Prodrive is one of the world’s largest and most successful independent motorsport businesses. Since it was founded, it has designed and built some of the world’s highest-achieving competition cars and has transformed from a motorsport team running Porsche rally cars to an international technology business, with its work finding application in other areas such as the broader automotive industry and the aerospace, marine and defence sectors.
Originally based at Silverstone from 1984, the company moved to Acorn Way, Banbury, in 1986. It recently moved again, to a headquarters alongside the M40 motorway in Banbury, and has started manufacturing its own parts there.
Prodrive now employs more than 500 people and runs programmes for various manufacturers including Porsche, MG, BMW, Aston Martin, Mini, Ford, Honda, Subaru and Alfa Romeo. The company has won six World Rally titles, four Le Mans 24 Hours titles, three FIA WEC titles, four British Touring Car Championships and the Le Mans Series among many other national and international race and rally series.
The new 10,220m2 facility, south of junction 11 of the motorway, is now home to both Prodrive’s motorsport business, which runs the Aston Martin Racing team as well as the Mini and Volkswagen Golf in rallying, and the company’s advanced technology division, which works with businesses in the automotive, aerospace, defence and marine sectors.
Having its motorsport, advanced technology and manufacturing operations all under one roof will enable the company to operate far more efficiently and increase the collaboration and technology transfer between its businesses, says chief engineer David Lapworth.
From workshop to rally
The new facility will see Prodrive undertake the whole design, engineering and development process for competition race and rally cars, he says. “Integrated into the new facility are our advanced technology and composite divisions which create innovative engineered solutions, taking them from concept to production using the company’s skills in lightweighting carbon composites, mechatronic and hydraulically actuated control systems.”
This integration will allow Prodrive to adapt the vehicle’s performance to incremental changes in the characteristics of every significant component. The first step in the process is to create a generic model of an ideal vehicle for the formula. Specific targets are then set for key performance factors such as weight, weight distribution, centre of gravity, aerodynamic forces, and engine power. “We then define the degree of contribution of each component on each of these performance factors, allowing a rigorous definition of the improvement to whole-vehicle performance that will be generated by incremental improvement in each component,” says Lapworth.
“What we are good at in motorsport is taking new materials and technologies and finding out how to use them to our advantage quickly. We don’t make new materials, but can use them to make a car go faster in a quick and practical way.”
Composites for cars: Prodrive enables lightweighting for race and rally
Expanding horizons
To be successful in motorsport, it’s important to do things differently from other companies, says John Gaw, managing director of motorsport at Prodrive. “We have a long history in motorsport, and there have been a lot of ups and downs in that time, but we are committed to the business and aren’t afraid of expanding to different areas to support its motorsport developments.”
The advanced technology division will combine Prodrive’s motorsport culture with its engineering processes and procedures, to produce solutions for the automotive, aerospace, marine and defence sectors. “Whether it be the use of the latest silicon-carbide power electronics to enhance electric cars, advanced electromechanical control systems in active aero devices, or lightweight composites for supercars, aircraft and even the latest Mars Rover, we have the technical skills and facilities here,” says Lapworth.
The company will use the expertise from its advanced technology division and apply it to its motorsport business. “We have some experience in electrical systems, but the guys on the automotive side have state-of-the art experience with DC/DC converters, motor generators – all those ingredients you’re likely to need in future motorsport programmes,” he says. “There are projects within motorsport that are about maintaining our resources and growing them. There are also projects where we will work alongside advanced technology, where they give us a capability that is even greater than we could ever afford in motorsport on our own.”
By combining the skills of its engineers in multi-disciplined teams with its own in-house manufacturing capability, Prodrive aims to take projects from proof of concept through to full working prototype vehicles in short lead times, and has the manufacturing facilities to produce modules and whole vehicles to OEM standards. “For us, part of the drive was to find projects for other areas of our business that require the same skills as motorsport. That way, we can keep the same engineers and practice things on other projects we know we might need one day in motorsport,” says Lapworth.
In recent years, Prodrive has focused on developing hybrid technologies, including both electric battery-based systems and high-speed compact flywheels. From automatic transmission in the 1990s right through to all-wheel drive, hybrid vehicles, anti-lag systems in 2000 and the most recent multiple DC/DC converters, this kind of activity has all stemmed from motorsport, says Lapworth.
Innovative technology
“We try to win motorsport projects that require us to build the capability that we think might be needed in the future,” he says. “We developed our first electric hybrid vehicle in 2001, on behalf of a leading carmaker, and have since produced further electric and compact flywheel hybrid development vehicles – one based on a Jaguar XF and another on a light commercial vehicle.”
It’s important for motorsport to develop and innovate in the technology that is going to be relevant in the future, he says. “We will be developing motorsport projects and automotive technology alongside each other. I believe there is room in motorsport to develop real, innovative technology. I don’t quite understand the argument that Formula One was better off with big, loud engines. It’s only a nice noise because it’s what we got used to. F1 is intended to be huge and commercial, and if it doesn’t recognise that it has a massive potential to help manufacturers promote their products, then it’s missed out on a whole opportunity.”
To gain further electric and hybrid technology understanding in motorsport, Prodrive will continue to work with carmakers on funded programmes. “This way, we can build expertise and then use it later for motorsport development. It’s a smart strategy, as it allows us to build a resource of engineers that you might then be able to use in manufacturing or other areas,” he says.
In the future, it’s likely that more of Prodrive’s motorsport programmes will be dedicated to alternative powertrains, says Lapworth. “I hope we are not running aspirated V8 engines in 10 years’ time, and that small-capacity turbo-charged hybrid powertrains, with energy recovery, become the norm. I hope motorsport will move in that direction.”