Fleet Transport June 2020

COMPARISON | 9
For the road version, autonomy and being able
to drive the greatest number of kilometres
without refuelling is essential to improve
transport efficiency. That’s why we see two
huge fuel tanks located on both sides of the
chassis, with a capacity of 580 litres each.
However, these are not necessary in the race
truck, where water consumption, to cool
the enormous temperatures that the brakes
acquire, is much more important. So the
diesel tank is limited to a capacity of 85 litres,
while the water tank holds 200 litres.
Something that both trucks do share,
although not entirely, are the measurements
of the 315/70 R tyres on 22.5 rims. The
difference lies in their drawing and
composition, since the forces they are
subjected to in competition make them
one of the elements that get damaged the
most. In the European Championship the
official race tyres are supplied by Goodyear
and are specially designed for competition,
with specific compounds and tread pattern
close to the slick used in Touring Car
Championships.
In short, two different concepts and two
different tasks based on the same product.
At first glance it might seem that compared
to the competition version, the road model
represents the premium range. However
in reality the cost of transforming the road
going model into a racing truck triples
the price of the original, to approximately
€330,000.
Technical Data
MAN TGS 18.480 Racing
MAN TGX 18.480 EfficientLine3
Engine D2676 RT D2676LF878
Displacement 12.419 cm3 12.419 cm3
Power (hp/rpm) 1,200/,900-2.500 510/1.800
Torque mkg (Nm)/rpm 510 (5,000)/1.400 265/950-1,350
Gearbox Mechanical ZF, 16-speed MAN TipMatic, 12-speed
automated
Front axle
Rigid. Interchangeable semiparabolic
leaf springs, adjustable
gas shock absorbers Parabolic leaf
springs, stabilizer bar
Parabolic leaf springs, stabilizer bar
Rear axle
Rigid, without differential.
Interchangeable semi-parabolic
crossbows, adjustable gas
shock absorbers. Stabilizer bar,
interchangeable and adjustable
ECAS pneumatics, 4 balls,
differential lock
Tyres 315/70R 22.5 Competition 315/70 R 22.5
Fuel tank capacity 85 litres Two of 580 litres
Overall Weight 5.300 kg. 8.008 kg.
Front axle weight 3.180 kg. 5.530 kg.
Rear axle weight 2,120 kg. 2.478 kg.
Beauty and the Beast
The particular mechanical and equipment characteristics of both
MAN road and race trucks would be useless without the true heart
of the vehicle, its engine. Starting with the 13-litre MAN D26
engine with 6-cylinder in-line, turbocharged and common rail
direct injection, both have also followed different tracks.
In the EfficientLine3, consumption becomes one of its main
parameters, while the legislation requires it to comply with the
Euro 6d emission standards. The road-going MAN offers high
reliability with the lowest fuel consumption, to which the ZF
TipMatic 12-speed automated gearbox contributes, together with
the optimized EcoRoll system. All this, offering a maximum power
of 510hp and a maximum torque of 2,600 Nm.
Those figures are far surpassed by the tarmac gladiator. Using the
same basic engine the MAN TGS racer boasts a power rating of
1,200 hp. and an extraordinary torque output of 5,000 Nm, from
a maximum revolution speed of 3,000 rpm. The gear change is a
16-speed manual, although the low group is only used for in tight
manoeuvres, while the most common gears used in the race are
7th and 8th.
If the mechanical data is impressive, so too is the performance,
with the MAN racer capable of reaching a maximum speed of 200
km/h (albeit race regulations limit this maximum speed to 160
km/h). From start the instant acceleration takes it from 30 km/h
to 160 km/h in less than 6 seconds.
Another issue is fuel consumption, a fact that is not taken into
account in competition, but is analysed. Suffice to say that while
the EfficientLine3 grossing at 40 tonnes will consume around 28
litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, the competition type weighing
only 5.3 tonnes will use up to 120 litres in a single race - a figure
that no transport company could possibly bear.
Text: Javier Pedroche, ITOY & Photos: Juan Caraballo - Truck magazine, Spain
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