Arena S2000 Focus

[LiamM]

Now totally hypothetical I know but,

With today's announcement from the FIA that WRC will use non-turbo S2000 cars from 2010 albeit 2 classes for a year, what do people think of the chances of Ford buying into the Arena project now to get a years worth of knowledge with an S2000 Focus? Now I know chassis data maybe a little different as the WRC machines will be 4wheel drive, but an S2000 engine is an S2000 engine at the end of the day surely?

[tdb]

The budget involved in WRC and engine development (assuming Ford commit beyond 09)far out reaches anything Arena and Langford performance will acheive in the BTCC.

[LiamM]

Which is why I suggested that Ford buy into the project, in order to get a years worth of development on an S2000 engine

[tdb]

While S2000 rules dictate certain engine parts and things like cam lift.
A rally engine requires a complete different engine set up to a touring car engine, torque, revs, power band, cam duration, etc,etc.

So, it would be fairly pointless to spend money help someone else with very little transferance to a WRC programme.

[VX_Rules]

Bit off topic, but was interested, just what unit is being used in the Arena Focus?

[Rollo]

Bit off topic, but was interested, just what unit is being used in the Arena Focus?

Part of this answer is contained in another reply:

an S2000 engine is an S2000 engine at the end of the day surely?
Even from the other side of the world, the most logical engine would be the Duratec 20. (Code 993).
M-Sport already use the engine in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy cars.
http://www.fiestasportingtrophy.com/aboutFST_spec.asp

Why would M-Sport bother to buy anything off of Arena when they can already bench test parts for themselves? Actually come to think of it, why would M-Sport bother building an S2000 Focus when they could run an S2000 Fiesta?

[LiamM]

I wasn't aware of the Fiesta cup, and assumed that Ford would stick with the Focus, the new Fiesta doesn't look like a rally car to me

[Robinho]

Ford already have a virtually rally ready S2000 Fiesta with a nearly ready engine ready for WRC when the rules change. They've probably alreasy spent more on that than Arena will spend developing the Focus over the next 3 years

[VX_Rules]

I saw a rally prepared Fiesta Chasis and the ASIS I think...

I was just asking the engine question because of The Volvo C30, Correct me If I am wrong but in the STCC it uses the ST's actual 2.5litre powerplant and as the STCC/BTCC have the agreement, I wasn't sure if Arena would of been able to use an already race developed Ford engine, also one that should be in the ST in the first place. But forgive me If I am way of the mark.

[Rollo]

I was just asking the engine question because of The Volvo C30, Correct me If I am wrong but in the STCC it uses the ST's actual 2.5litre powerplant and as the STCC/BTCC have the agreement

The STCC uses either S2000 rules or a national equivalent also rated at 2000s but the national rules do not require FIA homologation. It is not possible to run a 2.5L engine under either set of rules:

http://www.stcc.se/fileadmin/user_upload/PDF/STCC/STCC_2009/Taevlingsreglemente_STCC_2009.pdf
http://www.stcc.se/fileadmin/user_upload/PDF/STCC/STCC_2009/STCC_Tekn.Regl._NS_2000_2009.pdf

[VX_Rules]

Thanks for clarifying :)

[shimon340]

Hi

Im interested in the Arena Focus ST but it doesnt seem that it is a Focus ST afterall given that the Focus ST road car uses the Volvo 2.5 turbo. turbos arent permitted in the BTCC so what engine is in the Arena motorsports cars?

The C30 in the STCC (soon to be BTCC and maybe WTCC) uses a volvo 2.0 5 cylinder non-turbo.

[VXRDartford]

Hi

Im interested in the Arena Focus ST but it doesnt seem that it is a Focus ST afterall given that the Focus ST road car uses the Volvo 2.5 turbo. turbos arent permitted in the BTCC so what engine is in the Arena motorsports cars?

The C30 in the STCC (soon to be BTCC and maybe WTCC) uses a volvo 2.0 5 cylinder non-turbo.


I can't remember the exact rules to this but the road going VXR Vectra uses a 2.8l V6!!! so I think as long as the manufacturer has a 2.0l engine in its stable it is ok (which obviously Ford do)

[LiamM]

The engine used for racing has be based on a production version in the manufacturers range, for example, a few cars have had 1.8l bored out to 2.0

[Rollo]

so what engine is in the Arena motorsports cars?

