Renault unveils Renault R27
Renault officially unveiled the new R27 in Amsterdam on Wednesday, complete with a new color scheme which retains some of the Renault tradition and embraces the team's new sponsors, ING.
New TEAM Logo:
The R27 is being called an "evolution" of the design philosophy which won back-to-back world championships in 2005 and 2006. The car features a new 'instantaneous gearchange' seven-speed gearbox, and has been designed with maximum set-up flexibility in order that its dynamic characteristics can be tuned to suit the Bridgestone tires that will be used by every team in 2007.
"We have enjoyed two seasons of remarkable success, but there is no complacency at all at Renault," said Technical Director Bob Bell.
"The aerodynamic packaging is even more sophisticated than in previous years, while the gains from our new gearbox have been significant on track. We have kept the mechanical configuration of the suspension consistent in order to understand as thoroughly as possible the demands of the new tires.
"Everybody is expecting an extremely competitive season in 2007, and we are confident that our proven track record of world championship success will prove a considerable asset in that battle.
The new car will be powered by the 2.4L V8 RS27 engine, which is based on the RS26 V8
engine that competed in the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix last season, and has been re-tuned in line with modifications permitted by the regulations for the new maximum rev limit of 19,000 rpm that will be imposed on all competitors.
"Although the engine will be called RS27, it contains just 10-percent new parts – compared to over 95% in previous years," explained the team's Deputy Managing Director (Engine) Rob White. "As always, our goal will be to achieve the only acceptable objective for a top-line Formula 1 engine: zero-defect reliability."
Giancarlo Fisichella returns to provide some continuity to the team and will be joined by rookie Heikki Kovalainen, who spent last season as a test driver with the team.
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Renault unveils R27
