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Interesting reading

1K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  XeroState 
#1 ·
nothing u guys didn't know but I figured I would share.



Red Line ION Earned its Cred at the Track
October 30, 2003
With more than 170 turns packed into nearly 13 miles, as well as an elevation change of more than 1,000 feet, Germany's Nurburgring is one of the world's most challenging road courses. To GM engineers, it was the perfect environment to develop the new 2004 ION Red Line sports coupe. Saturn and GM Performance Division tested at the Nurburgring, as well as demanding road courses in the United States, to fine-tune the ION Red Line's handling, braking, and powertrain. Complementing GM's standard validation process with these challenging conditions helped create an exciting street vehicle that also feels at home on a racetrack.

The ION Red Line goes on sale early in 2004.

"This was built for the sport-compact driving enthusiast," said Tracy Thueme, ION Red Line program engineering manager. "The balance and refinement is remarkable. The ION Red Line was systematically enhanced to deliver uncompromising performance, function and style - traits that make extremely competitive in the sport-compact market."

Highlights of the ION Red Line include:


Supercharged and intercooled 2.0-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine producing 205 horsepower @ 5600 rpm and 200 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm
High-flow, performance-tuned exhaust and air induction systems
Five-speed transmission with increased torque capacity, close-ratio gearing and short-throw shifter
Heavy-duty axle with equal-length half shafts
Racetrack-bred suspension tuning; stiffer spring rates, front and rear; larger stabilizer bar; and firmer shock valving
Large, four-wheel disc brakes (with standard ABS)
Seventeen-inch forged alloy wheels and Dunlop P215/45R-17 Sport SP9000 performance tires
Unique fascias and rocker moldings
Red Line-specific interior appointments, including four-spoke steering wheel and sport pedals (configured for performance driving)
Recaro performance front seats that provide increased lateral support.
To ensure the ION Red Line's performance capability, engineers leveraged technology proven in other GM performance vehicles, including the global Ecotec engine family. The 2.0-liter, supercharged version of the Red Line uses the same steel crankshaft, oil-cooled pistons, sodium-filled exhaust valves and structural oil pan as some high-performance European variants. The supercharger is an adapted version of the unit used on GM's supercharged 3800 V-6 engine. Its large, 62-cubic-inch capacity makes it larger than the majority of OEM-based four-cylinder supercharger applications.

The ION Red Line will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in approximately 6.3 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in the 14-second range. Its 60-to-0 stopping distance is estimated at less than 120 feet and the vehicle has a top speed of more than 140 mph.

Neutral handling also is one of ION Red Line's characteristics - enabling the vehicle to produce lateral acceleration performance of approximately .85 g. "From the beginning the Red Line was designed to deliver superior all-around performance and have a feel all its own," said Thueme. "It's not merely a quicker, more precise-handling ION model - it's like a new vehicle backed up with racetrack-proven credentials."

Beyond Process

Early in the ION Red Line's development, it was determined that achieving class-leading performance would be attained most efficiently at the racetrack. The process took engineers beyond the typical GM validation procedures, pushing the engineering team and prototype vehicles to extremes.

Red Line prototypes spent weeks at various racetracks in the United States, as well as the Nurburgring - including more than 100 hard laps on the first outing with an early "mule" car. Chassis tuning evolved continuously during development in the search for the prescribed neutral handling traits, as well as the balance between racetrack and road performance. The lateral inputs encountered at the different tracks were unique, loading the brakes, tires and suspension systems in ways not found at GM test facilities. As a result, the Red Line's front struts were upgraded to respond better to higher lateral loads and the rear suspension's trailing link bushing was redesigned for a firmer response.

The racetrack sessions also drove brake selection, which includes large, 11.6-inch vented front rotors and heavy-duty calipers, along with 10.6-inch rear discs. "The brakes simply were phenomenal," said Rick Kewley, ION Red Line performance manager. "They didn't just pull the car down from speed, but performed consistently, lap after lap."

Two weeks of additional testing was completed at the Nurburgring to refine the package as the vehicle got closer to production. The length, turns and elevation changes of the German track provided a range of feedback that couldn?t be extrapolated from the shorter-length courses used in America. Engineers pushed the ION Red Line here to find the edge of its performance envelope. "It's a very long track," said Kewley. "Lap after lap, it will uncover handling, powertrain and even cooling issues that likely wouldn't have been noticed on shorter courses."

Fine-Tuning at the Limit

In addition to helping sort out suspension tuning, numerous component specification changes were incorporated as a result of the Red Line's racetrack test sessions. These changes sharpen the vehicle's overall performance and enhance its performance balance. "Racetracks are designed to exert pressure on a vehicle's performance capabilities," said Kewley. "This manner of testing was the best way to determine if the ION Red Line's special performance parts worked cohesively and whether they had the necessary strength."