S2000 rules mandate that the capacity of the engines is restricted to 2000cc. As I already said, the engine in the Ford range that complies with the regulation is the Duratec 20 (Code 993).



The C30 in the STCC (soon to be BTCC and maybe WTCC) uses a volvo 2.0 5 cylinder non-turbo.

The C30 in the STCC (soon to be BTCC and maybe WTCC) does not use a Volvo 2.0 5 cylinder non-turbo because such an engine is not currently in production. The 2.0L engine in the Volvo C30 is the Duratec 20 (Code 993).

The 5 cylinder Volvo engines in the start with the B5244S which is 2.4L and would therefore be excluded or the B524T2 which is 2.5L and turbocharged and would therefore be excluded.

[shimon340]

no no, the C30 uses Volvo's 2.0 5 cylinder engine

Currently in production in the Volvo S60 albeit with a turbo.


from media.volvocars.com

Volvo Cars develops a new racing car for STCC
- C30 Green Racing

Volvo Car Corporation has decided to develop a completely new racing car and to continue its work with bioethanol (E85) and Green Racing in the STCC (Swedish Touring Car Championship) for three more years.

"Our decision is based on the positive attention and the good results that the recently concluded STCC season has meant for Volvo's brand," says Derek Crabb, head of Powertrain and Engine at Volvo Cars and the man recently appointed to lead Volvo's Racing department.

"It is now time to take the next step for the coming STCC seasons, and to meet the growing international interest in green racing", says Derek Crabb.

Volvo Cars will do this by developing a new and modern green racing car based on the Volvo C30. The C30 is the model that most clearly demonstrates Volvo's environmental technology on the market, with versions such as the Flexifuel and the upcoming 1.6D Efficiency. The Volvo 1.6D Efficiency has an average fuel consumption of 0.45 litres per 10 km (52 mpg-US/62 mpg-UK) and CO2 emissions under 120 grams per kilometre.

"The decision to leave this year's racing car, a Volvo S60, was fairly simple. The Volvo C30 is a somewhat smaller and more agile car with excellent driving characteristics, even in the standard version," says Derek Crabb.

"Development of the new racing car will be done jointly by Volvo Cars and Polestar Racing, who has successfully handled our participation in STCC for several years. However, it is currently too soon to provide any detailed information about the construction of the new car. The objective, on the other hand, is crystal clear - we will develop a winning car," Derek Crabb concludes.


VOLVO C30 E85 FIA SUPER 2000 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Body:
A standard C30 body reinforced by a safety cage and side impact protection on the driver's side, developed in collaboration with Caran.
Aerodynamics:
Front splitter (the lower section of the bumper) and a rear spoiler wing developed by Polestar in Volvo's wind tunnel.
Engine:
A fully aluminium, transversely mounted, 5-cylinder, inline, four-valve, 1999 cc engine.
Only minor modifications are permitted on the cylinder block and cylinder heads, while valves, cam shafts, pistons, connecting rods, and the crankshaft have been replaced by racing-specific components.
Oil: Castrol 5W-30
Output/torque: 280+ hp at 8,750 rpm/Approx. 230 Nm at 7,300 rpm.
Fuel: E85
Exhaust system:
Stainless steel with catalytic emission controls, specially manufactured by Ferrita.
Driveline:
6-speed sequential gearbox with straight-cut gears, manufactured by Hewland. Front-wheel drive.
Mechanical differential with a torque controlled ramper and friction discs.
SACHS 184mm two-disc carbon fibre clutch.
Oil: Castrol TWS 10W-60.
Weight: Minimum weight 1,134 kg including the driver (58-60 kg).
Front wheel suspension:
Öhlin's McPherson struts developed together with Polestar. Racing-specific support arms and adjustable anti-roll bar.
Rear wheel suspension:
Multilink system with coil springs and Öhlin's dampers. Racing-specific support arms and adjustable anti-roll bar.
Front brakes:
Performance Friction
4-pistion callipers with radially and axially ventilated discs 332x32 mm.
Rear brakes:
Alcon 2-piston callipers with axially ventilated discs 290x10 mm.
Steering:
Servo-assisted rack and pinion.
Wheels:
17x10,0" BBS wheels
Tyres:
Michelin 17", slicks (no tread), or rain tyres

The S60 is the only volvo currently available with the 2.0 5 cylinder engine. What happens when the S60 is replaced in 2010 I wonder?

