USM's focus for the 2012 season was on low cost, reliability, maintainability, sustainability and driveability, and USM12 was the result of this simplified approach.

 

Every system and component on the car was assessed against these criteria, resulting in a well thought-out and cohesive package which impressed design judges with it's simplicity and high standard of workmanship.

 

USM11's dry sump system was abandoned in search of greater reliability and lower overall cost and weight, and an innovative substitute for composite bodywork was applied in the form of corrugated plastic panels, a lightweight, recyclable and cost-effective solution.

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The benefits of this approach were manifested in two successful Endurance finishes and strong placings in the Design event at both Silverstone and Hockenheim in 2012. A lack of testing time meant the team could not realise the car's full potential on track at these competitions, but post-season testing showed an improvement of around four seconds over a 47 second lap, demonstrating USM12's true level of performance.