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| Company type | Engineering |
|---|---|
| Wirth Research Ltd | |
| Industry | LeMansLMPEngineeringRacingDesignSimulatorsF1 |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Nicholas Wirth |
| Headquarters | Bicester, Oxfordshire ,England |
| Website | www |
Wirth Research was founded byNicholas Wirth in 2003, specialising inresearch, development, design and manufacture for themotor racing industry and otherhigh technology sectors.
The company usesvirtual engineering technologies to enable a completelysimulated vehicle design, development and testing process. Wirth Research is known for deviating from traditional physical development models; most notably neglecting to use awind tunnel and instead relying solely uponcomputational fluid dynamics (CFD) to design the 2010Virgin RacingVR-01 Formula 1 car.[1]
Wirth Research had a partnership withHonda Performance Development Inc (HPD) which is responsible for the design, development and manufacture of theARX sports cars.[2] Wirth Research also provided client IndyCar teams with full technical support.
Wirth Research now usescomputational fluid dynamics technology to design energy products for buildings, supermarkets, and retailers.
In 2003, Wirth Research initially focused on the motorsport industry, using CFD technologies to design and develop high-performance racing vehicles.[3] In 2005, Wirth Research partnered withHonda and won theIndianapolis 500 (Indy 500) race.[4] In 2006, Wirth Research started development of theAcura ARX-01 series to launch in theAmerican Le Mans Series in 2007.[5] In 2007, Wirth Research’s Acura ARX-01 won its class at the12 Hours of Sebring Race.[6]
In 2009, Wirth designed the LMP 1 Car ARX-02a, which achieved 8 wins at the American Le Mans Race.[7] In 2010, the company partnered withVirgin Racing in Formula 1, where it designed the VR-01a, the first Formula 1 car to be designed without the use of a wind tunnel.[8] In 2012, Wirth Research sold the Formula 1 arm of its business to Marussia Virgin Racing. Meanwhile, theARX-03a and 03b cars competed in LMP1 and LMP2 classes, winning both class championships in ALMS, and LMP2 class wins in the World Championship and Le Mans 24hr.[9] In 2014, Hunter-Reay, driving the No. 28 DHL car for Andretti Autosport, designed by Wirth Research, wins the Indiana 500.[10]
In 2015, After pivoting the business to focus on low-carbon engineering, Wirth Research used its CFD technology to develop aerodynamic kits for Eddie Stobart trucks and trailers.[11] In 2017, Wirth Research launched its Tilt Rotor, Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL), hydrogen fuel cell powered, advanced terrain mapping drone.[12] Wirth Research also worked withLockheed Martin to develop a light-weight unmanned aircraft system.[13] In 2021, Wirth Research relocated its supercomputing operations to Verne Global's data center campus in Iceland.[14]
Since 2015, Wirth Research pivoted from F1 aerodynamic design, and applied itsCFD technology to create products to be used in retail spaces and the built environment. These products include the AirDoor,[15] the EcoBlade,[16] TrueChill[17] and Aerokit.[18]
Wirth Research’s products have been installed inWaitrose[19] andJohn Lewis.[20]