NB The S40s raced with a volvo 2.0 5 cylinder too but that car was never offered with that engine in production

[shimon340]

Current S60 uses B5204T5

2.0 turbo 5 cylinder

[LiamM]

The S40s where under super touring regs tho, which were very different

[Rollo]

Currently in production in the Volvo S60 albeit with a turbo.

The S60 is the only volvo currently available with the 2.0 5 cylinder engine. What happens when the S60 is replaced in 2010 I wonder?

NB The S40s raced with a volvo 2.0 5 cylinder too but that car was never offered with that engine in production

The S60 Turbo from 2001-2003 had the B5234T3 which was 2.3L inline-5. It was replaced with the B5244S. If indeed it is a 2.0L inline 5, then it has to be either a de-bored or de-stroked 2.3 or 2.4. Currently the S60 has either a 2.3, a 2.4 or a 2.5. The 2nd-gen S60 is likely to be fitted with a 2.5L I5 or a 3.2L I6

The S40 for the road was equipped with a B4204T3 which although still came off of the Volvo Modular T5 engine, was only 4 cylinders.

[shimon340]

thanks for the info re how Volvo could use the 5 cylinder in the S40 even though the car was never sold which such and engine

quote "Currently the S60 has either a 2.3, a 2.4 or a 2.5"

It also comes with the 2.0T 5 cylinder

from media.vovlocars.com

Petrol
Cylinders
Power, bhp
Torque, Nm
2.0T
5
180
240
2.4
5
140/170
220/225
2.5T
5
210
320
T5
5
260
350


Diesel*
Cylinders
Power, bhp
Torque, Nm
2.4D
5
126/163
300/340
D5
5
185
400


EnginesB5244S2B5244SB5204T5Type5 cyl. Naturally aspirated5 cyl. Naturally aspiratedIn-line 5 cyl. TurboConfigurationFWDFWDFWDDisplacement2435 cm³2435 cm³1984 cm³Bore83 mm83 mm81 mmStroke90 mm90 mm77 mmCompression ratio10,3:110,3:19,5:1Valves, no/cylinder4 ea.4 ea.4 ea.

[shimon340]

oops, that looked fine before I posted it

B5244S2 (2.4 140bhp), B5244S(2.4 170bhp), B5204T5 (2.0T)

[shimon340]

so...what engine is in the Arena car then? Ford 2.0? Why are they calling it the ST then?

[DevilsAdvocate]

The 2.0 Duratec Engine. Guess it's being touted as the ST because, at least until recently, that was the sportiest model Focus available?

[Robinho]

its the ST shell, just with a different engine

[Andy_B]

Does this image of the engine help....

http://ll.speedhunters.com/u/f/eagames/NFS/speedhunters.com/Images/Jonathan%20Moore/04-09%20BTCC%20BH/JM-BH040409%20Images/JM-BH040409-11.jpg

[AndySpeed]

Motorsport News this week has an interesting feature on Ford, Arena and their BTCC involvement

[shimon340]

thanks for the pic! Well, that isnt a volvo engine in there....not really based on the Focus ST then.....

[Abo]

Wish my engine bay was that tidy

[touringlegend]

thanks for the pic! Well, that isnt a volvo engine in there....not really based on the Focus ST then.....

So the Vauxhall Vectra VXR that has been champion car in the last two seasons isn't really a Vectra VXR !!

[VX_Rules]

Yep, Even though I think they should use the 2.8l V6 :P
Same as when they used the Astra VXR even though they used an SRi Body Kit... Its never the car they base it on, it just has to be "performance" model for marketing reasons...

[Dave Clark]

It kind of harks back to the touring days in the 90s where you had
Vauxhall Cavalier Gsi
Peugeot 405 Mi16
Nissan Primera eGT
Ford Mondeo Ghia
BMW 318is
Alfa 155 Silverstone
Volvo 850 T5

Where the cars raced featured the same identical bodykits as the road cars

When it hit Super Touring and spawned all the wings the names were dropped. Its only since about 2003/4 that the names re-appeared with VXR, Type-R, ST etc. Back in the day I think it meant a bit more clout than it does now, as said in previous posts its now a marketing strategy.

