The prototype has been around for some time and here looks to be the final version.
During the World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand last week, Russian company Awesomatix gave us some details of their future touring car project, which we first featured back in April 2007. Currently in the prototyping phase, the car has some unique features, biggest of which is the fact that it is shaft drive, a concept abandoned by manufacturers some time ago for a number of reasons, one of which was the torsional effect caused by the positioning of the motor, which conventionally ran perpendicular alongside the shaft. However this new car claims to have solved that problem by mounting the motor perpendicular to the central shaft, yet how the power gets transferred to the shaft is still to be confirmed. Also unique is the lack of shock towers, and in fact conventional shock absorbers, which we are told have been replaced by a special kind of damper mounted at chassis level, which not only helps to keep weight down but by their very nature can absorb small bumps better and help with directional changes. The prototype has been tested and even won a race in Finland on its debut, but dont expect it to be released anytime soon, there is still some testing to be done. We will bring you more details as we get them.