DeltaWing transmission to be USA made
The Chicago-based EMCO Gears will manufacture the unit that will transfer the 300 horsepower from the 1.6 liter turbocharged engine to the rear wheels.
A 75-year-old family-owned business, EMCO originally specialized in commercial gears but entered the racing business in the 60s when it first made gears for AJ Foyt.
The Texan had broken a gear and had asked McDonnell Douglas to make a replacement for him – they in turn, referred him to EMCO who manufactured gears for McDonnell Douglas at the time.
EMCO expanded from making gears and shafts to making its first complete transmission in 1997.
Recently relocated to a new facility to provide twice the amount of manufacturing space, EMCO now makes a wide range of products including gears, shafts, complete transmissions, steering racks and axle systems.
The DeltaWing transmission is a 5-speed (plus reverse) longitudinal design featuring electrically actuated sequential selection via steering wheel mounted shift paddles.
The transmission's integral final drive differential features an innovative and highly efficient variable torque vectoring control of the driven rear wheels.
Through the use of the same planetary gears for both the final drive reduction ratio and differential action the unique transmission package weighs only 70lbs (32kg).
The DeltaWing's debut was announced in June when it won the selection for the 56th entry for next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. “Garage 56" is reserved for a car featuring new automotive technology previously unseen in motorsport.
The car was recently unveiled at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta with Michelin announced as the first technical partner for the program.
The Project 56 group brings together the talents of designer Ben Bowlby, back-to-back championship winning sportscar team Highcroft Racing, American racing legend Dan Gurney and his All American Racers group who will manufacture the prototype and American Le Mans Series founder Don Panoz – his Elan Motorsport Technologies company providing the unique recylable REAMS material for the bodywork for the prototype.
“While the DeltaWing brings together some of the biggest names in North American motorsport, we certainly are doing our homework to source the best possible suppliers for components for the car from across the globe," Highcroft Racing’s Duncan Dayton said.
“The transmission is a very key component and we are really thrilled with the opportunity to work with EMCO. They were selected not only because they are based here in the US, but because they had the technology, the capability and passion to be involved in the project."
The DeltaWing car is scheduled to hit the track later this year with an extensive testing program planned prior to the car’s scheduled debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“We were involved in a Formula 1 project a couple of years ago and this DeltaWing project provides a similar engineering challenge," said EMCO CEO, Rich Wolfe.
“We are very excited to be involved in a new series and very much looking forward to seeing our product in action in France next year.
“The DeltaWing car is very different and remarkably unique and the entire company is very excited about having an EMCO transmission in the back of it."