JCB DIESEL MAX

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The JCB DIESELMAX will attempt the speed record for a diesel-powered automobile in August 2006 at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Powered by a pair of advanced 4-cylinder, 5-litre JCB444-LSR diesels, developed with the support of Ricardo, the JCB DIESELMAX is said to boast the world's highest specific power diesel engines used in any automobile application Ricardo applied its state-of-the-art powertrain computer aided engineering software to the task of assisting JCB in the development of the JCB444-LSR engines which deliver peak power of 750hp and torque of 1500Nm.

JCB Diesel Max - launch

The engines are more than five times the power of the production version and at 150hp/litre, they exceed even motorsport applications as the world's highest specific power diesels. Ricardo Director of Diesel Engineering, Ian Penny, said: "We are pleased to have been asked to play the role of JCB's engine development partner on this high profile and exciting project....and we wish JCB every success in breaking the land speed record for a diesel powered vehicle."

15 August 2006 - BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS - UTAH

Temperature: 29°C

Following eight runs the night before at Wendover airfield, the team completed a further six runs before 09.00 this morning. The aim was to test the software change made to the engine management system to reduce the fuelling of the front engine in first gear so increasing the load to the rear engine and pushing it on to boost.

It appeared to be successful with both engines going on to boost even though it was only possible to engage second gear for a few seconds.

Based on this result we took the car on to the Salt Flats but the JCB team faced a long queue because running was delayed until 10.30 due to high cross winds.

The car moved slowly along the line from 11.30 until 17.09 when the car’s 42nd run got underway; the JCB DIESELMAX was the penultimate car to run today. In the run the rear engine went on to boost in first gear as planned, but in second gear the front engine didn’t pick up. Despite three attempts to bring the boost up, including de-clutching the rear engine, the front engine didn’t go onto boost. It had already been motored beyond the speed at which it will load up.

In simple terms the technical changes had transferred the rear boost problem on to the front engine. Top speed was 186mph.

The car was immediately taken back to airfield and in the heat of the early evening the team set to work on a mechanical change to the engine system. They faced working all night to manufacture a balance bar to connect the two boost systems. Tomorrow morning the new parts will be fitted and some electronic control system changes installed.

The JCB has completed its fourth consecutive day of running on the salt.

4 August 2006 - Andy clocks up 190mph in JCB Max

A long yellow missile sped along the runway, straight as a die, almost silently, like a golden arrow. The car is the JCB Diesel Max Streamliner in action on its first public outing.

JCB Diesel Max

Andy Green, the fastest man on four wheels and the first driver to go supersonic, was behind the steering wheel – and as the speedo clocked 190mph he wore a quiet smile of satisfaction.

RAF Wittering on Monday was Grp Capt Green's home territory and JCB's target is to develop the fastest diesel engine in history. Andy, who normally flies 600mph Harriers, was the obvious choice to steer the yellow monster.

The isolated 1.6-mile runway at Wittering was also an obvious choice because its surface was said to be highly compatible with that of the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah where Andy, 44, broke the land speed record in 1997 with a drive of 763mph.

Now he will lead an attempt on the diesel land speed record later this year.

"It's amazing to think that an engine originally produced for tractors should become a possible world beater," he said.

Andy Green

"The Max reached 201mph on Sunday and, although we're not aiming for more than 190mph today, we believe it can do 235mph. The eventual aim is 300mph."

A full squad from JCB – aka J C Bamford Tractors of Cheshire – had been at Wittering over the weekend carrying out testing, revving and trials before Monday's double run in the full glare of publicity.

As the clutch of Press and TV crews gathered respectfully by the runway, the 600hp Max first completed a single supercharged practice sprint – accompanied, at a decent distance, by a small fleet of official cars – before tackling the serious business of two straight, timed runs.

First it appeared in the hazy distance like an avenging yellow torpedo. Then, slowly and steadily, it gathered momentum before whooshing past the onlookers at midpoint on the runway in seconds and racing into the distance.

The first official run recorded 181mph, but by the time its braking red parachute had sprouted for the last time to slow its speed the Max had comfortably clocked 190mph. It was a happy average.

"We're content with the way things went today," said Andy. "The weather was ideal and, apart from a half-hour hold-up when we changed electronic sensors after the trial run, it all went well."

The project is being wholly financed by JCB, with a design team under the aegis of former Rolls-Royce Cars doyen Dr Tim Leverton.

Archive News: 300mph JCB goes for land-speed record - 20 Apr 06

Construction-equipment maker JCB intends to break a land-speed record: a specially-built aerodynamic racer, featuring two 750bhp JCB444 diesel engines - one for each set of wheels - will take part in high-speed runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats later this summer.

The team, led by former record-holder Richard Noble and including current fastest man on earth Andy Green, is aiming for 300mph. This is some way off the 736.035mph achieved by Green in ThrustSSC in 1997, but would smash the current record (235.756mph) set for diesel-powered vehicles back in 1973.

JCB's chairman Sir Anthony Bamford said: 'I am passionate about the importance of engineering excellence to Britain and I see using the JCB engine for this record attempt as a fantastic way of showcasing what British engineers can do. The JCB444 has been acknowledged as a remarkable piece of engineering and this programme to build the world's fastest diesel-powered automobile is precisely the sort of technical challenge we should rise to.'

