AUDI QUATTRO S1E2
RACE TO THE CLOUDS WITH EPS
BUILT WITHOUT LIMITS
This is not the first time that EPS has taken on the mighty Pikes Peak. In 2013 Dave Rowe raced to the clouds in his Mitsubishi
Lancer IX EVO RS with the support of his father and brother Jason. Packing a punch of 750bhp he achieved a successful 2nd in
Time Attack and 9th overall, an unbelievable result not only considering it was his first ever attempt but the fact EPS had no factory backing and the car was built in his own time on a limited budget.
The following year EPS commitments and a lack of funding meant that Dave could not justify a second attempt , however he was called upon by a French team to fly out to Colorado and help maintain their Porsche. Sadly on only the first day out Dave received the devastating news that his beloved brother had unexpectedly passed away at the age of only 41.
As one can only try to imagine, this type of loss is not something you get over but only learn to live with. Pikes Peak wasn't only a dream for Dave but it is now a very poignant reminder of the memories shared between him, his brother & father. EPS's newly built Quattro S1 was put together by dave as a fitting tribute to his brother and as such given the nickname of "Ray" after his brothers middle name (Raymond).
SPECIFICATION - BRIEF OVERVIEW
MANAGMENT
MoTeC M150 ECU & C127 Dash
BODY
Carbon Kevlar Group B Bodykit
07K 2.5Ltr 800Bhp
Alcon 380mm 6 Pot GT Calipers
18X10.5" Rotiform LSR's
Ceramic coated Stainless Steel Side Exit System
ENGINE
EXHAUST
BRAKES
WHEELS
BODYSHELL
Having already built a Quattro S1 previously (all be it with a V8 NA engine) Dave had already gained extensive knowledge on
just where to start, required improvements and pitfalls when taking on such a build.
Dave began this project in very much the same way as Audi did back in the 1980's, with two cars! He took the front end of a Audi 80 and coupled it together with the rear end of a Quattro Coupe. Couple this with a fully integrated T45 roll cage and then seam weld the shell and you have the foundations for a SWB, light and agile race car!
Wanting to stay true to the Group B legend’s aesthetics Dave opted for the full Group B bodykit. Weight was saved by having it constructed in carbon-Kevlar wherever possible. The windows are all polycarbonate items too, complete with WRC-style sliding openings. Quick-release door hinges allow the Quattro’s openings to be accessed easier for maintenance too.
The Quattro’s sizeable overbite is thanks to the large front wing, providing much-needed downforce and front end grip, but lets not forget about the rear! The comically big dual-plane rear wings are completely functional, adjustable in angle to control exactly how the air flows over the back of the car, and how the downforce is applied.
Even the roof serves a greater purpose than shielding the occupants from any inclement weather – a large scoop directs air towards the back of the car and down into the Quattro’s rear-mounted, dual-pass radiator and oil cooler setup.
CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR
The EPS Quattro’s large front and rear overhangs give it a deceptive sense of scale, but it’s not until you see the car in profile that you can appreciate just how short the wheelbase is – just 86 inches in fact. For comparison, that’s shorter than a Ford Ka, new Fiat 500, and Suzuki Jimny. It’s barely much more than a Toyota iQ!
Rather than opt for the period-correct wheels, Dave decided to depart from the old and embrace the new with a set of 18×10.5-inch Rotiform LSRs. It might seem a controversial, or strange decision to run what many consider a relatively large street/show wheel on a race car, but Rotiform offered Dave a custom-specced, lightweight, three-piece forged solution that allowed for a substantial braking setup and suited the car perfectly.
Doing a terrible job of hiding behind the spokes are a gigantic set of Alcon GT calipers and discs, with a 380mm 6-pot setup up front and 355mm 4-pot setup at the back. Coupled with a Bosch Motorsport ABS system, there’s plenty of stopping power considering the car only just tips the scales at 1,000kg!
Road-holding is quite important when you’re doing your best not to fall off a mountain at speed, so KW Suspensions was called upon to provide a set of its 3-way Competition dampers with remote reservoirs.
Heavy-duty Audi Works front strut tops were employed, as per the original S1E2 allowing for quick changing between tarmac and gravel setups, and underneath the car custom Works-style suspension arms keep the alignment in check all around. The EPS Quattro has been built to take some serious abuse.
Slide into the hot-seat and a Tilton 600 pedal box awaits your commands. Your right hand finds the sequential shifter, linked down to a Drag Power Systems 01e sequential gearbox that was built for Dave using custom ratios specifically suited for the climb.
Plentiful boost is provided by a AET Precision 6466 unit, again ceramic-coated, controlled by a Turbosmart 4-port boost control unit and Turbosmart Hyper-Gate45 wastegate. A large custom intercooler sits at the front of the engine bay and Vibrant clamps keep the boost where it should be.
EPS Motorsport’s business is engine management and tuning, so naturally Ray is in good hands. It also means that there’s more electronics, sensors and engine management gadgets in Ray than the original S1’s engineers could ever dream of. The EPS Motorsport loom, crafted by Dave’s fair hands, is a meticulously-prepared example of exemplary organisation. At the centre of the operation is a MoTeC M150 ECU and C127 colour display.
Throughout the car are a plethora of KA Sensors which allow Dave to log every tiny variation in boost, turbo speed, clutch engagement, braking, throttle, and even suspension travel. This all hooks in to a built-in camera system that can overlay this information in real time.
One particular point of note here is the turbo speed sensor. Keeping an eye on turbo speed and air temperature, it allows Dave to monitor and make allowances for variations in air temperature and density when climbing Pikes Peak, and adjust boost pressure to suit as the altitude increases and air becomes less dense. Trick stuff indeed.
Ignition on and the MoTeC control panel and display lights up – this gives Dave all of the car’s vitals and can be cycled through numerous screens and readouts. When the Quattro barks to life the noise is immense.
Sticking true to the ethos of the project of bringing the S1 bang up to date, it might be a five-cylinder turbocharged powerplant, but that’s not the sound of the original 2.1-litre you hear.
The EPS Quattro’s modern heart is a fully built 2.5-litre five cylinder O7K engine from an Audi TT-RS. Internally, the engine has been treated to CP forged pistons, I-beam rods and custom cams and runs a 11.0:1 compression ratio. Dave has retained the variable valve timing on the inlet cam, which brings power in nice and early.
The motor uses +2mm oversized valves on both inlet and exhaust sides, with air being fed in through a custom inlet manifold and an 82mm Bosch drive-by-wire throttle body and exhaust gasses sent packing down a custom ceramic-coated stainless system.
Credit and thanks to Speedhunters & Jordan butters for the original article and images.
http://www.speedhunters.com/2017/04/eps-motorsport-s1e2-quattro-returns-to-pikes-peak/
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