Engine electronics protection vital for off-road buggy success

“We use Spelsberg industrial enclosures across all of our vehicles to enclose the electronic engine control components and electrics,” says Blitzworld Managing Director, Steve Malpass. “Our cars go through absolute hell! They’re used in a really harsh environment. They get buried underwater and covered with mud and gravel, so it’s essential that the car’s engine management system and electrics are protected from water and debris.”

Blitzworld is one of the UK’s largest kit-car buggy manufacturers, designing and building vehicles in Stoke-on-Trent. The company produces buggies for road-legal and off-road use, ranging from lower power variants intended for children, through to a two-litre Honda engine-powered performance buggy, tuned to generate over 750bhp. Blitzworld provides the buggies in flat-pack format for a self-build project, or already assembled. The company also specialises in custom builds, including several cars produced for Mike Newman, who holds speed records as a blind-registered driver. Blitzworld also builds twin-driver cars with dual foot controls, enabling people with disabilities as well as very young children to experience buggy driving.

Off-road performance

Designed for use in all weathers and all driving environments, it’s vital that the cars’ electronics and electrics are protected from anything that even the most testing off-road trail can throw at them. Each buggy has three Spelsberg enclosures, positioned at the front and rear of the vehicle, protecting the car’s electrics and electronic control unit (ECU) from the elements. Spelsberg’s TG high durability enclosures offer IP67 ingress protection to prevent the entry of any liquid or dust, with IK07 impact protection, protecting the car’s electronics and electrics from debris strikes.

These enclosures are specifically designed to withstand the toughest of conditions, ensuring that the buggy’s components are protected.
It’s important that the enclosures fit within the allocated footprint, and they have to be fast and simple to install. It’s also crucial that the installation is highly stable, locked in position despite the vibration and impact the buggies are subjected to.

In-house customisation

Spelsberg enclosures are not only essential for the functionality of Blitzworld buggies but also for their appearance. Blitzworld’s buggies are featured in Dirt 5 by EA Sports, a leading car racing video game that has been released for the PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows platforms.

Dirt 5 video game success

“Codemasters approached us and asked to buy a licence to use our car in the game Dirt 5. To generate the video image of the car, they photographed it from 360 degree angles and included all of the meticulous details. As a result, when you play Dirt 5, you can also see the
Spelsberg enclosures on the car.”

As many of Blitzworld’s buggies are road-legal, the company also provides an MOT test service, as well as maintenance & repair, and a full parts supply. Blitzworld hosts off-road track days at circuits for all abilities in Staffordshire, Cheshire, and North Wales, including buggy hire, or offering buggy owners the chance to test their skills in their own vehicles.

“We’re soon releasing a new buggy, and we’ll be using Spelsberg enclosures again,” says Steve.

Spelsberg is one of the largest manufacturers of electrical enclosures in the world. With over 4,000 enclosures available as standard and further customisation possible, it offers solutions for almost any application.

With the largest supply of non-metallic enclosures, ex-stock in the UK, its products are often available for delivery within 24 hours; customisation is possible on any product, including bespoke entries, engraved corporate logos or fitted terminals, within 48 hours. Products can be ordered direct from Spelsberg or from most leading supply specialists including RS, Rapid, Farnell and CPC.