LMP2 – ORECA 05
‘Although parts will have to evolve, the car will be easily updateable’ ‘When we designed the chassis, and the engine mounting positions, we had some options for the gearbox, and we felt the best option was the new Xtrac, because it made sense to keep the same general structure between LMP1 and LMP2,’ Guibbal continues. ‘The gearshift system on the LMP2 is quite different to the system on the Rebellion though. It is pneumatic and lighter where on the LMP1 it is electric.’ Adopting the same general transmission and layout for the new car saw ORECA opt to raise the level of safety built into the car above the required standards. Already the monocoque had Zylon anti-intrusion panels built into it
which are not required in LMP2, but the use of the Rebellion’s rear impact structure is also a step forward in terms of safety. ‘It is obviously better in terms of safety, and we believe that in the new 2017 rules it will become mandatory to have rear crash structure in LMP2. At the moment you do not need a rear crash box in LMP2, but you do in LMP1,’ Guibbal points out. Future proofing the new car against the forthcoming 2017 rule changes will allow ORECA simply to update its existing chassis in order to meet those rules rather than developing an all-new car, something it feels will help it cut costs. As a result, it has pursued a number of avenues with the 05 beyond where
The rear impact structure has been adopted from the LMP1 car in anticpation of stricter LMP2 safety rules coming into effect for the 2017 season
much of its competition has gone to date, including a reduction project across the whole car. ‘The DNA of this car is all about the future,’ Guibbal explains. ‘Weight was not a problem on the ORECA 03, but with all of the change in the rules coming in 2017 we will have to put a lot of additional weight on the car. For us it is really important to be able to accommodate that and give the scope for car setup too.’ ORECA also claims that the weight distribution has been optimised around both the current rules and the new rules. Despite the fact that the tender process has not yet been formally opened, and the new rules have not been formally agreed, ORECA seems confident that it will be one of the chassis suppliers selected, and that has influenced many elements of the 05’s design, most notably its width. While other LMP2 designs are built to the full 2000mm width allowed by the current regulations, the new ORECA is only 1900mm wide, a feature that will be introduced in the 2017 rules as the ACO tries to bring in commonality across all three LMP classes. It is a move that has raised eyebrows in the design offices of other constructors over just how fast ORECA was able to react to the change.
Developed using CFD
The ORECA 05 flies in the face of LMP2 convention and is 100mm narrower than the maximum width allowed 18 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2015
‘Although body parts will probably have to evolve by that time, the car as it is today will be easily updatable to the next regulations,’ ORECA’s sales literature explains. ‘That global decision was a way to take teams’ budgetary issues into account: that investment will not be limited to a two-year period (2015-2016) but potentially spread over six years. That also means that teams will be able to benefit from a higher resale value.’ In terms of the car’s aerodynamic package the new car is, as already mentioned, very similar visually to the Rebellion R1, a car that shows some clear carry over concepts dating back to the ORECA 03 and even the ORECA 01/ Courage LC70, especially around the flanks of the car. ‘The car’s pitch-sensitivity was one of the focus points, allowing customers to easily make the most of a whole range of settings,’ Guibbal explains. Like most new LMP designs, the 05 features a wide flat raised nose supported by pillars from the front splitter and retains the front impact structure used on Rebellion. ‘The front crash structure remains the same between the R1 and the 05, but there is still a lot of potential to develop a different nose between LMP1 and LMP2 because on the crash structure there are some recesses which allow us to put on different shapes,’ Guibbal reveals. ‘You can’t look at the nose in isolation. I think while visually they look similar, in reality the noses of our car, SMP and Ligier are quite different to each other. In our case, during the LMP1 design