Magna Steyr MILA Concept

Press Release

Sporty fun car powered by natural gas

 

Magna Steyr is unveiling a completely new vehicle concept for the first time at the IAA 2005. Called the "MILA Concept" (Magna Innovation Lightweight Auto), it is packed full of exciting ideas and countless technical innovations.

The MILA Concept version showcased at the IAA is a single-seater sports car with a mid-engine and rear-wheel drive. Magna Steyr is not only using the MILA Concept as further proof of its “complete vehicle competence” that has gone into so many successful production vehicles, but also to demonstrate its engineers’ creativity and their skill in meeting innovative and technically demanding challenges.

 

The concept vehicle’s technical highlights include

• Eco-friendly CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) powered engine combined with extremely sporty performance
• Consistent lightweight construction
• Modular design principle enabling different models to be built (single or two-seater, normal or high-power engine, etc.) without much extra effort, as the components and modules have been developed in advance and optimized in terms of cost and weight
• Advanced vehicle safety thanks to the monocoque body’s high stiffness.

Magna Steyr is confident that natural gas will gain more and more ground as an alternative fuel for road vehicles in the future. A study by the German Automotive Industry Association published in Frankfurt recently came to the conclusion that in Germany alone some two million natural gas vehicles will be licensed in the next 15 years. According to the study, natural gas vehicles could reach a market share of around 4% by the year 2020.

 

CNG is available today in sufficient quantities and has many advantages over automotive gas (i.e. butane or propane). It provides, for example, higher antiknock quality and only has to be cleaned, filtered and dried before use, while automotive gas can only be obtained using complex refinery processes.

 

Engines reach a higher degree of efficiency with CNG than with gasoline (up to 32% compared with 25%). What’s more, under the stringent Californian emission legislation of 2004, a CNG vehicle belongs to the eco-friendly AT-PZEV category (Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle).

 

Irrespective of the MILA Concept, which is an initial important step in the right direction, Magna Steyr will focus more on the development of natural gas engines in the future. Here the company’s engineers will benefit from Magna Steyr’s long-standing experience in the field and specific technical expertise in the development and manufacture of fuel tanks and fuelling systems.

 

The engine used in the MILA Concept, installed in the rear as a mid-engine, is a standard 1.6-litre four-cylinder model that was converted to monovalent CNG operation, which means it will run on natural gas alone. Apart from installing CNG-specific injection valves, no other modifications had to be carried on the original gasoline engine. Its maximum power of 110 kW (150 hp) gives the concept vehicle a top speed of over 200 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds.

 

The fuel tank is a composite CNG safety pressure cylinder (aluminium liner wrapped with carbon fibre) and located safely behind the driver’s seat should there be a crash. In the version on show at the IAA, the tank volume is 76 litres, which gives the vehicle a driving range of around 200 km at any one time.

 

The attractive, Class-A stampings made of glass-reinforced polyester designed by the Magna Steyr Styling Department conceal an ultramodern, extra light and extra stiff space frame in 6000 series aluminium alloy – weighing only around 100 kg. The entire chassis is a lightweight construction made of high-strength steel. Given the consistent lightweight design throughout, the complete vehicle weighs in at around 850 kg.

 

The current version of the MILA Concept experimental vehicle has a closed body with a Perspex bubble over the driver. If the vehicle goes into volume production at a later date, a three-part bubble made of laminated glass would be conceivable instead of the Plexiglas one.

 

Since a basic principle in Magna Steyr’s corporate strategy is not to market any vehicles of its own, the MILA Concept does not involve any plans or proposals to build a vehicle under the Magna Steyr brand. In fact, the company is seeking an OEM as a partner in the promising MILA Concept project with a view to jointly turning it into a production mature and marketable vehicle. Magna Steyr estimates the time required for production development to be about 23 months.

