Engineering Capacity | COMPOSITES
Making a Lamborghini faster Envisage group has helped 7X design create a 270mph carbon fibre-bodied hypercar, the Rayo, takes as its starting point a Lamborghini Huracan. The finished car took to the track for the first time at this year’s Supercar Fest: The Runway on 29 May. Translating as ‘lightning’ in Spanish, Rayo is the latest project from bespoke vehicle creator 7X Design. The super-enhanced 1900bhp Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 took to the 1km runway reaching 190 mph as the coachbuilt carbon fibre body, engineered by Envisage Group, stood out as an exemplar of hypercar engineering. Now in its third year, Supercar Fest is the fastest growing supercar event in the UK. Much of the focus was on the everpopular First Point Hypercar Zone where the Rayo went headto-head with more than 50 unique vehicles, impressing the audience with its combination of speed and striking aesthetic. Rayo’s twin-turbocharged V10 engine produces an incredible 1900bhp – compared to the standard car’s 610bhp. Yet the true differential is the aerodynamic body with a drag coefficient Cd of just 0.279 – a significant 28.5% better than the original. Envisage’s coachbuilding expertise has supported the extensive improvements to performance. Envisage is known within the JULY 2022
automotive sector for supporting vehicle development for everyone from start-ups to OEMs. 7X Design is a specialized automotive designer and project manager that creates one-off vehicles of the highest standard. The team at Envisage had previously worked with 7X Design on a project in 2019 and was first choice to coachbuild the Rayo. Envisage collaborated with 7X Design throughout the process, providing engineering on the provided 3D designs after handscanning the base vehicle to produce a full 3D model. The team then set to work engineering each individual panel, manufacturing the carbon fibre components and assembling the vehicle to match the design to sub-millimetre accuracy, and the integrity needed for 270 mph plus speeds. Before the final build, the advanced paint technologies division painted all components in Sport Orange. Since being established in 2009, Envisage Group grew on the back
of its ability to respond to changing customer requirements. With four sites in Coventry, together with offices in India and the US, the group has become a coachbuilder for automotive clients around the world. Tim Strafford, Envisage Group CEO, said: “Supercar Fest was a fantastic event and highlighted just what we’re capable of. The Rayo is a remarkable vehicle and we’re very proud to have played such a key role in its creation. Our relationship with 7X Design goes from strength to strength and we relish every challenge.” After reaching a top speed of 278 mph in testing, the next goal is to hit 300 mph. 8 envisagegroupltd.com www.engineeringcapacity.com
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