• Latest
  • Trending

Van Diemen revived: Iconic brand returns with all-new track car

November 24, 2022

Dowdall heads for Rodin UK test

June 27, 2025

NZRC: Little things the focus for both Jones and Mackersy

June 27, 2025

Motorsport Diary: Kiwis racing overseas this weekend

June 27, 2025

Lawson returns to familiar ground in Austria, rejects Red Bull’s rebuild claims: “That’s not my story, I never lost confidence”

June 26, 2025

Glimpse at 2026 Supercars as Toyota joins future rivals in NZ

June 26, 2025

Club Milestone at Barry Robinson Memorial Wyndham Rally

June 25, 2025

Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy dates confirmed

June 25, 2025

Giltrap and Osborne fight hard in challenging Hidden Valley Weekend

June 26, 2025

Season two dates locked in for Toyota GR86 Championship

June 25, 2025

Dates confirmed for Supercars’ first-ever New Zealand Double Header in 2026

June 25, 2025

Cassidy and Evans ride the storm in drama-filled Jakarta E-Prix

June 24, 2025
Friday, June 27, 2025
VelocityNews
Subscribe
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard
No Result
View All Result
VelocityNews
No Result
View All Result

Van Diemen revived: Iconic brand returns with all-new track car

by Matthew Sampson
November 24, 2022
in Formula Ford, General
0

It’s a brand which has laid the foundation of many great motor racing drivers’ careers, and now Van Diemen is bursting back onto the scene with the imminent arrival of their new track day car, the RF P350, and their new Formula Ford, the RF23. 

Both are scheduled for release early next year as the chassis builder reinvigorates its brand onto the world stage with new designs.

It’s only fitting that Van Diemen return to their roots with a new generation Formula Ford, the RF23, yet another development in a category which has brought them so much success in the past.

The 2023 Van Diemen will see an update to the current Firmen RF21 [shown in the picture below] car’s bodywork to increase its competitive advantage over its competitors.

The engine bay has been purpose-built for installing a Formula Ford 1600 Kent, featuring an elite 4-speed (plus 1 R) gearbox. Bodywork is made of traditional fibreglass with side-pods designed with side impact structures. This will be built around a Space Frame Chassis with high torsional stiffness.

The introduction of the RF23 is sure to excite many, but the development of the RF P350 is the icing on the cake in what promises to be an exciting year for Van Diemen.

Intended for track day drivers and professionals alike, the RF P350 has been constructed to use a variety of engines, including the Ford EcoBoost technology, which will be available in 350, 450, and 530BHP

The chassis is designed to fit 2019 FIA F3 regulations yet will display downforce similar to an F2 car. Aerodynamics will be the key to its success, with LM-style covered wheels and carbon upper- and lower-rear wings attributing to what will indeed be a fast racing experience.

The RF P350 offers three levels of engine tune, the base 350BHP, a 450, plus a 530BHP in a car weighing less than 550K’s

The driver’s safety is also considered with the introduction of an F1-spec halo protecting the driver.

The two additions to Van Diemen build on a brand steeped in history throughout the motor racing industry.

Founded in 1973 in the UK by Ralph Firman Sr. and Ross Ambrose, the father of Australian motor racing icon Marcus Ambrose, Van Diemen became the largest and most popular brand of Formula Ford cars in the world, including in New Zealand.

The first model, the FA73, immediately announced the arrival of the company to the scene, Derek Lawrence driving to success at the 1973 BRDC Formula Ford 1600 championship. 

The likes of Ayrton Senna, Mark Webber and Eddie Irvine can attribute their early successes to Van Diemen throughout the 70s and 80s.

It was the 90s when they began to dominate Formula Ford, winning the British championship five times this decade and the festival seven.

To this day, Van Diemen chassis still dominate the New Zealand Formula Ford scene, with the likes of Liam Sceats,  Blake Knowles, Dylan Grant and Mason Potter competing in various iterations in both the North and South Island Formula Ford series.

Their success has not just been limited to Formula Ford, however. 

Van Diemen delved into the British Formula 3 scene in the late 70s with little success before sticking to Formula Ford throughout the 80s.

The 1991 maiden Formula Renault Eurocup campaign experienced some success, with Bobby Verdon-Roe winning the championship in a customer-centred Van Diemen.

In 1992 a return to Formula 3 also came about, their first composite chassis bearing the Van Diemen name built by Precision Composites. It was again a difficult entry into the class, but once they began exporting to the United States, things began to change with a range of success in the USF2000 category.

The sale of Van Diemen to US company Elan Motorsport Technologies, the race car division of Panos Corporation, saw the brand gradually fade away as Van Diemen’s activities were gradually incorporated into Élan Motorsport.

And today, a brand is born-again due to the efforts of Ralph Firman Jr and his father, Ralf Snr, and the recent acquisition of their former trade mark and intellectual copyrights.

Time will tell where this iconic brand heads next, but one thing is for sure: Van Diemen is back and back to win.

The RF P350 and RF 23 are just other chapters in a book that’s continuing to write itself.

Tags: Formula FordRF P350RF23Van Diemen

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.

No Result
View All Result
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.