The Oldsmobile Aerotech engineering project, was designed as a get down to business model. At the cars introduction, Oldsmobile’s chief engineer, Ted Louckes said that the vehicle was not built primarily as a styling or a design exercise. Instead, it was meant to be a working test vehicle and a showcase for Oldsmobiles upcoming 1988 Quad 4 engine, which features four cylinders, double overhead camshafts, and 16 valves. The Aerotech Quad 4 motor was specially prepared with a high pressure turbo system capable of pumping 55 to 60 PSI, to EFI nozzles for each cylinder, and exotic electronic engine controls.
When the Aerotek, which had been under development for more than 2 years, was displayed in the privacy of southeastern Michigan Orchard Lake Country Club, Louckes and GM design engineers were tight-lipped regarding it’s precise technical points. Ditto for its intended use (“not for racing ” Louckes maintained), though the leading rumors were that Oldsmobile would attempt to capture the world’s closed-course speed record with the car.
The 1600 pound Aerotek 4-Piece body was constructed of carbon fiber and Kevlar and was created by the GM design staff, which used 1/3 scale models for some of the air flow testing. The single seaters main aerodynamic features included ground effects tunnels, a pair of huge ducts for the radiators, sealed wheel wells, a stationary rear wing, and a sloped undertail with the exhaust exiting from the center, Boeing Style.
Downforce may be varied by changing the air flow patterns in the car’s ground effect tunnel. A yaw correcting feature was built into the body design; the drag coefficient, may vary anywhere from the mid 0.20s to the low 0.30s. According to Oldsmobile the Aerotech had less drag and better downforce than most race cars.
Electronic readouts relay engine speed, Inlet manifold pressure, exhaust gas temperature and power output. Additional data reach the driver via an aircraft type heads up display. A final display panel at the cockpits leading Edge showed a bird’s-eye view of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway along with readouts for speed and ride height.
Was the Aerotech a serious threat? With spot-on handling sufficient horsepower wrung from its production-based engine, this project was the most radical Oldsmobile ever.
est vehicle and a showcase for Oldsmobiles upcoming 1988 Quad 4 engine, which features four cylinders, double overhead camshafts, and 16 valves. The Aerotech Quad 4 motor was specially prepared with a high pressure turbo system capable of pumping 55 to 60 PSI, to EFI nozzles for each cylinder, and exotic electronic engine controls.
eatures included ground effects tunnels, a pair of huge ducts for the radiators, sealed wheel wells, a stationary rear wing, and a sloped undertail with the exhaust exiting from the center, Boeing Style.
re and power output. Additional data reach the driver via an aircraft type heads up display. A final display panel at the cockpits leading Edge showed a bird’s-eye view of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway along with readouts for speed and ride height.
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