 |
BEDFORD, MA (19 September 2006) iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations today announced that the XV8R SuperSaloon, an innovative British-designed racing machine that combines versatility with performance, will join an expanding list of sedans (a.k.a. saloons), open wheel, sports and stock cars available for online racing and testing at iRacing.com. The XV8R SuperSaloon, which features a tube-frame chassis capable of accepting a number of mid-size sedan bodies, has already established itself as a winner, capturing victory in its debut at the Dunlop V8 Supercar Challenge race at Donington Park in August.
"Touring cars are hugely popular around the world," said Brett Roubinek, vice president of marketing for iRacing.com. "They combine the speed and agility of sports cars with the very close, very physical kind of racing most often associated with stockcars. The XV8R will be a lot of fun to race, and it'll be a great training tool to learn and practice throttle modulation and car control. Real-world racers especially will benefit from the opportunity adapt to a high-horsepower, low-grip car in the simulation before doing it on the track. Transitioning this way minimizes risk for the driver and can help avoid expensive damage to equipment."
The XV8R SuperSaloon, which is engineered by QM Engineering and sold by Motion Works UK, both of Northamptonshire, England, is eligible to compete in several series throughout the UK and Europe, including BRITCAR and BELCAR. Powered by a Nicholson Mclaren (NME) XB V8 engine the same powerplant used in the GP Masters series the car boasts 650 bhp when normally aspirated or a massive 900 bhp in twin-turbo configuration. The resulting performance is staggering, with a top speed in excess of 200 mph and zero-to-60 mph times of less than three seconds. The XV8R has initially been tested and raced by veteran racer Kelvin Burt, using the Peugeot 407 body, just one of the 20 body shapes the car is capable of carrying on its spaceframe design.
"We think the XV8R SuperSaloon will make an outstanding addition to the iRacing.com program," said Roger Etcell, Motion Works UK's managing director. "With such high levels of horsepower and torque, our car has the ability to break the rear tires loose at almost any time. It requires real skill to drive well, but to a man, everyone who has sat behind the wheel has told us that mastering that much power is a thrilling challenge. We're sure that simracers will feel the same way."
Exactrac Laser Scanning Complete
iRacing.com's laser-scanning team completed the first step of the exactrac process for the XV8R SuperSaloon earlier this year, scanning all sections of the car, inside and out. The team also took more than 250 photographs of the car, which will be used to add surface detail to the car as it is incorporated into the simulation. Future iRacing.com Web site updates will follow the progress of the car-modelling and texturing process.
The ready-to-race XV8R SuperSaloon is available to buy, with or without engine. For more information, visit www.XV8R.com.
|
|
|
|
