Xtrac Limited, also known asXtrac Transmission Technology, is a British engineering company founded in 1984 by the formerHewland engineer Mike Endean to make 4WD systems and gearboxes forrallycross and later rally and racing cars. Endean, together with Chris Goddard, who had been working on the electronic components essential to the system, in 1983 developed the first Xtrac 4WD system, for Norwegian rallycross starMartin Schanche. Schanche had thought up the idea of a changeable hydraulic 4WD system (his1984 ERC winningFord Escort Mk3 Xtrac-Zakspeed had a stepless FWD:RWD ratio of 28:72 to 50:50) and financed its development. This 560bhp so-calledXtrac No. 1 was bought by Endean, in the mid-1990s, who raced it himself for many a year in carsprints andhillclimbs.
"Xtrac started making gearboxes in the mid to late 1980s for the then-newGroup Arally cars from their original premises inWokingham and then continued to do so after moving in 1986 to a new 20,000 sq ft factory inFinchampstead".[1]
In 2000, Xtrac built a bespoke 8,200 m2 (88,000 sq ft) high tech factory inThatcham,Berkshire, England, and is currently supplying many top level sectors of motor sport, includingF1,prototype and GT sportscars,IndyCar,Grand-AM, rally cars andtouring cars. In 2010 the company supplied its complete 1044 gearbox, designed and developed in only six months to three F1 teams:Lotus,Virgin andHRT. This is mated to theCosworth CA2010 engine.[2]
In addition to supplying many high-profile motorsport customers, Xtrac has expanded in other areas such as automotive, marine and aerospace. ThePagani Huayra was a vehicle which used the Xtrac 1007 AMT transmission.
In 2019, it was announced that Xtrac would be the sole supplier of gearboxes for the US basedNASCAR Championship, this was due to start in2021, but withCOVID-19 restrictions being in place this was delayed until2022.[3]
In 2020, it was announced that Xtrac would supply gearboxes as part of the hybrid power unit for theLe Mans Daytona h endurance hybrid sport cars, withBosch supplying themotor generator unit andWilliams Advanced Engineering supplying the batteries.[4]
