One of the world's leading motorsport and automotive groups, Prodrive run a series of high profile programmes around the world, including the Ferrari 550 GTS programme in the Le Mans 24 hours and American Le Mans Series, and Ford Performance Racing in the Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series. Using the latest technology, Prodrive design and develop competitive race and rally cars and work with automotive manufacturers to create cars for consumers.

Prodrive run the Subaru World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship and have done so since 1989 when they were approached by Subaru to promote the technology of their vehicles through rallying.

The Subaru Impreza WRC2004, used throughout the 2004 championship series, features a new engine with increased power and torque, a semi-automatic transmission, stiffer chassis and new aerodynamics for improved high-speed stability. Prodrive's reputation and skill in automotive technology is reflected in their success and they continually research for new and better methods of improving vehicles and their performance, down to the smallest detail.In 2004 Cobham Antenna Systems (Microwave Antennas) were commissioned to design a WLAN blade antenna, to be mounted on the roof of the race car, for transmission of telemetry data between car and lap-top based terminal at designated stages of rallies in the World Rally Championship.

The antenna needed to be rugged and extremely light weight in order to lower the car's centre of gravity and thereby improve handling.The blade antenna is a rugged, printed circuit dipole based on a composite material, measures 75x25x2mm. It has 2dBi gain, vertical polarisation and a frequency range of 2.4 to 2.5GHz.Each antenna weighs just 11 grams and, using a nylon mount designed by Prodrive, a weight saving of 43% per antenna was achieved. Photograph hardly show the three, slim blade antennas on the roof of Petter Solberg's Subaru Impreza WRC2004 at the Rally Italia Sardinia, that he duly won.

www.prodrive.com