Lightweight high performance road racing vehicle

Claim 1

A lightweight, high performance road racing vehicle, comprising: a chassis in which are mounted four wheels, said chassis having a central longitudinal axis and a power module; a driver's cockpit having a longitudinal center line and including a protective roll cage integrally constructed within the power module of the chassis, said roll cage having an internal portion for mounting a driver's seat therein with the seat being laterally offset from the central longitudinal axis on one side thereof, the cockpit being configured to allow the driver to assume a reclining position and wherein the longitudinal center line of the driver's cockpit is angularly offset from the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle such that the lateral offset of the cockpit increases rearwardly; an engine within the power module of the chassis, the engine having a power takeoff shaft and being capable of powering the vehicle at racing speeds, the engine being mounted laterally offset from the central longitudinal axis on an opposite side thereof and laterally adjacent the seat, the relative offset of the seat and the engine being selected so that the weight of the driver and the weight of the engine exert approximately equal and opposite moments about the central longitudinal axis, thereby maintaining vehicular balance; power transmission means within the power module of the chassis, said means comprising: a transverse drive shaft from the power takeoff shaft of the engine to the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle; a primary drive sprocket fixed to an inner end of the drive shaft; a final drive sprocket located rearwardly of the primary drive sprocket; and a closed loop chain engaging the primary and final drive sprockets and being aligned in a vertical plane extending along the central longitudinal axis; and a rear axle within the power module, the axle comprising: a central shaft journalled in the chassis and fixed to the final drive sprocket; two outer swing shafts articulately rotatably connected at their inner ends to respective outer ends of the central shaft and at their outer ends to respective rear wheels, each said swing shaft being rotatably supported adjacent its outer end by at least one independent suspension arm connected between each rear wheel and the chassis.