User:AlexJ/Sandbox5

Williams FW15C CVT Test Car

Category	Formula One
Constructor	Williams
Designer(s)	Patrick Head Adrian Newey
Technical specifications
Chassis	carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Suspension (front)	pushrod, Williams hydropneumatic active suspension system
Suspension (rear)	pushrod, Williams hydropneumatic active suspension system
Engine	Renault RS5 67-degree V10 naturally aspirated
Transmission	Van Doorne Transmissie continuously variable
Fuel	Elf
Tyres	Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrants	Canon Williams Renault
Notable drivers	David Coulthard
Debut	-
Races Wins Poles F/Laps 0 0 0 0
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

The Williams FW15C CVT Test Car was a prototype Formula One car built as a collboration between Williams Grand Prix Engineering and Van Doorne Transmissie. The car was based upon the standard Williams FW15C but with the semi-automatic six-speed transmission replaced by a continuously variable transmission.

A working car was built and successfully tested. The use of continuously variable transmission was banned by Formula One's governing body, the FIA, before it had a chance to race. Currently, the car resides at #xyz# in #hij#.

Development

Emery Hendriks of Van Doorne Transmissie first contacted Patrick Head, Williams' technical director in 1991 with a proposal to adapt CVT for use in Formula One. VDT had previously attempted to form a partnership with Ferrari in 1979, but resources that were intended for the CVT project were redirected towards development of a turbo-charged engine and the partnership was abandoned in 1980.

VDT and Williams agreed to proceed with their project, and VDT set about creating a transmission that could handle the power output by a Formula One engine,typically in excess of 700 bhp (520 kW). The aim was to design a transmission that would last for four hours of running (Formula One races run for no longer than two hours). The ratio span, that is the largest ratio divided by the lowest ratio was 2.5.

Development of the transmission took a year and a half before being ready for testing on track. David Coulthard, then Williams' test driver, drove the car at Pembrey Circuit,

"When I enter the corners it's so smooth, we have none of the downchanges to make because the car is making the changes itself and it proves that the machine is working better than man because it can make smoother gear changes than I can."

David Coulthard, describing his experience of driving the CVT Test Car

The Formula One technical regulations are the set of rules used to establish eligibility of a car to race in a World Championship event. For their 1994 revision the FIA, Formula One's governing body, added a regulation stating "the minimum number of forward gear ratios is 4" and "The maximum number number of forward gear ratios is 7". This effectively banned CVT systems, which provided an infinite number of gear ratios, from Formula One.