LoveFab headed back to Pikes Peak with NSX-based heathen [w/video]
Tue, 02 Apr 2013
Loveland's chariot of choice is officially dubbed "Turbo by Garrett/LoveFab Pikes Peak Enviate" and is loosely based on an Acura NSX. All of the stock Japanese components have been swapped for LoveFab-built pieces with the exception of the subframes and suspension.
With a dry-sump LS1 V8, chromoly-tube chassis and a full carbon fiber body, the car is about as wild as they come. With around 800 pound-feet of torque on hand and a curb weight of under 2,000 pounds, the machine should give the mountain a run for its money. The team is expected to begin testing Enviate beginning May 1. You can check out a quick interview with Loveland in the video below along with the full press release.
Turbo by Garrett and LoveFab, Inc. set to take on the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.
LoveFab Inc. Prepares its "Enviate" Unlimited Car to Battle at 14,110 Feet
(Traverse City, MI - March 19, 2013)- Turbo by Garrett has signed on as Title Sponsor for the LoveFab Pikes Peak car, now dubbed, the "Turbo by Garrett/LoveFab Pikes Peak Enviate."
"In 2012, LoveFab Inc. showed tenacity and the true spirit of motorsports by overcoming multiple set-backs during the whole race week in their rookie year and finishing one of the toughest motorsport events in the world. This year, we are proud to announce that we will be giving full support to the LoveFab Inc. team as they bring to the table a lighter and more powerful Acura NSX-based machine to conquer Pikes Peak."
Recap of the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ICXPbivHWs
The "Enviate" to by driven by LoveFab's owner and professional driver, Cody Loveland, features a twin turbocharged, dry-sumped LS1 engine, ultra-lightweight chromoly tube-chassis and a full carbon fiber body. The only original "NSX" components are the subframes and suspension, literally everything else has been replaced by LoveFab-built components. The team is excited to use the lessons learned from the amazing Unlimited Class 2nd Place finish that Cody was able to capture his rookie year at the 90th Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.
"We can't express our pride to be a part of the Turbo by Garrett family once again for 2013. Garrett's team witnessed first hand our commitment to racing, our sponsors, and our drive for constant improvement, so they wanted to be a larger part of the growing LoveFab team. We have three full time fabricators that work a standard eight hour day on LoveFab's projects, and then pull double-duty as fabricators for the race team until midnight or later every day of the week. I'm so thankful to be surrounded by such a fantastic team that's as driven as I am to the race program. This is significant, because the first week of March 2013, I made the decision to step it up another notch, and build a tube chassis tub to replace the caged NSX tub. The ~400lb weight reduction will put the car in a competitive power-to-weight zone, which many of the other Unlimited Cars will be running within. Our goal is to fall somewhere in the 800lb/ft torque range, while still tipping the scales at just under 2000lbs. One of the lessons learned last year was that you need torque to pull the car out of the corners, hence our swap to a V8 powerplant. The car is slated to begin testing May 1st, so we have our work cut out for us to hit this goal."
Cody and the LoveFab team 17 hour time-lapsed tube chassis construction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu_8taqGOB4
HRE Wheels will also be returning to the peak with us this year with its C106S three-piece wheels. "HRE Wheels saved us last year. Our previous sponsor fell through at literally the last minute so HRE stepped up to save the day. The wheels that HRE built for us last year took a severe beating, with two offs during race week. However, they held up perfectly and will serve us well for the coming years."
Newcomers to the team are Continental Tires, Vibrant Power, and Mishimoto.
"Vibrant Power has been a huge asset to the team in all aspects of the build. From fabrication materials, to fluid control components, Vibrant Power produces a huge array of products, and has signed on for supplying a huge chunk of the build. We use Vibrant Power's products every day in the shop and they are a crucial part of why our products have such a great success rate. Furthermore, Vibrant Power has signed on to support the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, and have also agreed to house the LoveFab team on Pit row for race week. A huge benefit to the Pikes Peak racing community, Vibrant Power will also be offering free welding support for anyone that's racing should they need it, so a huge thank you to Vibrant Power for supporting this race. All competitors who need assistance are urged to ask for help, if they need it.
Mishimoto is another of our largest supporters. Mishimoto is the world leader in performance cooling products, and there is no better place to put their cooling to the test than at Pikes Peak. We always use Mishimoto products to keep our NSX builds cool, and have had nothing but success with them. Not only do we trust Mishimoto to cool our racecars, but we also use their products on our LoveFab Dodge, which saw the worst abuse of its life last year during race week. What most people don't realize is the race rigs have to drive up and down the Peak at least once per day, for five days straight. This is a brutal 4,500 foot climb from Highway 24, starting at 8,000 feet, and traveling all the way to the Devils Playground parking lot, at somewhere near 13,000 feet. The rigs are put through extreme abuse, in some cases, more-so than the racecars themselves. We have full confidence in Mishimoto cooling products, for all of our vehicles involved, and are excited to cross the worry of cooling issues off our long list of headaches.
Finally, Continental Tire has agreed to support our program for 2013. Continental's sticky tire compounds will be a crucial key to a successful year. The cold temperatures in the morning combined with the unlimited tire rule means we can choose the stickiest compound available and that means the tires will be able to be brought up to temperature more quickly. We are extremely excited to have Continental Tire in our arsenal of weapons for 2013".
"We're happy to be a part of LoveFab's team for the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb," said Travis Roffler, Director of Marketing for Continental Tire.
"Pikes Peak is a notoriously tough race, but we feel confident that our tires will give the LoveFab team the performance they demand to make it to the top of the mountain."
LoveFab's Pike Peak program is also supported by DHP Composites, TruckSkin, Driveshaft Shop, Canton Racing Products, TiAL Sport, NGK Sparkplugs, Gingerman Raceway, Motovicity Distribution, and CP/Carrillo. You can keep up with updates at LoveFab's Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/lovefab, and LoveFab's website, www.lovefab.com. We look forward to see you on the hill!
By Zach Bowman
See also: 2014 Acura MDX shows up exactly as expected, Acura recalling 76,000 TSX sedans in certain cold-weather states, Honda confirms 2014 Odyssey and Acura MDX for New York.