Sculpted by air: The aerodynamics at the centre of the design and development of the first Portuguese supercar

Whether it’s travelling along one of the best roads on the planet or defying physics on the asphalt of any world-class circuit, aerodynamics plays an absolutely crucial role in the efficiency and performance of Adamastor’s supercar

PORTO, Portugal, March 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — There’s no other way to put it: function defined design. The first Portuguese supercar was born from a blank sheet of paper and the design process was led entirely by the head of aerodynamics. This is how important aerodynamics is to the performance of a supercar and Adamastor knows it well. Using Siemens NX CAD software, the design department developed the elaborate bodywork of the new Adamastor with total creative freedom, aiming for the best efficiency and superior performance in sports driving.

In a second stage, once the basic configuration had been designed, the team at Adamastor’s engineering centre set about defining the spaces occupied by the main components. In this respect, the work of the other departments – dynamics, powertrain, interior, structures – was essential, as they created the necessary solutions to optimise the installation space as well as the best performance of the respective components. The carbon fibre aerodynamic surfaces, the Venturi effect underbody – a design concept responsible for a large part of the downforce generated, making it possible to avoid the need for components such as ailerons – and the overall design were also optimised using CFD – Computational Fluid Dynamics – simulations (125 different cases, including safety cases).

Using the most advanced technologies and simulation software, Adamastor did more than 30,000 laps to fine-tune and evolve the performance of its supercar, validating the behaviour of the chassis and its dynamics under the most demanding conditions possible. Targets were even set in terms of lap times in the simulator, records that were easily surpassed by the Adamastor supercar. The team also set specific targets in terms of dynamic performance, focusing on areas such as structural rigidity, weight and the location of the centre of gravity.

The components were also subject to structural optimisation using FEA – Finite Element Analysis – simulation, as well as specific algorithms. The chassis alone went through more than 100 iterations, covering elements such as the design and, for example, the definition of the carbon fibre laminate. All the moulds and masters were further optimised in order to reduce their manufacturing time and the waste of material used in their construction.

All the work carried out in terms of aerodynamics has resulted – in a simulation environment – in very encouraging results, with the Adamastor supercar imposing itself, in terms of downforce, on the Formula 2 and Formula 3 single-seaters of the 2021 seasons, as well as cars in the GT3 and LMP2 categories. And all without the use of the usual large rear wing. As for the drag coefficient, the results obtained were also exciting, and they even managed to surpass the performance of a Formula 1 single-seater from the 2021 season.

Adamastor continues to execute its plan, step by step, using its multi-talented team with experience gained in the Formula 1 and GT world, driving forward and materialising its vision of a modern supercar. A vehicle designed using the latest technologies, from its factory and engineering centre in the Perafita area of Porto, with a view to conquering its own page in automotive and national history, becoming the manufacturer of the first supercar designed, developed and produced in Portugal.

About Adamastor

We are a Portuguese low volume supercar manufacturer focused on innovation, technology and engineering. With a past focused on investments in research and development of projects in the sports car industry, in 2019, Adamastor decided to reposition its business on the development of a supercar.

Adamastor is a new low volume supercar builder, based in Porto, Portugal. Our HQ includes a new technological development center and workshops. Through the reinforcement of our team with professionals coming from the automotive industry and the development of an international network of partnerships, Adamastor is able to ensure access to the best motorsport technologies, equipment and components.

We are driven by the desire of building a competition car. A state-of-the-art in terms of efficiency, which will allow us to win in the GT category and, at the same time, launch the Road Legal version. In a near future, we want to compete in the 24H Le Mans.

More information: https://www.adamastor.com.pt.

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