Green added: 'We will be following in the tradition of British record-breakers by running at the sport's spiritual home, the remarkable Bonneville Salt Flats. I am really looking forward to driving another British entry in the "300mph Club", and a diesel-engined, wheel-driven one at that.'

A THREE TON DIGGER

300mph digger gets shove from another JCB

20 April 2006

JCB today unveiled the JCB DIESELMAX vehicle with which it aims to break the world land speed record for a diesel powered automobile in August 2006 at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.  Powered by a pair of advanced 4-cylinder, 5-litre JCB444-LSR diesels, developed with the support of Ricardo, the JCB DIESELMAX boasts the world’s highest specific power diesel engines used in any automobile application

Ricardo is proud to have been selected by JCB as the engine development partner for the JCB DIESELMAX vehicle as well as providing support to the programme. In addition to its advanced diesel engineering expertise, Ricardo applied its state-of-the-art powertrain computer aided engineering software to the task of assisting JCB in the development of the advanced JCB444-LSR engines which power the JCB DIESELMAX.  Ricardo was also able to draw upon extensive knowledge and experience of the engine architecture which forms the basis of the JCB444-LSR engines as a result of its previous role as concept engineering partner on the production JCB444 engine from which the land speed record engines are developed and with which they share many components. 

The resulting JCB444-LSR engines exhibit many of the technologies which are likely to form the basis of the next generation of high performance, low-emissions diesel engines in both automotive as well as heavy-duty applications. The results are truly impressive and the headline figures speak for themselves: with each delivering peak power of 750hp and torque of 1500Nm the engines are over five times the power of the production version and at 150hp/litre, they exceed even motorsports applications as the world’s highest specific power diesels.  At the same time the JCB DIESELMAX engines retain excellent fuel efficiency and very low emissions through the use of advanced combustion control and diesel particulate filter technology. 

Diesel Max, l'auto più veloce del mondo

Il pilota Andy Green tenterà di superare il record dei 482 km l'ora

8/8/2006

Il pilota Andy Green a fianco a Diesel Max

Correrà sulla pista statunitense di Bonneville, nello Utah, con un obiettivo: puntare al record di 482 chilometri l'ora. È la Diesel Max, l'auto più veloce del mondo studiata per volare anche a 500 km l'ora. A guidarla, sarà ovviamente un uomo da primato, Andy Green, matematico, ex colonnello della Raf e vero top gun dei Phantom e dei Tornado.

Grazie alla sua forma allungata, questa auto da record assoluto si è già conquistata il nome di «siluro» e, causa appunto la sua lunghezza, non è potuta entrare nella galleria del vento per i test d'obbligo. Ma i tecnici non si sono persi d'animo. Così, per verificare se la struttura era all'altezza del primato che il veicolo vuole conquistare, hanno inventato da capo a piedi un software tutto per lei.

A realizzare la freccia delle piste per quattro ruote è stata la britannica Jcb, uno dei principali costruttori mondiali di macchineda cantiere e per l'edilizia che questa volta, sottolinea il periodico diretto da Jacopo Loredan, ha costruito un veicolo battezzato già «il diesel più veloce del pianeta», capace di toccare le 300 miglia orarie, cioè 482 km/h.

L'auto da record sfrutta non uno ma ben due motori a quattro cilindri da 750 cavalli ciascuno e, dalle motoscavatrici alla formula uno da guinness, l'azienda britannica ha realizzato un veicolo che, nonostante le sue prestazioni, sviluppo appena 2500 giri. Nel suo serbatoio la Jcb Diesel Max ha solo 9 litri di carburante, ma usa 250 chili di ghiaccio al posto del radiatore.

Il pilota Andy Green, che porterà l'auto sul podio dei primati mondiali, è il primo uomo ad aver sfondato nel 1997 il muro del suono a bordo di un veicolo lanciato nel deserto di Black Rock, in Nevada, alla folle velocità di 1.227,986 chilometri l'ora. Per battere il nuovo record con «il siluro», Green dovrà affrontare un tratto di 9 miglia di pista pari a 14,5 chilometri per due volte in un'ora, tentando così di superare il precedente record che ha visto la stessa auto lanciatoa a 379,413 chilometri l'ora.

La sfida è prevista per il prossimo mese e, siccome l'auto ha un telaio da record lungo ben 9 metri che non si può smontare, Green è pronto a partire per States con ben 27 tra ingegneri e meccanici, carichi di 20 tonnellate di attrezzature.

In every corner of the world you'll find a JCB machine. JCB is one of the world's top five privately-owned manufacturers of construction equipment. JCB employ over 5,000 people on 4 continents and sell products in 150 countries through 1,000 dealer locations.

Throughout their 60 year history, we have always invested heavily in research and development, keeping JCB at the cutting edge of innovation.

Today, JCB has some of the finest engineering facilities across the globe, boasts a range of more than 220 machines and maintains a reputation for unrivalled customer service.  JCB, is a world-class company. Visit www.jcb.com.

JCB DIESELMAX PRESS OFFICE

Amanda Gadeselli
T: +44 (0)20 7384 8701
E: amanda.gadeselli@fingal.co.uk

Peter Panarisi
T: +44 (0)20 7384 8720
E: peter.panarisi@fingal.co.uk

North America

Brendan Prebo
T: +1 313 6831155
E: bprebo@asgren.com

JCB WORLD COMMUNICATIONS

Daniel Ward
T: +44 (0)1889 59 3602
E: daniel.ward@jcb.com

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