Jamie Chadwick joins Extreme E with Veloce Racing

Jamie Chadwick is joining Team Veloce for the inaugural season of Extreme E beginning next March, as one of 20 drivers competing in this brand new off-road all-electric SUV series … yep; you read it right!

Extreme E is a new motorsport series, created with climate awareness and eco principles built-in from the ground-up (no pun intended), and promises to offer something truly unique in the world or motorsport. Founded by Spanish businessman and ex-politician, Alejandro Agag, the series already has some big names on-board; Lucas di Grassi (former Formula E champ), Andre Lotterer (three-times Le Mans champ), and Katherine Legge, (seasoned Formula E, IndyCar/ChampCar, and DTM racer), to name a few. And then there’s team X44, founded by a certain Lewis Hamilton … hmm … name sounds familiar …

Alejandro Agag

Jamie is racing for the Veloce Racing team (fantastic name, but we are biased … and no relation, sadly) which was founded by none-other than Adrian Newey and Jean Eric-Vergne. Currently, two other female racers are confirmed; the UK’s Catie Munnings and Sara Price from the US.

The series aims to provide a fantastic spectacle, and one that could, perhaps, be a little more relatable for many people, than some race series. All-electric SUVs help not only to reduce fossil fuel use, but also create a filter-down effect for technology, much as other formulas have led to improvements in consumer vehicles. Using SUVs presents viewers with a more familiar vehicle than the extreme tech of F1 and Formula E, and could help bring a broader range of viewers to the sport. With SUVs being the biggest selling, and biggest growing auto market, bringing down its eco footprint could have a big effect on reducing fossil fuel use.

NOT your typical SUV.

As well as utilising all-electric SUVs, the series consulted experts in the fields of ecology and environmental science to ensure that it has minimal environmental impact. There will even be a team of scientists travelling with the race teams, investigating the effects of climate change in each location.

Further lessening the eco burden, people and equipment will be ferried to each region in RMS St Helena, an ex-Royal Navy cargo vessel modified to act as a floating paddock. And as if that wasn’t enough, the series is drawing up plans to leave lasting legacies in the areas it visits, with tree-planting, clean-up operations, and renewable energy initiatives.

RMS St Helena, Extreme E transport vessel

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Extreme E – certainly for traditional motorsports fans – is that there will be no track-side spectators. Instead, the entire series will be broadcast on TV and streamed online, with filming carried out by drones.  For viewers, the spectacle promises to be a feast for the eyes. If the trick shots and flyovers made possible by drone cams aren’t exciting enough, each race location will offer a very different environment for racing – from steamy rainforests, and frozen glaciers, to arid deserts, each being a 'poster child' for the effects of global heating and ecological damage.

Last year, Jamie showed her mettle by taking the championship crown in the female-only W Series. Sadly, the Covid pandemic brought a halt to this year’s W Series action, but it’s due back on track in 2021. Extreme E announced in April that there would be an equal number of male and female drivers, making it a rare opportunity to race against the opposite sex; as Jamie told BBC Sport:

"It's huge. It's amazing what Extreme E have done with the format they have chosen. It’s exciting for me because it gives me this opportunity - it's the same for everyone, 100% fair.

"It's such a male-dominated sport. There are so few females, that you have to take that responsibility [of being a female role model]. But I'm always just focused on doing the best job I can possibly do."

Jamie’s involvement in the sport has also had a knock-on effect on her own awareness of ecological issues, already making a positive impact on her own actions:

"I've definitely been made more aware of climate issues, with a lot of stats and things I wasn't aware of before. I try to do everything I can to help in my own life, such as scootering everywhere."

Jamie’s journey hasn’t always been smooth running, but with a W Series championship under her belt, Extreme E on the horizon, momentum continues to gather for Jamie, and with eight W Series races supporting the 2021 F1 season, the opportunity to add vital points to her Superlicence is just around the corner. Heaven knows it’s about time we saw a female racing driver in F1 again; the last to race was Lella Lombardi, in 1976.

