Powertrain (2000-2005)
POWERTRAIN Limited was a very busy company between 2000 and 2005 - Keith Adams explains how it was working on an exciting range of developments which would have modernised MG Rover's engine line-up and powered that company’s cars confidently into the future...
A new range of petrol and diesel engines featured some very exciting technology and could well have transformed Powertrain into the engine supplier of choice for the British specialist car industry, while pushing MG Rover towards the forefront of its class.
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Camcon Technology Limited and IVA
Powertrain was also moving forwards with its advanced camless engines and plans for up-to-the-minute transmissions. The camless technology, known as Camcom, and licensed from Camcon Technology Limited, was still some way away from production (although Powertrain announced its use in future engine design to the media around the same time MG Rover went into administration), but the signs were positive and it still provides a tantalising look into the future of engine design.
The licence enabled Powertrain to develop a camless pre-production engine prototype, based on Camcon's digital actuator technology, and followed an 18-month research and development programme undertaken by Camcon and Powertrain Ltd, at Camcon laboratories in Harston, near Cambridge. The introduction of Camcon's digital actuator technology in Powertrain's engines would have allowed each valve of the engine to be independently controlled, have supported a number of lift positions, allowed for energy recovery to support low power consumption and provided low seating velocities to ensure durability and low noise.
Intelligent Valve Actuation (IVA), as the two companies named the product, was to be used in upcoming petrol and diesel engines and was developed specifically for Powertrain. Essentially, Camcon used a very high speed powerful stepper motor that could, in theory, replace the camshafts in high-speed Internal Combustion engines. It allowed for variable valve timing and lift and, rather than being controlled mechanically, it would have been controlled by an extremely powerful engine management system. Although Powertrain confidently spoke of the system being used in the next generation of engines, it was a long way away from production.
Anti-stability programs Nic Fasci: "We had a brand new stability program for 75 and ZT under development. There would have been different levels of intervention – dependent on the vehicle it was fitted on. It was rather good – it only really ever cut-in right at the edge of trouser/underwear changing activities... and I hate stability programmes with a vengeance.”
Antonov transmissions Another project underway was the extremely promising Antanov dual clutch five-/six-speed manual/automatic manual gearboxes. Powertrain was looking at two gearboxes: a five-speed, and a six-speed. Both were dual clutch – manual or semi-automatic. Two test cars with five-speed autos fitted were produced and, in these early stages of development only worked in very specific circumstances, such as on flat roads, in normal operating temperatures, and at part-engine loads.
Hybrids Work had been progressing well on the Hybrid cars and prototype build components were due to arrive at Powertrain in mid-April. In simple terms, the MG Rover system would accelerate the car to around 30mph, when the engine would automatically fire up and take over the load from the motor. The performance figures for this system were very impressive and a Powertrain prepared Rover 25 Hybrid could get from 0-60mph in an estimated 7 seconds yet, around town, would produce lower emissions and might lower fuel consumption. The Rover 25 was an adaptation of the MIRA produced hybrid MG TF 200 (pictured).
Methods production area
Nic Fasci worked closely on many projects within MG Rover. He explains what the 'Methods' build area is:
"Methods build is where all of the hand-built and prototype construction went on.
"Everything started life in there, from simple bumper/trim fittings, right up to engine and drivetrain builds. It was the area where all of the manufacturing feasibility studies went on, so there were car hangers, engine "stuff up" bogies etc. The crew of talented guys in here wrote things like assembly processes to make sure that the transition from hand build to production line build was a painless as possible.
"Interesting building and very un-assuming to look at but the things that came out of there were most interesting. Even some of the Rally cars started life in there! One of the first Streetwise cars emerged from there on a very windy day completely covered in camouflage and driven somewhere so that I could get homologation pictures of it with another couple of colleagues. It was a proper Ace Ventura driving moment, arms and heads out of the cars to see where we were going! Then it rained and we got soaked, but we got the pictures."
Thanks to various unnamed engineers, and Nic Fasci for their invaluable help in compiling this feature.
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