Matthew Scardino
Dr.Guenzel
ENC 1102-0044
3/8/2016
Research Dossier: Supercar Technology
Introduction
Researching the advancement of supercars from the beginning of the “sporting
road cars” in the 1940’s to the production of some of the fastest cars ever built has
brought to light copious amounts of information regarding the high end technology put
into creating the most expensive, and quick cars that are well known today. Arguably the
first supercar ever built, the Mercedes 300SL ‘gull wing’ was the fastest of its time. By
aiming to create the perfect racing car, many supercar manufacturers would aim for pure
power and light weight, which meant quick acceleration. This is shown especially well in
1965, when an American racer known as Caroll Shelby shoved a 427 v8 engine into an
extremely light British car, the AC Ace to produce the AC Cobra 427. The results were
astounding; the AC Cobra went on to be one of the fastest accelerating cars for
approximately 20 years! In 1974, the sharp looking Lamborghini Countach LP400 was
introduced to the supercar world. Known as the “king of supercars,” the straight edged
Countach is still well known today and was easily the most advanced supercar for nearly
15 years after its release. The 1980’s is when the supercar really took off; the prices
skyrocketed, more and more people desired to own some of the greatest vehicles ever
invented, and more technological innovations were being introduced to the supercar
industry.
Today, the most revolutionary vehicles being produced are emerging from
McLaren, Koenigsegg, and Tesla motorsports. In my research, I have found that
Matthew Scardino
Dr.Guenzel
ENC 1102-0044
3/8/2016
McLaren is one of the best supercars there is today. With “hyrdo-pneumatic suspension”
that adjusts everything from ride height to spring stiffness base on the road conditions,
weather, and the driver’s style of driving, the McLaren motorsports company is
revolutionizing the automotive industry. Next up is the Koenigsegg; a Swedish supercar
developed to meet the designer’s highest standards, plus some. The engine built for the
Koenigsegg CC still today has the greatest horsepower per cubic inch of the cylinder.
The innovative, aerodynamic design and insanely powerful engine created one of the
greatest supercars of all time. Last, but not least, Tesla Motors is an up and coming car
electric car manufacturer. With safe, high powered electric motors, the Tesla is one of
the first all electric supercars around. According to Elon Musk, the co founder and CEO
of Tesla Motors, the vision for Tesla as a company are to create not only electric
supercars, but affordable, electric family cars too! In researching these three automotive
marvels, the technology that goes into supercars is beginning to become more prevalent
and eventually will even be useable in the real world!
The target audience for this research paper would be teenagers to young adults,
from the ages of 15 to about 25 years old. Around the age of 15 is when students become
interested in their future, so by speaking about the technology placed into supercars, this
research paper may be able to spark an interest into those younger teens and make them
want to delve into the field of engineering in order to create bigger and better things then
their predecessors. The peak age is about 25, because if an engineer that is graduating is
looking for work to do, this research paper may be able to guide them to creating new
Matthew Scardino
Dr.Guenzel
ENC 1102-0044
3/8/2016
technologies for supercars. All in all, this paper will be created to provide, analyze, and
discuss the technologies that have been changing the supercar field today, and to provide
references to young engineers. Who knows, it might even inspire the next greatest
invention that can revolutionize supercars around the world!
Research Map
Research Question

Is the research put into supercar technology a good investment?

Does the technology put into a supercar make it better than another supercar?

