Vehicle body

1. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle engine;

a front suspension;

a rear suspension;

a plurality of body panels; and

a vehicle body comprising:

a rigid central cell ( 2 ) having a front end and a rear end, said rigid central cell ( 2 ) comprised of composite materials;

a front auxiliary frame ( 3 ) anchored to said front end of said rigid central cell ( 2 ); and

a rear auxiliary frame ( 4 ) anchored to said rear end of said rigid central cell ( 2 );

said front auxiliary frame ( 3 ) comprising two front supporting beams ( 11 ) fixed to said front end of said rigid central cell ( 2 ), on opposite sides of a vertical centerline plane of the vehicle, and a plurality of front horizontal transverse stiffening members ( 12 ) connecting said two front supporting beams ( 11 );

said two front supporting beams ( 11 ) comprising two box members ( 13 ) fixed rigidly to each other by two connecting plates ( 14 ) welded to said two box members ( 13 );

wherein said front auxiliary frame ( 3 ) and said rear auxiliary frame ( 4 ) being so deformable as to absorb, in the form of mechanical strain, the energy dissipated by said vehicle body in the event of collision, without directly involving said central cell ( 2 ).

2. A vehicle as described in claim 1 , wherein:

said vehicle engine is supported by said rear auxiliary frame ( 4 ), and

said rear auxiliary frame ( 4 ) comprises:

a plurality of rear suspension attachment points ( 8 ) for affixing said rear suspension to said vehicle body.

3. A vehicle as described in claim 1 , wherein said rear auxiliary frame ( 4 ) comprises:

two rear supporting beams ( 6 ) located on opposite sides of a vertical centerline plane of said vehicle body; and

a plurality of rear horizontal transverse stiffening members ( 7 ) connecting said two rear supporting beams ( 6 ), each of said two rear supporting beams ( 6 ) including both rear suspension attachment points ( 8 ) for attaching said rear suspension to said vehicle body, and engine supporting joint attachment points ( 9 ) for attaching said vehicle engine to said vehicle body.

4. A vehicle as described in claim 3 , wherein said two rear supporting beams ( 6 ) are each formed in one piece from metal or composite material.

5. A vehicle as described in claim 1 , wherein said central cell ( 2 ) comprises:

two longitudinal members ( 5 ) projecting from said rear end of a main body of said rigid central cell ( 2 ), said two longitudinal members ( 5 ) positioned on opposite sides of a vertical centerline plane of the vehicle, said rear auxiliary frame ( 4 ) fixed to said two longitudinal members ( 5 ).

6. A vehicle as described in claim 1 , wherein said central cell ( 2 ) comprises:

a plurality of front suspension attachment points ( 16 ) for affixing said front suspension to said vehicle body.

7. A vehicle as described in claim 1 , wherein said rear auxiliary frame ( 4 ) comprises a plurality of rear suspension attachment points ( 8 ) for affixing said rear suspension to said vehicle body.

8. A vehicle as described in claim 1 , wherein said body panels are affixed to said vehicle body by way of attachment to said front auxiliary frame ( 3 ) and said rear auxiliary frame ( 4 ).

9. A vehicle as described in claim 3 , wherein said two rear supporting beams ( 6 ) and said plurality of rear horizontal transverse stiffening members ( 7 ) form a trapezoidal structure lying perpendicular to a vertical centerline plane of said vehicle body.