Category | Formula One | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constructor | Arrows | ||||||||
Designer(s) | Dave Wass | ||||||||
Predecessor | A6 | ||||||||
Successor | A8 | ||||||||
Technical specifications [1] | |||||||||
Chassis | Aluminium monocoque | ||||||||
Suspension (front) | Double wishbones, push-rod dampers | ||||||||
Suspension (rear) | Double wishbones | ||||||||
Axle track | Front: 1,727 mm (68.0 in) Rear: 1,600 mm (63 in) | ||||||||
Wheelbase | 2,667 mm (105.0 in) | ||||||||
Engine | BMW M12/13, 1,499 cc (91.5 cu in), Straight 4, turbo, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
Transmission | Arrows / Hewland 5-speed manual | ||||||||
Fuel | Valvoline | ||||||||
Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||
Competition history | |||||||||
Notable entrants | Barclay Nordica Arrows BMW | ||||||||
Notable drivers | 17. Marc Surer 18. Thierry Boutsen | ||||||||
Debut | 1984 Belgian Grand Prix | ||||||||
Last event | 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
Drivers' Championships | 0 |
The Arrows A7 was a Formula One car which the Arrows team used to compete in the 1984 Formula One season. The car made its debut at the 1984 Belgian Grand Prix held that year at Zolder. Driven by versatile Swiss fast man Marc Surer and Belgian Thierry Boutsen, the A7 scored only 3 points when Boutsen and Surer finished 5th and 6th respectively in the 1984 Austrian Grand Prix.
The A7 was the team's first time running a turbocharged engine. This was the same powerful BMW M12 Straight 4 which was also used by the Brabham team, though unlike Brabham who had BMW engineers looking after their engines, the Arrows engines were maintained and developed by Swiss engine guru Heini Mader. This left Arrows with around 800 bhp (597 kW; 811 PS) while the factory units were developing around 900 bhp (671 kW; 912 PS)
in the 9/1984 Sport Auto they found the Arrows A7 had a performance of:
0 - 40 kph | 1.1 s |
0 - 60 kph | 1.8 s |
0 - 80 kph | 2.4 s |
0 - 100 kph | 3.1 s |
0 - 120 kph | 3.8 s |
0 - 140 kph | 4.7 s |
0 - 180 kph | 5.8 s |
0 - 200 kph | 6.4 s |
1000 m | 16.6 s |
(key)
Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | Barclay Nordica Arrows BMW | BMW M12/13 S4 tc | G | BRA | RSA | BEL | SMR | FRA | MON | CAN | DET | DAL | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | EUR | POR | 3 | 11th | |
Thierry Boutsen | Ret | 11 | DNQ | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 5 | Ret | 10 | 9 | Ret | |||||||||
Marc Surer | Ret | Ret | 11 | Ret | 6 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret |
BMW has been involved in Formula One in a number of capacities since the inauguration of the World Drivers' Championship in 1950. The company entered occasional races in the 1950s and 1960s, before building the BMW M12/13 inline-four turbocharged engine in the 1980s. This engine was the result of a deal between BMW and Brabham, which resulted in the team's chassis being powered by BMW engines from 1982 until 1987, a period in which Nelson Piquet won the 1983 championship driving a Brabham BT52-BMW. BMW also supplied the M12/13 on a customer basis to the ATS, Arrows, Benetton and Ligier teams during this period, with various degrees of success. In 1988, Brabham temporarily withdrew from the sport and BMW withdrew its official backing from the engines, which were still used by the Arrows team under the Megatron badge. Turbocharged engines were banned by the revised Formula One Technical Regulations for 1989, rendering the M12/13 obsolete.
Thierry Marc Boutsen is a Belgian former racing driver who raced for the Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan teams in Formula One. He competed in 164 World Championship Grands Prix, winning three races, achieving 15 podiums and scoring 132 career points. His best finish in the World Drivers' Championship was fourth in 1988 whilst driving for Benetton. He also twice finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans sportscar race.
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