Super GT, Le Mans Victories in Japan and Spain Mark Stunning Weekend for Ricardo Transmissions

Ricardo high performance transmissions were used successfully last weekend by the winning teams in the Fuji Super GT 500km and Valencia Le Mans series 1000km races, underscoring the impressive reliability and performance of these advanced competition systems

The Autobacs Super GT series is the premier racing formula of Japan and is hotly contested by leading manufacturer teams including Nissan, Honda and Toyota. The 500km round three of the 2007 Autobacs Super GT series was held at the Fuji Speedway on May 5. This was the first race at which all five Nissan GT500 cars of the Nismo team have been fitted with their new Ricardo transmission, which is in its first year of use. The transmission's technology is based upon Ricardo's enviable record of sportscar racing and is the first time this has been demonstrated in the premier Super GT series. Richard Lyons and Satoshi Motoyama took first place, seconds ahead of teammates Michael Krumm and Tsugio Matsuda.

While Ricardo transmissions were contributing to race winning success in Japan, they were doing so in Europe, too. Competing in the Valencia Le Mans Series 1000km race on May 6, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP diesel of Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin took first place. This follows the victory three weeks previously at Monza for teammates Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gene in their identical car. The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP has a bespoke gearbox designed by Ricardo to suit the needs of its V12 diesel engine, capable of delivering substantial torque and power. Ricardo was uniquely experienced to design and develop this advanced transmission, having been responsible for the transmissions which powered Audi to five Le Mans 24 hour victories in the past seven years.

"We congratulate the Nismo and Peugeot teams on last weekend's successes," said Mark Barge, Ricardo director of high performance transmission systems, "and look forward to supporting them within these two competitive race series as the season progresses."

Ricardo plc: With technical centers in the UK, USA, Germany and the Czech Republic, and offices in Shanghai and Tokyo, Ricardo is a leading independent technology provider and strategic consultant to the world's automotive industries. The company's engineering expertise ranges from vehicle systems integration, controls, electronics and software development, to the latest driveline and transmission systems and gasoline, diesel, hybrid and fuel cell powertrain technologies. Its customers include the world's major vehicle, engine and transmission manufacturers, tier 1 suppliers and leading motorsport teams. Ricardo is committed to excellence and industry leadership in people, technology and knowledge; approximately 70 percent of its employees are highly qualified multi-disciplined professional engineers and technicians. A public company, Ricardo plc posted sales of 173 million pounds in financial year 2006 and is a constituent of the FTSE techMark 100 index -- a group of innovative technology companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Source: Ricardo