We’d like to wish Jamie – and the brilliantly named Veloce Racing – the best of luck in the inaugural Extreme E season. We’ll be watching and cheering come March 2021 – and as they say on social #VivaVeloce !

Find out more about Extreme E and Jamie’s latest challenge, on the BBC at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/55061262

Visit Jamie’s site http://jamiechadwickracing.com for all the latest news from Jamie, and the Veloce Racing site https://www.veloce-racing.com

Find out the what, when, and how of Extreme E at https://www.extreme-e.com

An old classic gets a modern makeover

One of Jaguar's most iconic cars, the E-Type, is set to make a comeback with a new electric version approved to go into production, and available to buy from summer 2020. 

No doubt spurred on by the fact that Prince Harry whisked his new bride, Megan Markle,  to their wedding reception in an E-Type Zero back in May, Jaguar Land Rover announced that Jaguar Classic – a unit of the firm that specialises in restoring vintage models – will convert E-Types to electric power at its Classic Works facility in Coventry. 

"We've been overwhelmed by the positive reaction to the Jaguar E-Type Zero concept. Future-proofing the enjoyment of classic car ownership is a major stepping stone for Jaguar Classic. The E-Type Zero showcases the incredible heritage of the E-Type, and the expertise and craftsmanship of Classic Works, while demonstrating Jaguar Land Rover's dedication to creating Zero emission vehicles across every part of the business, including Jaguar Classic."

– Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Director. 

For those hoping to turn their classic eco-friendly, an EV conversion service for existing E-Type owners will also be offered. To preserve the authenticity of the base vehicle, the EV conversion will be fully reversible.

The concept

The idea behind the Jaguar E-Type Zero is that not only will it drive, handle, ride, brake and look like an E-Type, it will also offer quicker acceleration than the original Series 1 E-Type. Jaguar Classic plans to target a range in excess of 170 miles for all-electric E-Types, helped by the car's low kerb weight and aerodynamics. The concept vehicle is powered by a 40kWh battery, which can be recharged in six to seven hours. 

An electric powertrain with single-speed reduction has been specially designed for the E-Type, utilising many Jaguar I-PACE components. Its lithium-ion battery pack has the same dimension, and similar weight, to the standard E-Type's six-cylinder petrol XK engine, and is in the same location.  The electric motor lies just behind the battery pack, in place of the E-Type's gearbox. 

An electric powertrain with similar weight and dimensions to the outgoing petrol engine and transmission means that the car's structure, including suspension and brakes, has not changed. This simplifies the conversion, keeping the driving experience in line with the original vehicle. 

We're still quite a way off from these environmentally friendly E-Types, so to tide you over until then, why not check out our latest book on the model? Jaguar E-Type Factory and Private Competition Cars takes a detailed look at the racing E-Type: an exciting and important aspect of Jaguar's history. And who knows, maybe an E-Type Zero will be seen at races of the future? 

What goes around …

Whether through its practical cars and SUVs, or the evergreen MX-5, Mazda is a pretty familiar marque to most road users. Many of you will also be aware of its rich motorsport history, too, being particularly famed for its use of Wankel rotary engines, both in its road- and track-going cars – and, of course, for winning the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours with its rotary-engined 787B.

Mazda's rotary engines have always had a reputation for compact power (and a bit of a thirst), and have been used in a number of different models, going back to 1967. The RX-8 of 2012 was the last consumer vehicle to be powered by one of its super-smooth rotary engines.

Of course, concept cars rarely make it to the road as-is – if at all – but a peek at the specs are quite promising … and, to top it all, Mazda filed a patent in early 2016, for a direct-injection, turbocharged, rotary unit, which could top the 400hp mark … surely more than 'generator' spec?

