Welcome to the October issue of the Quaife Engineering newsletter. Autumn is always a period of exceptional demand for the business and 2013 is proving to be no exception as we race into the final quarter with a number of new product developments and ambitious expansion plans for our headquarters and technical centre. Continued strong levels of global demand for Quaife’s range of high performance powertrain components means that our Directors have commissioned the development of a dedicated 5,000 square foot assembly and workshop department at the Sevenoaks factory. Speaking about the project Michael Quaife said “This next phase of expansion will enable a significant increase in both gearbox production and service capacity for Quaife. In combination with substantial investment in new CNC turning and gear shaping machinery it is proof of Quaife’s on-going commitment to providing the best product and service levels possible to our worldwide customer base.” The project is already well under way and is due for completion in mid-autumn with the addition of a brand new Quaife show room at the Sevenoaks site. Keep an eye on the progress on our Facebook page.
Ongoing investment and development – Sevenoaks
Continued strong levels of global demand for Quaife’s range of high performance powertrain components means that our Directors have commissioned the development of a dedicated 5,000 square foot assembly and workshop department at the Sevenoaks factory. Speaking about the project Michael Quaife said “This next phase of expansion will enable a significant increase in both gearbox production and service capacity for Quaife. In combination with substantial investment in new CNC turning and gear shaping machineryit is proof of Quaife’s on-going commitment to providing the best product and service levels possible to our worldwide customer base.” The project is already well under way and is due for completion in mid-autumn with the addition of a brand new Quaife show room at the Sevenoaks site. Keep an eye on the progress on our Facebook page.
New Quaife Recruits
One of the most vital factors in Quaife’s success story since the 1960’s is the skill and dedication of its workforce. With capacity growing at the Sevenoaks and Gillingham plants, Quaife is pleased to announce that it has recruited two new fitters for the assembly department and two new CNC machinists, as well as three new apprentices.
“We are delighted to welcome the new members of staff to ‘Team Quaife,” commented Sharon Quaife-Hobbs. “That is particularly true for the apprentices. It is vitally important that Quaife assists in helping to train the next generation of engineers so that they can help contribute not only to the future of this company, but also to the global success story that is the UK’s motorsport industry.”
United States Distributor
Quaife is pleased to confirm that it has extended the scope of its sales contract with Detroit based sales agent Motovicity, which now enjoys the status of exclusive Quaife distributor for the North American territories.
“Our partnership with Motovicity dates from 2008,” says Michael Quaife, “and they have achieved solid results in the US despite a challenging economic climate and high levels of competition.”
Motovicity distributes components across all 51 states of the USA in both the performance and motorsport markets. “We’re very excited at the prospect of working even more closely with the Motovicity team on new products and promotional initiatives as a result of this exclusivity agreement,” comments Quaife.
North American customers can learn more about Quaife and Motovicity at www.quaifeamerica.com
New Product Developments
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V-VIII 5-Speed Sequential Gearkit
Quaife is in the early stages of development of a transmission aimed at owners of the potent Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution – a five-speed close-ratio sequential gearkit that will make the four-wheel drive super saloon even more competitive than ever.
The Quaife transmission is being specified to fit the Lancer Evolution V to VIII variants of the car and is designed to retain the original gearbox bellhousing, while a newly, uprated five-speed geartrain and replacement maincase will house a state of the art sequential shift mechanism.
Momenutm Motorsport in Northern Ireland, who commissioned the design and production of the kit earlier this year, will take on the distributorship of the new product when it is released in early 2014 and if you would like to express an interest in the Quaife Lancer Evolution five-speed sequential gearkit or for more technical data please contact the Quaife sales team using info@quaife.co.uk.
Discover more about Momentum Motorsport at this link:
http://www.momentummotorsport.co.uk/
Lotus EliseCup Six-Speed Sequential Gearkit
With a long history of successful transmission upgrades for the Lotus Elise and Exige models it is hardly surprising that Quaife is now undertaking a new product development program for another of the Hethel based manufacturer’s finest models, the latest Lotus 1.6l Elise and Elise CR, which bothuse a Toyota EC60 transmission.
Quaife’s design will offer a six-speed sequential gearkit with bespoke internals inside the original Toyota bellhousing, which will offer numerous cost and installation advantages while delivering outstanding performance as befits the Elise’s iconic status.
Again, this product is scheduled for release in 2014, so please contact the Quaife sales team using info@quaife.co.uk to express your interest and to receive an individual quotation.
Quaife QKE8J Honda Civic EP3 Sequential Gearkit
Quaife’s recently introduced Civic EP3 sequential gearkit is proving highly popular with Honda owners around the World, who are putting it to good use in a wide variety of motorsport disciplines.
Quaife is working very closely with the team at Momentum Motorsport, who are now taking orders for the next production batch of the QKE8J kits. In addition, a large number of kits are being freighted to the USA, where their unique combination of performance, strength and affordability means that they are becoming popular for the compact drag racing scene.
QKE8J is a 5-speed sequential gear kit for the EP3 and FN2 versions of the Honda Civic Type R as well as the DC5 Intregra. Ideally suited to circuit racing, drag racing and rally use, it’s designed as a direct replacement for the standard six-speed H-pattern Honda transmission. For more information about how the Quaife QKE8J unit can transform your Honda click on:- https://quaife.co.uk/shop/products/qke8j
Or enjoy watching a customer using QKE8J at the legendary Nurburgring: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA1Mig4lcQg
New 175mph Radical road car – drivetrain by Quaife
Quaife’s long and close association as the official supplier of high performance drivetrain solutions to Radical Sportscars took an exciting new turn at the Frankfurt Motorshow this year, with the unveiling of the new Radical RXC sportscar.Inspired by Le Mans prototypes, the RXC uses a bespoke Quaife seven-speed gearbox as well as bespoke Quaife ATB differential with Radical-developed paddle shift and auto blip, , to generate amazing performance – 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 175mph*.
“Quaife’s involvement with Radical dates back to the first SR1 model,” explains Michael Quaife, “and it’s an example of how we can successfully respond to the exacting requirements of a niche OEM sportscar manufacturer to help them exceed their performance and reliability expectations.”
Quaife ATB differentials for BMW and Mercedes applications
Kevin Bird Garages Ltd, the Uxbridge (UK) based specialist distributor for Quaife’s automatic torque biasing limited slip differentials for BMW applications has added the Mercedes marque to its impressive product portfolio.
As such, Bird’s now stocks the entire range of Quaife Mercedes ATB fitments, running in parallel with the ever popular and expanding BMW range of differentials. “Initial feedback from Mercedes owners has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Bird’s MD Kevin Bird, “and we are confident that as with the Quaife BMW program, discerning Mercedes owners will see this as a must-have upgrade to maximise their car’s performance.”
Discover more about the Quaife ATB differential range for BMW and Mercedes by clicking on:
http://www.birdsauto.com/content/quaife-atb-limited-slip-differential-bmw-and-mercedes
For more information, please contact Quaife Engineering Ltd on +44(0)1732 741144 or visit www.quaife.co.uk