Electric powertrains are a lot like women - we ICE traditionalists with our masculine arrogance dismiss them as weak, inefficient, and inferior like a plug-in Prius, but then we find out that they can be absolutely BADASS doing something they wouldn't be expected to normally do, and do it far better than their male counterparts, as seen in works of absolute awesomeness like the McLaren P1, Mercedes-AMG Project ONE, and the new Tesla Model S, not to mention the current F1, Formula e, and WEC-LMP1 powertrains, and are simply blown away, scorched, in their wake licking the second-degree burns to our pride. As an engineering student (and car guy, duh) myself, I am tantalised by the potential of electric energy in making my set of wheels go that half a second (or more) quicker around a track while still conforming to emission regulations of today's polluted days of detremental climate change.
So, I thought, "Hey! Why not ressurect a rusty old s$%^box from India's poverty stricken 80's and make it a badass track monster that's as addictive to drive for a petrolhead as marijuana is to Snoop Dogg?" The *s-word*box in question is a 1995 Premier 1.38 D in my dad's garage, currently with ample rust bubbles and holes dotting its body, with the side skirts and wheel arches being beyond repair. The 1.38D may have taken the lifetime of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II to get to 100 kmph standing, but we do know that the 118NE series was essentially based on the Fiat 124 sedan from the 1970's, which, according to the great James May, was "a car as bouncy and lively as Tigger's honeymoon night", and if that wasn't reason enough, REAR WHEEL DRIVE BOIIII!!! Come on people, you don't get anything that isn't front wheel drive in our country for below 40 lakh, let alone 3 or 4).
Now, since having a big Lithium ion battery pack, like in hardcore hybrids as well as full EV's adds a great deal of weight (steel body, guys, I doubt it can get lighter than 850 kgs) and occupies space (which the car runs short of), and also, is an absolute liability for electric fires in case of an accident, including circuit overloading... *catches breath* I feel a full series or through-the-road powertrain would not be a good idea because it could mess up the handling and compromise on performance and driver involvement (I'd be saying goodbye to the good ol' stick shifter), here are the big changes regarding what I thought of doing (hope I'm not building too many castles in the air, PC racing sim game style):
Engine
A) 1.6 litre block from the older (and in every way better) Baleno, mated to a head from the Esteem. If I have to cut costs, then only the former. I've heard it's an amazing marriage of machinery and is quite popular among tuners.
B) 1.4 ivtec from the current gen or previous gen Honda City, or the 3rd generation City.
All in all, get around 200 hp from the engine itself and a tiny bit more from the electrical components.
Gearbox
Manual all the way! I'm a purist here. Since something like a six speed from say, a Mazda Mx5 would have to be imported and hence cost TOO much, I think I should be looking in the domestic market - Maruti parts, after all, have had a reputation for being insanely durable.
Turbo
I currently lack in-depth knowledge on turbocharger design, hence I'd initially go with what's popular among the tuner community. Now here's the fun part. Convert the turbo into an e-turbo (like an MGU-H used in Formula 1) by adding a coaxial motor-generator unit and a small battery pack to it.
Brakes
Discard those horrid vacuum-assisted brakes (because they don't work anymore haha
) and replace them with amateur racing pedigree hydraulic circuits with braided lines. Not just this, but also, a regenerative braking circuit on the front wheels (basically to act as front wheel drive stability on flooring it out of a corner) complete with two traction motors and a torque vectoring control unit. The picture's still pretty hazy though.
Steering
Get rid of the old worm and roller, and slip in a hydraulic-assisted rack and pinion system.
Weight reduction and suspension is something I'll have to think of much much later, when and if I actually start working on the car (after finishing college
), with the obvious priorities being lowering the CoG and reducing body roll and excessive spring compression, while maintaining sufficient grip through a corner. E-glass hood, boot-lid, wheel arches, and rear doors (front doors too, if I go for a fmsci-compatible rollcage) - I've had a little experience in fibreglass and FRP layups by vacuum bagging. I've also been playing around with ideas for aero mods already in my tough-to-come-by spare time - casual CFD muses and the like etc. etc.
Anyway, enough about me and my immensely superior genius! As a complete novice to making a simple project car or restoration project, let alone one this ambitious, in the petrolhead's hellhole that is our great motherland, I'd love to have all the advice I can get from you guys, especially the gurus out there. I'd like this discussion to include both advice as well as discussion on the hybrid project car scene in general. How much will a mostly self-made build cost me? What are the dangers and barriers (not just financial) involved in making a custom hybrid project car in India and even around the world? What about the eligibility of this powertrain in amateur Indian motorsport, such as autocross? Is there a cheap, quick way that this car can be deemed street legal so that I can use it as a daily drive too? What would the maintaince experience be like? The list of all my basic questions goes on and on. I'd be greatful for evey word of wisdom that you guys offer me. Feel free to debug, debunk, and analyse every word of what I typed in this post. Also, feel free to roast my immaturity and ambition! Let me know if you guys want any car pics (the car's real and it's a mess right now) and I'll post them as soon as I get home to click some photographs!