These "at the limit" evaluations prompted revisions in the Red Line's production specifications:


Shifter throw - Although a shorter-throw shifter was always part of the plan, the production shifter's feel and length of throws were determined on the racetrack.
Pedal placement - Continuous hot laps made the case for revising the pedal arrangement to provide better heel-toe shifting.
Brake pedal feel - The pedal ratio was modified to reduce travel and increase driver feel.
Tires - The original-spec tires were replaced after the Dunlop Sport SP9000 tire proved to be a better fit with the ION Red Line's suspension tuning.
Cooling system - A larger-capacity cooling system was specified to handl track setting
Tuner Ingenuity

The ION Red Line's performance traits, which were honed on the racetrack, are balanced by a cohesive package of specially selected components. Providing function above all else, these unique parts not only enable the vehicle's quick and responsive reflexes, their seamless performance enhances the sophisticated feel of the driving experience.

The methodology of the parts selection ensured the new components exactly matched the engineers' specifications. "It's a completely integrated design," said Thueme. "We didn't sacrifice any measure of performance by settling on 'close enough' parts."

When it came to selecting some of the Red Line's specialized components, engineers got creative. They scoured the vast GM parts network and, in some cases, leveraged existing components. This saved the time and cost required to develop all-new parts. "It was a process very much like that of an aftermarket tuner or at-home enthusiast," said Thueme. "We determined what parts were necessary and looked around to see what was already available. It was an instance where GM's depth of global resources was a huge benefit."

Some of the engineers' creative parts selection included:


Five-speed manual transmission - High-torque-capacity unit currently is used in some Saab and Opel models
Shifter - Variant of GM's global Epsilon platform modified to reduce throw length
Drive axles - High-torque-capacity system, with equal-length half shafts, comprised of components from VUE and some Saab models
Condenser, radiator and fan assembly - Increased-capacity system comprised of components from GM's Epsilon architecture
Fuel system - Higher-capacity fuel pump from an existing GM vehicle to meet supercharged engine's requirements
Exhaust system - Integrated and enhanced system based on components from several GM vehicles
Rear axle assembly - A "pull-ahead" version of the Delta-platform rear axle
Suspension - Larger front struts and rear shocks, along with heavy-duty variant of a rear twist-axle, from a future GM Delta-architecture vehicle
Brake system - Modified Epsilon-architecture rotors and calipers, as well as five-bolt bearings pulled ahead from an upcoming Delta-architecture vehicle
"We went after every component that would make the ION Red Line the best car possible," said Thueme. "The bottom line is, this vehicle has the right stuff to back up its imposing appearance."


Kinda makes me proud

What were the US tracks that they tested at??
 
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#2 ·
It's cool to hear about all these cars being tested at the 'Ring, but what they don't give out in that info is lap times. This would be a good and fun thing to know. I know there's a site or two that has a big listing of lap times of a lot of cars around it, without checking, my guess is ours wouldn't be on the list...
 
#3 ·
Nukem said:
What were the US tracks that they tested at??
A lot of testing goes on at private test tracks of the company. GM's is in Milford, MI. I'll tell you how all those different tracks (different surfaces, huge banked ovals, and over a square mile of pure pavement to do anything you want and not hit anything) are after the summer since that's the playground I'll be located at for this summer's internship :D
 
#5 ·
Typically, you don't run the whole ring. You run parts of it for testing. The track is actually 'labeled' according to what area of the car it's testing. Plenty do run the whole thing, but typically, they'll get a time for a section, work on the car a bit, run it again, until they're happy. Then move on. They might not even time the full lap, they might just use it to torture test the car.
 
#6 ·
Sp00ner said:
Typically, you don't run the whole ring. You run parts of it for testing. The track is actually 'labeled' according to what area of the car it's testing. Plenty do run the whole thing, but typically, they'll get a time for a section, work on the car a bit, run it again, until they're happy. Then move on. They might not even time the full lap, they might just use it to torture test the car.
Yeah Don't they put a letter w/ each section of the track?? and after reading this article it seems like they ran the whole ring. Still gives u pride
 
#7 ·
I remember reading a similar article, they said there was a track developed on GM's testing site called the Lutzenrhing or something as a take off of the German version. You have to imagine, you rent the track for some hot laps, you do some tweaks here, tweaks there, I'm sure they ran a complete run just sort of for "shits and giggles". In all honesty, I don't see why they wouldn't run, I mean the whole basis for building a great car is to see what it will do head to head with other cars, why not see how even a "subcompact" would fare against the big boys? Oh I think I posted on the Forums somewhere when I saw a Magazine article running some track times on some of the fastest machinery built and recall that the Cobalt SS and SRT-4 were also tested and run on that same track. The numbers put up by the chevy and the dodge were respectable compared to the supercars tested to say the least.
 
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