March 15, 2006

Veni, Vidi, Vici

Over the years, the Gleasman family established long-term relationships with Toyota and Audi by installing the Torsen® differential in each company’s respective motorsports division racing cars. At that time, no differentials –other than the Torsen – possessed the durability and performance capabilities required by the racing industry and consequently, the Torsen soon became the “gold standard.”

Indeed, Vernon Gleasman received the 1983 Switzer (SAE) Award precisely because the Torsen was the first and only differential that both withstood the vigors of racing at the Indianapolis 500 while meeting all of the criteria for the automotive consumer market.

Today, the Torsen has yet to be duplicated by any non-Gleasman differential and is standard equipment in more than 10 models of Toyota and in the Audi Quattro.

Now, Torvec is launching the Iso-Torque™ differential as a worthy successor to the Torsen. The Iso-Torque differential retains the same functionality of the original Torsen but provides significantly increased traction at lower cost.

Torvec first designed the Iso-Torque differential as a production unit for a 300 horsepower Nissan 350Z. The “Z” has since been test driven more than 3500 miles over multiple terrains and in all manner of weather conditions. We shared some of our test results in our October 31, 2005 Update.

During the last few months, Nissan expressed interest in validating our claims and arranged for us to visit the Willow Springs Raceway outside of Los Angeles. We were invited to install our 300 HP production unit Iso-Torque differential in a Nissan motorsports race-prepared 350Z. This car has much greater HP and the loading on the differential is 50% greater than that experienced in the standard “Z”. The particular unit installed in the race car had been previously test driven for over 800 miles in Torvec’s Z.

After more than 200 additional miles of grueling testing on the track, the Nissan-sponsored Unitech / Playboy Racing Team requested Torvec to make Iso-Torque differentials available to it for use during the 2006 “Grand Am Racing Series” season. Nissan is providing Torvec with rear-axle assemblies to facilitate the installation of the Iso-Torque differential. The Unitech / Playboy Racing Team will provide Torvec with information on all of the Grand Am races it participates in this season, especially those which are nationally televised.

The video in the upper left hand corner of this screen can best be summarized by a comment overheard at the racetrack: “Quick as a bunny, the Iso-Torque car ran away from its playmate.”