[norwichsam1]

Can't believe how bad the focuses are. Really thought that with Arena building and running the cars they would be at the sharp end of the grid, especially given the rumours about how much money has gone into the project. I know they are a new build but so were the Team Dynamics Civics and they were on the pace from the first Race. For such a professional looking, well supported outfit I was expecting so much more.

[BDunnell]

Me too, and I couldn't help making the comparison in my mind between them and the TD Integras/Civics.

[Allyc85]

Whos doing the engine work for Arena? Chilton says the chassis is great but its just the lack of power holding them back.

[AndySpeed]

Whos doing the engine work for Arena? Chilton says the chassis is great but its just the lack of power holding them back.

It's not quite as simple as that - at Thruxton the Cartridge World cars were also relatively slow through the speed traps, sometimes slower than Chilton, and look where they managed to finish! [With Jones]...

[BDunnell]

As stated here — http://btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=1410

[VkmSpouge]

It's not quite as simple as that - at Thruxton the Cartridge World cars were also relatively slow through the speed traps, sometimes slower than Chilton, and look where they managed to finish! [With Jones]...

Dan Eaves flew passed Tom Chilton :p :

[reidy_fan]

iirc arena use langford for thew engines, was really surprised at the lack of pace at thruxton. they did say the engine was developing power but it wasnt getting to the wheels. kinda weird as the focus should be a top 10 car

[mattie007]

I was told the reason for the lack of power is the car cant reach that top 1000 revs.

[AndySpeed]

The point is if Team CVR can get good results despite a lack of speed why can't Arena? There's something else causing these poor results...

[Chris2k6]

maybe they should just pack it in and get some mondeo's lol hope they can turn it around sooner rather then later

[Rover V8]

The point is if Team CVR can get good results despite a lack of speed why can't Arena? There's something else causing these poor results...

I'm no engineer, but I guess it depends on what's actually causing them to be lacking top end speed- if CVR aren't particularly quick through the speed traps, they might still have fairly decent speed over a whole lap. On the other hand, if Arena have got a major engine issue, and are seriously down on power (or at least unable to use it) then it's probably going to affect them over the entire lap- slow on the straights, slow out of corners etc. It's probably not helping them much in finding a setup for the car either...

[Clark Trent]

Acording to the engineers the engine was producing plenty of power on the dyno but as soon as it was fitted in the car it lost power. Could be the bonnet is restricting the airflow, starving the engine, or the air intake needs reshaping.
Chilton was blaming the ECU mapping at Brands.

[bt52b]

Any sign of the engine problem being sorted?

[bt52b]

Arena say they have made some progress
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75275

[Allyc85]

Fingers crossed its worked when they get back on track :D

[VkmSpouge]

Reviving this thread just to show the huge improvement that Arena have managed to get out of that Ford Focus. From no hopers and being the slowest in the speed traps to coming within 0.015s of winning and Jason Plato saying that the Fords were rockets in a straight line. Brilliant work and I'm sure Arena are rightly proud.

I believe I said the team would have done better if they had bought a pair of Vauxhall Astra coupés and I have to say I was probably right :p : . I think they would have scored more points with Astras but I guess that was not the point of this year. 2009 was a development year, a year of pain. Next year all the development on the Focus will come off, race wins are on the cards for the team in 2010.

[christophulus]

Well said, it's been a massive turnaround. Has anyone else noticed (I suppose it's hard not to), that the Focus is by far the noisiest car on track? What gives with that? I don't imagine they care much if it's fast though :)

[UltimateDanGTR]

i think it was good that Arena chose the focus, it gave us another car from another manurfacturer in the BTCC, its great to see with Honda, Ford, Seat, Vauxhall, Cheverolet and BMW all represented-A fine list i think you'll agree! I just wanna see the return of some alfas!

[bt52b]

Great to see the Focus on the pace at last. Hats off to Arena. Next year should be fun.

[thetrooper_uk]

Well done to the team for an amazing turn around. If they keep it up they should be at the pointy end next season right from the off.
As for being the noisiest I would say the Vectra is louder than the Focus personally.

[Allyc85]

Has any team ever turned around their form so well in one season before?

Its one hell of an achievement considering how little the teams are allowed to test!

[Eurotech]

Has any team ever turned around their form so well in one season before?

Its one hell of an achievement considering how little the teams are allowed to test!
never mind in one season, Arena seemed to manage this in two meetings!