More details on Splinter wooden supercar

Posted Mon Jan 5 2009 8:09 PM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Driving the Splinter’s wooden wheels is a twin-supercharged Cadillac V8

The Splinter, a wooden car designed by a group of college students, has made the rounds to the recent International Woodworking Fair, where it met with acclaim, and now the project is nearing the final stages of development. It is being run by Joe Harmon Design and North Carolina State University, and has progressed to the stage where the car's hand-crafted body has been mated to the chassis.

The group have also sourced a new engine – a twin-supercharged 32-valve Cadillac Northstar V8 developing upwards of 700hp (522kW). Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a rear-mounted 6-speed transaxle sourced from a Chevrolet Corvette. One of the inherent problems of mounting an internal combustion engine in a wooden car is the effects of the heat emanating from the engine. To overcome this problem, the students reversed the direction of the cylinder heads, placed the exhaust pipes at the top of the engine and funneled the hot gasses through the rear wing.

Many internal features, such as the headrests, have been painstakingly carved, cut and sanded into place, while the body is definitely an eye-catcher with its smooth wooden finish and supercar proportions.
The car uses a number of innovations, including a unique seating position and a wooden suspension system constructed out of the same wood used for traditional longbows. The wheels also feature center hubs constructed from pressed and laminated wood.

What initially seemed to be somewhat of a design novelty is shaping up into an interesting project to watch as the students tackle the problems of building a wooden supercar.

Gallery: Splinter wooden supercar concept

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Splinter wooden supercar

Reader Comments

Mon Jan 5 2009 9:43 PM
Mike says

I remember seeing this in a mag, I think it's awesome. An ancient, low-tech material being utilized in a decidedly high-tech way. Still reminds me of a 1920s DeLahaye boat-tail Skiff in a weird way.
Mon Jan 5 2009 9:45 PM
justinhk2000 says

This is an amazing design, it was also used as one of the student's thesis. Must've been one hell of a thesis!!!
Tue Jan 6 2009 8:35 AM
Chris says

yeah this car looks pretty friggen awesome considering it is made from wood, designed by university students as an exercise in futility, and in the end really was never intended to LOOK good.

as an engineer i can definitely appreciate why these students would have tried something that seems so stupid to most outsiders.
Tue Jan 6 2009 8:35 AM
Chris says

yeah this car looks pretty friggen awesome considering it is made from wood, designed by university students as an exercise in futility, and in the end really was never intended to LOOK good.

as an engineer i can definitely appreciate why these students would have tried something that seems so stupid to most outsiders.
Tue Jan 6 2009 6:04 PM
mlevere1992 says

the only thing that I don't like about it is the wicker seats. They could have carved them or weaved them so they had a more organic feeling. Othewise it would be like sitting on your Grandmother's rocker.

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