a year by the average owner needs to worry about fecking emissions just because all manufacturers have to battle with broad brush euro regs etc. I'm all for a cleaner sustainable planet but lets just leave sports cars out of the strategy shall we as their contribution to C02 levels etc must be the square root of naff all!

The same thing has happened to F1 - cleaner more efficient cars being hauled around the world by thousands of people in convoys of dirty great trucks, planes, trains etc! I appreciate the green technology cascades down to road cars but if that has become the primary driver over and above max performance, noise, excitement, racing, spectacle etc then whats the point - just scrap the racing and spend the money on green/hybrid r&d?

Yes Westfield - rotary power, possibly with a blower( ! ) - but for the right reasons...

Edited by Edmundo2 on Tuesday 22 September 19:26

Edmundo2

1,328 posts

209 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
A screamer rotary would be fantastic if it were reliable etc and lets hope the car looks the part also.

What's ironic/laughable/frustrating is that the makers of a car that sells in very small numbers and gets driven circa 2000 miles a year by the average owner needs to worry about fecking emissions just because all manufacturers have to battle with broad brush euro regs etc. I'm all for a cleaner sustainable planet but lets just leave sports cars out of the strategy shall we as their contribution to C02 levels etc must be the square root of naff all!

The same thing has happened to F1 - cleaner more efficient cars being hauled around the world by thousands of people in convoys of dirty great trucks, planes, trains etc! I appreciate the green technology cascades down to road cars but if that has become the primary driver over and above max performance, noise, excitement, racing, spectacle etc then whats the point - just scrap the racing and spend the money on green/hybrid r&d?

Yes Westfield - rotary power, possibly with a blower( ! ) - but for the right reasons...

Edited by Edmundo2 on Tuesday 22 September 19:29

iloveboost

1,531 posts

161 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
Edmundo2 said:
A screamer rotary would be fantastic if it were reliable etc and lets hope the car looks the part also.

What's ironic/laughable/frustrating is that the makers of a car that sells in very small numbers and gets driven circa 2000 miles a year by the average owner needs to worry about fecking emissions just because all manufacturers have to battle with broad brush euro regs etc. I'm all for a cleaner sustainable planet but lets just leave sports cars out of the strategy shall we as their contribution to C02 levels etc must be the square root of naff all!

The same thing has happened to F1 - cleaner more efficient cars being hauled around the world by thousands of people in convoys of dirty great trucks, planes, trains etc! I appreciate the green technology cascades down to road cars but if that has become the primary driver over and above max performance, noise, excitement, racing, spectacle etc then whats the point - just scrap the racing and spend the money on green/hybrid r&d?

Yes Westfield - rotary power possibly, with a blower( ! ) - but for the right reasons...
Also why does no government pay attention to the emissions of ships or trains? Ships may be an efficient way of transporting a lot of goods large distances, but they burn cruddy crude oil in huge volumes. Even coal power stations must be cleaner than your average ship per KW/HP?

glazbagun

14,257 posts

196 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
iloveboost said:
Also why does no government pay attention to the emissions of ships or trains? Ships may be an efficient way of transporting a lot of goods large distances, but they burn cruddy crude oil in huge volumes. Even coal power stations must be cleaner than your average ship per KW/HP?
Was chatting to a girl who worked in shipping a couple of years ago and brought this up. She reckoned that global shipping CO2 production was less than that produecd by Germany. She seemed to think that was pretty good, though it sounded a lot to me. She probably has a much better idea of just how many thousands of ships are constantly at sea however, so maybe it is an impressive figure.

m444ttb

3,160 posts

228 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
mike150 said:
If Westfield had any sort of customer service I would think this would be a big success but they don't.
If you have ever owned a Westfield or tried to build a kit and tried to get parts off them you will know what I mean!
Agreed. They were a dreadful company to deal with at times during my 3 years of Westfield ownership.

Lordbenny

8,575 posts

218 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
Im a Westy owner...currently on my 2nd, I'm no fan boy though, especially after being booted off the terrible WSCC website, but in my experience the parts department and customer service is very good at the moment.

spyder dryver

1,329 posts

215 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
Well if you ask me they're going to have a hell of a job getting a rotary engine under such a low bonnet...


samoht

5,632 posts

145 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all

Companies that tried to develop a workable rotary engine and gave up: GM, Mercedes, Nissan, Citroen, AMC
Companies that succeeded: Mazda, Norton
Companies that went bankrupt as a result: NSU

Mazda's dedication to the rotary goes far beyond any economic rationale, it is more like a religious dedication among their engineers. Yet they still don't currently sell any rotary-powered cars.

Chances that a couple of tiny companies can make a reliable, economical, driveable, clean, affordable rotary engine? Honestly, it would be truly, incredibly surprising if this ever comes to fruition.

untakenname

4,953 posts

191 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
tbh the cottage industry surrounding the 13b engine is so accomplished that every single oem part Mazda has produced has been replicated but also improved massively by a multitude of companies (usually Australian) so the know how and expertise is out there to build a reliable rotary.
The Renesis engine in the RX8 can happy do 250k if cared for so longevity isn't an issue, espcially on a car that's mainly going to be used once a week on average at most over the course of the year.

Not too sure about co2 but surely the displacement must count in the rotarys favour in some markets? It's a shame they don't allow small scale production to go passed without all the hassle and eco bs that's required for the big manufacturers that produce hundreds of thousands of engines.

Gojira

899 posts

122 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
spyder dryver said:
Well if you ask me they're going to have a hell of a job getting a rotary engine under such a low bonnet...
Nitpick - that's a radial not a rotary engine...

Please tell me that no-one has been daft enough to try and put a -real- rotary piston engine, as used in Sopwith Camels and the like, in a bike! biggrin




MetA

13 posts

139 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
Mooted by other ,manufacturers already, I'd reckon a rotary direct drive to a generator driving in hub electric motors smile

rotarymazda

538 posts

164 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
untakenname said:
The Renesis engine in the RX8 can happy do 250k if cared for so longevity isn't an issue
I would be surprised. The specialist who services my rotaries says 40-120K is the range in which rebuilds are required. They can't all be uncared for.

To maximise the life of my rotary MX5, I went for a separate oil injection supply, better coils and oil/water cooling upgrades. I also had it ported by BDC motorsports for 240bhp and it runs up to 9500rpm. It's good fun in an MX5 (mine is 1028kg), it would be great in a Westfield as the engine can sit very low.

A 60K mile rebuild interval would be plenty for me. It's taken me 20 years to do that in mine.

nigelpugh7

5,996 posts

189 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
Will be. Interesting to see what the rotary engine performs like in a Westfield.

But what on earth is wrong with the green car at the top of the article?

It looks like it has been fitted with some house architrave along the underside, and the wheels seem comically tall and way too big too?

Evilex

512 posts

103 months

Thursday 24th September 2015
quotequote all
CO2000 said:
Electric powered would make far more sense.
That'll be the "rotary" engine, then! wink