Recently, Automotive News reported that Mazda is once again developing a rotary engine, and it could make it into production cars as soon as 2019. Actually, Mazda never stopped working on its rotary engines, it just scaled back development. So, will we start to see these high-revving units back on the roads? Well … sort of …

Most of the big automotive developments, these days, centre around new powertrain tech, so it’s probably no surprise that Mazda are investigating using rotary engines as generators for hybrid EVs. Mazda has form here, with its battery-powered 2013 Mazda2 concept car, which used a tiny 330cc rotary as a generator.

EVs and hybrid market share is increasing all the time, and will soon outstrip sales of traditional internal combustion (IC) engine cars, but, whilst they’ve come-on in leaps and bounds over the last few years, current electrical storage capacities are only just getting close to providing the range available from even modest IC engines – at least, not in a manner that most mortals can afford.

Because of this, ’range-extending’ is the name of the game for EV and hybrid vehicles, and this is where a Mazda rotary can help. Having a small-capacity, light, and – compared to a traditional reciprocating engine – simple rotary, generating power for electric motors, means longer ranges, fewer emissions, and, hopefully, cheaper vehicles.

So, whilst we haven’t seen the end of Mazda’s rotary offerings just yet, they won’t be returning in quite the same guise as before. But, there is still a glimmer of hope for such a vehicle. The Tokyo Motor Show concept RX-Vision, shown in 2015, teased a possible return for the rotary engine that could actually make it into production, and even compete favourably with such cars as the Alfa Romeo 4C, Jaguar F-Type, or Porsche Cayman. 

So, whilst we’ll likely see rotary engines make an appearance in Mazdas relatively soon, it may be a little longer before we see a Porsche-bothering rotary powered Mazda on the roads … but keep yours eyes and ears open … Mazda are still working on it …

If you’re a Mazda maven, or a rotary votary, we’ve a fine selection of books to whet your appetite …

From Brian Long, comes RX-7 – Mazda’s Rotary Engine Sports Car. This is a new edition of the definitive international history of Mazda’s extraordinarily successful Wankel-engined coupés and roadsters. It covers every RX-7, up to the end of production and introduction of the RX-8, and is packed with advice on buying your own RX-7, plus coverage of the RX-7 in motorsport, and production figures – not to mention plenty of colour photos, including advertising and sales literature. Japanese Performance had this to say: 

"Lavishly illustrated with 425 photographs, Brian Long’s definitive history of the RX-7 provides an in-depth insight into this mega Mazda. A ‘must have’ tome to grace the coffee table of any Japanese sports car enthusiast."

SKU: V5133 Format: Paperback Spec: 25x20.7cm • £32.50 • 216 pages • 425 colour and b&w pictures ISBN: 978-1-787111-33-2 UPC: 6-36847-01133-8 More info…

Marc Cranswick's Mazda Rotary-engined Cars – From Cosmo 110S to RX-8 is a complete history of Mazda’s rotary-engined vehicles, charting the challenges, sporting triumphs, and critical reactions to a new wave of sports sedans, wagons, sports cars ... oh, and trucks. As Evo magazine says: 

"A valuable asset to anyone who considers themselves a fan of either rotary engines or Mazda as a brand."

SKU: V4943 Format: Hardback Spec: 25x20.7cm • £40 • 192 pages • 233 colour pictures ISBN: 978-1-845849-43-6 UPC: 6-36847-04943-0

And finally, our very own Drive Guide Guru, Julian Parish, is no stranger to rotary engines, having extensive ownership experience of an RX-8. He has put his real-world experience and knowledge into Mazda RX-8 – All models 2003 to 2012, The Essential Buyer's Guide, so if you're looking to buy an RX-8, either a first gen or second gen, including the R3, you'd be crazy not to read this first. Practical Classics' opinion: 

"Gives you expert advice, essential if you’re considering taking the plunge."

SKU: V4867 Format: Paperback Spec: 19.5x13.9cm • £12.99 • 64 pages • 100 pictures ISBN: 978-1-845848-67-5 UPC: 6-36847-04867-9

SaveSave
SaveSaveSaveSave