30 January 2020
Sixteen fourth years travelled to the Prodrive factory in Banbury. They had a fascinating visit where they saw some of the classic rally cars that Prodrive have produced over the years including a rally Porsche and Colin McRae’s classic Subaru Impreza. They learnt how the engineers work as teams to realise their goals. We also saw Aston Martins being prepared for Motorsport as well as the new hydraulics and wing system from a new (secret) hypercar. We saw classic engines being restored and also learnt about the green credentials of the business: when built they had the largest solar panel roof in Europe. Their dynamometer which measures the power output of the test engines runs a generator which feeds into the National Grid.
They are also developing and using new materials such as a composite based on flax, not carbon fibre which will be easier to recycle. We also saw hydraulic components from Britain’s America’s Cup yacht.