How much have supercars improved, technology wise, since the first one?
Research

Library databases

Google Scholar

Magazine articles

Possibly interviews with people who work in the field
Keywords

Supercar Technology

Ferrari Technology

McLaren Technology

Koenigsegg

Carbon Fiber
Matthew Scardino
Dr.Guenzel
ENC 1102-0044
3/8/2016
Timetable
Annotated Bibliography
Abdulhak, Ismail, and Trent Andrew Smith. "The $845,000 Porsche 918 Hybrid Spyder:
Redefining the Supercar." DEAKIN PAPERS IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
ECONOMICS: 37.
An entry into this academic journal of business economics goes into great detail on the
Porsche 918 Hybrid Spyder. The authors provide detailed graphs plotting the savings
acquired by utilizing hybrid technology in a Porsche and how they can maximize the
profitability.
Matthew Scardino
Dr.Guenzel
ENC 1102-0044
3/8/2016
Amick, Marcus. "Go for a (2G!) Drive: McLaren P1 Supercar Boasts Revolutionary (and
F1 Banned) Tech." Digital Trends Go for a 2G Drive McLaren P1 Supercar
Boasts Revolutionary and F1 Banned Tech Comments. Deigntechnica Corp., 17
Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Marcus Amick, in this online article goes over the newest McLaren P1. A few of the
numerous highly advanced technologies on the P1 are said to be banned by Formula 1
racing!
"Engineering." Koenigsegg. Koenigsegg, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.koenigsegg.com/koenigsegg/engineering/>
This section of the official Koenigsegg website goes over the engineering process and
technologies that are used in the production of and on their supercars. Koenigsegg
touches on their powertrain, composites, electronics, and even the CAD software they
can use to show you how your car is coming along.
Flierl, Denis. "Ferrari Unveils More of the F70 Hybrid Supercar in Paris." TorqueNews.
Hareyan Publishing Company, 30 Sept. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.
Denis Flierl, in this article, explains the “new high-tech chassis” that the Ferrari F70
Hybrid is being built around. He covers how the chassis will have four different types of
carbon fiber in order to maximize efficiency and protection of the driver/ passenger.
Matthew Scardino
Dr.Guenzel
ENC 1102-0044
3/8/2016
Hong, Patrick. "Industry News." Road & Track. Hearst Communications INC., 11 Feb.
2011. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
This online article introduces the McLaren MP4-12C supercar in all of its glory. Hong
touches on the “MonoCell” body of the McLaren and its process of being molded
together to create a high-speed worthy frame. He also touches on the other weight saving
processes such as shortening the exhaust, and using a lithium ion battery instead of a
“lead-acid battery.”
Howard, Bill. "Ferrari’s New ‘mild Hybrid’ LaFerrari Supercar Produces 963 Hp."
ExtremeTech. Ziff Davis, Inc, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.
This article touches on the brand new Ferrari LaFerrari’s “HY-KERS” technology. This
stands for Hybrid Kinetic Energy Recovery System; in other words, this Ferrari has two
electric batteries that are powered from excess engine power or excess brake power.
"Supercar History - The Birth of a Supercar." SupercarWorld. Supercarworld, n.d. Web.
21 Mar. 2013. <http://www.supercarworld.com/cgi-bin/history.cgi>
This website page goes over the beginning of the supercar. From the 1954 Mercedes 300
SL’s fuel injected engine that provided it with 240 bhp and a top speed of 165 mph all the
way to the mid 80’s where Lotus began to emerge with their first supercar.
Matthew Scardino
Dr.Guenzel
ENC 1102-0044
3/8/2016
"Supercar History - The Hypercar." SupercarWorld. SupercarWorld, n.d. Web. 21 Mar.
2013. <http://www.supercarworld.com/cgi-bin/history2.cgi>.
The hypercar is a specialized supercar, so this website is an extension on the previous
page, “The Birth of a Supercar.” The hypercar page picks up in the 80’s with several
150+ mph cars and leads to the 2000’s where the Caterham was introduced as a
simplistic, light supercar.
Tingwall, Eric. "McLaren MP4-12C, Lexus LFA, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 and
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport." Editorial. Automobile Magazine July 2012: n.
pag. Automobile Magazine. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.
This magazine article from, Automobile Magazine, touches on the many new
technologies placed into the McLaren MP4-12C, the Lexus LFA, the Lamborghini
Aventador LP7004, and the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport.
"F1 Transfer To GT Cars." Ferrari. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.ferrari.com/English/GT_Sport%20Cars/RacingInnovation/Pages/F1
_to_GT.aspx>.
This website is made by Ferrari and provides several offshoot links that will explain their
different F1 technologies that they are utilizing in their new road cars. The links lead to
more information about the composite chassis, the gearbox, the brakes, aerodynamics,
engine, differential, and even the steering wheel!