 

Studies have revealed that there are definitely market opportunities for a vehicle of the MILA Concept type. Potential customers range from

• Individualists, techies and lifestylers with a penchant for innovative, original, pioneering vehicles
• Drivers who are looking for a vehicle using eco-friendly alternative fuels that they can drive in built-up areas, even when environmental regulations close city centres to private traffic (e.g. ban on driving because of particulate emissions)
• Fresh-air aficionados who don’t really want to miss the feeling of riding a motorcycle, but still prefer to drive on four wheels (perhaps only because they don’t have a motorcycle licence) with a roof over their heads if need be
• Potential buyers who already have one or two conventional vehicles in the family and are therefore interested in something “completely different” as a second or third car – a vehicle with a hint of Formula One fascination, a funky fun car with a sporty look, power and performance but at an affordable price.

 

Presenting the MILA Concept at IAA 2005 is primarily intended as living proof of the comprehensive range of services provided by Magna Steyr’s development engineers. It is also aimed at gauging public opinion: how will the experts and IAA visitors react to a vehicle of this type?

 

The custom-built show car on display at the IAA naturally works and can be driven at any time. After the IAA, Magna Steyr is also considering giving the media and OEM representatives the opportunity to test drive the vehicle.

 

It only took six months to completely develop and build the vehicle on show. All the development steps up to the complete concept vehicle were modelled virtually – including crash performance, fatigue strength, ergonomics, thermal analysis, aerodynamics, etc.

Dimension

 

Vehicle length 3934 mm

Vehicle width 1776 mm

Vehicle height 1176 mm

Wheel base 2590 mm

Weight, DIN approx 850 kg

Weight distribution f/r 37 / 63%

Payload 100 kg

Turning radius 12 m

 

Performance

 

Acceleration 0-100 6.9 s

Vmax >200 km/h

 

Engine

 

Water-cooled 4-cylinder inline engine with turbocharger, converted for monovalent CNG operation

1 overhead camshaft

4 valves

Boost pressure vacuum controlled

Displacement 1598 cc

Bore / stroke 77 / 85.8 mm

Compression 8.33

Boost pressure, absolute 1.8 to 1.9 bar

Charge ratio 2.06 : 1

Power 110 kW (150 hp)

at n 6000 rpm

Max. torque 190 Nm

at n 4000 rpm

 

Compressed Natural Gas

 

CNG safety pressure tank

Composite cylinder: aluminium liner

wrapped with carbon fibre

System function: single-stage

pressure reduction to 8 bar operating pressure

Tank weight, empty 36 kg

Operating pressure 200 bar max

Tank volume 76 l

Storage mass approx 13 kg

Driving range approx 200 km

Transmission rear-wheel drive

 

Manual Gearbox

 

Overall ratios:

1 st gear 12.28

2 nd gear 7.78

3 rd gear 5.65

4 th gear 4.62

5 th gear 3.82

6 th gear 3.13

R gear 11.94

 

Brakes

 

Dual-circuit hydraulic brake system

FA/RA brake circuit distribution

Vacuum booster

FA/RA ventilated disk brakes

Anti-locking device for rear axle

Pistol-grip hand brake on RA

Brake system options: ABS, ASR, ESP,

electromechical parking brake

 

Frame

 

Space frame in 6000 series aluminium alloy

Straight extrusion sections and panels, no cast nodes

(low tooling costs for low volume production)

 

FA/RA chassis

 

Double wishbone suspension, push rod

Tension and pressure adjustable struts

Stabilizer bar

Adjustable vehicle height

RA option: active rear axle steering

Wheelbase, front / rear 1478 / 1521 mm

Tyres, front 215/40 ZR18

Tyres, rear 245/35 ZR18

Rims, front 7.0JxR18 H2 ET38

Rims, rear 8.5JxR18 H2 ET58

 

Steering

 

Electrohydraulic rank and pinion steering

 

Weight

 

approx 100 kg

Static torsional stiffness 9250 Nm/°

 

Exterior

 

Class A stampings: glass-reinforced plastic