Advanced Engine Research
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Advanced Engine Research, Ltd. (commonly known by the abbreviation AER) is an auto racing engine manufacturer based in Basildon, Essex, England. Established in 1997, AER has developed winning engines for sports car, rallying, and open wheel racing.
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[edit] Products
AER has developed a wide variety of technical services for customers, including design, manufacturing, and testing of engine products, as well as electrical hardware and software through their LifeRacing division.
Since 1997, AER has developed five different complete engine, either built from scratch or heavily modified from production units, for customers, with varying configurations and applications, although most are used exclusively in sports car racing.
[edit] SR20
Evolution of the Nissan SR20 road car engine tuned for the Supertouring regulations, it was used by Ray Mallock, Ltd. in the works Nissan Primera in the British Touring Car Championship from 1997 to 1999, taking the manufacturers title in 1998 and 1999, and the 1999 drivers title with Laurent Aïello at the wheel.
The engine was also used in the Crawford Racing Nissans in the Swedish Touring Car Championship, taking the title in 2000 with Tommy Rustad. With the demise of Supertouring, the AER-tuned SR20 was used in the short-lived World Series Light, a junior division to the Nissan World Series. This engine is no longer in use.
[edit] P14
The AER P14 is a V6 engine developed from a production Nissan VQ engine. Initially built to 3.0 L, the P14 was homologated for use in sportscars fitting in the SR2 category of the FIA Sportscar Championship. Engines in this series were required to be at a maximum of 3000 cc and based on production units.
In 2002, the P14 was offered for use by the World Series by Nissan World Series, but was dropped in favour of a 3.5 L version developed by Solution F when it became the World Series by Renault. The P14 has fallen out of use in international competition, but can still be seen in the Italian Prototype Championship in the CN4 class.
[edit] P07
Created in 2000, the P07 was a new engine created in association with MG, based on their K-Series production unit for their entrance into sports car racing. However, unlike the P14, the P07 was a smaller 2.0 L inline-4, powered by a Garrett turbocharger, that could drive the engine to 500 hp (over 370 kW). Under the MG badge, the P07 was actually known as the MG XP20, yet MG's later exit from sports car racing led to the name being dropped.
The P07 is still in use in sports car series such as the American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in the LMP2 class. In 2003, an evolution kit raised the P07's power to 550 hp (410 kW).
[edit] P32T
Launched in 2006, the new P32T was an attempt by AER to move to the top Le Mans Prototype classes as well as offer itself a wide variety of options. The P32T V8 engine is actually able to be built from a range of 3.2 to 4.0 L (the maximum size allowed by 24 Hours of Le Mans rules), although it is currently used in a 3.6 L form configuration. Two Garrett turbochargers are used to bring the engine to its maximum allowable power output. In 2007, the P32T was upgraded with a direct injection system. A naturally aspirated variant, known as P32N, was also considered but never developed.
Dyson Racing and Chamberlain-Synergy Motorsport initially used the P32T in 2006, while in 2007 Courage Compétition has become a customer while Team Cytosport have taken over Dyson's former AER-powered prototype.
[edit] MZR-R
Designed as a replacement for the aged P07, the all-new MZR-R is an engine developed in conjunction with the motorsports arm of Mazda, Mazdaspeed. Although limited to 2.0 L displacement and using a single turbocharger, just like the P07, the MZR-R shares nothing from its predecessor, instead including some elements of the production Mazda MZR engine, including the DISI electronic fuel injection system.
B-K Motorsports of the United States debuted the MZR-R at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring, with AER planning to offer the MZR-R customers in 2008.
[edit] Racing success
AER engines have won the following championships or major races in its history:
- 1999 British Touring Car Championship drivers, manufacturers and teams championship with Vodafone Nissan Racing (Nissan SR20 engine tuning).
- 2000 Swedish Touring Championship drivers championship (Nissan SR20 engine tuning).
- 2000 Sports Racing World Cup SRL teams champion with Redman Bright (P14 engine).
- 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP675 class winner with Multimatic Motorsports (P14 engine).
- 2000 Grand American Road Racing Championship SRII teams champion with Archangel Motorsports (P14 engine).
- 2001 FIA Sportscar Championship SR2 teams champion with SportsRacing Team Sweden (P14 engine).
- 2001 Grand American Road Racing Championship SRII teams champion with Archangel Motorsports (P14 engine).
- 2001 24 Hours of Daytona SRII class winner with Archangel Motorsports (P14 engine).
- 2002 American Le Mans Series LMP675 teams champion with KnightHawk Racing (P07 engine).
- 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship SR2 teams champion with Lucchini Engineering (P14 engine).
- 2003 American Le Mans Series LMP675 teams champion with Dyson Racing (P07 engine).
- 2003 24 Hours of Daytona SRII class winner with Team Seattle/Essex Racing (P14 engine).
- 2004 American Le Mans Series LMP675 teams champion with Miracle Motorsports (P14 and P07 engines).
- 2004 Le Mans Endurance Series LMP675 teams champion with Courage Compétition (P07 engine).
- 2005 American Le Mans Series LMP2 teams champion with Intersport Racing (P07 engine).
- 2005 Le Mans Endurance Series LMP2 teams champion with Chamberlain-Synergy Motorsports (P07 engine).
- 2006 Le Mans Series LMP2 teams champion with Barazi-Epsilon (P07 engine).
- 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 class winner with Ray Mallock, Ltd. (P07 engine).
