schvetkaaks

I've always wanted a shot like this, with a front tire in the air...(talk about stiff suspension...)

mark kibort

this is cool too. come up to laguna and get some "drop in" air
mk

schvetkaaks

Yeah, 4-wheel air! Even though my car makes me Ponch, Laguna Seca could make me Bo Duke

ervtx

I know what you mean... thought I'd never get an AWD cabriolet to do this... (talk about lateral g's...)

smlporsche

Not to rain on anybody's parade (the shots look great) but aren't these a sign of chassis flex or a soft suspension??

CWay27

In my book, that's completely the opposite. If the front wheel lifts, it means there is minimal suspension travel or body flex.

ervtx

Well, I was actually questioning the role of flex/stiffness entirely (vs. leaning one way or the other) - without raining on Todd's parade. Cabriolet's are notorious for body flex, and if wheel lift happens with cabs, then you have to rule out stiff suspension (vs. say, acceleration + lateral g's). I don't know if it's a desirable phenomena, but I'm w Todd... makes for a great photo - it gives a sense of movement and energy to an otherwise static shot.

Veloce Raptor

Todd, I love your paint job!

jaholmes

+1 on the paint. Do you have to get permission to do that or use the police seal on your car.

schvetkaaks

The car's not street legal, so there's no need to get permission because it won't go on the street, and the logo is not the exact same logo.

I'm curious about the comments regarding flex, however, as there's no way with the cage I have in this car that it flexes at all - the cage is hardcore, the most hardcore one I've ever seen. Also, I've run Boxsters (street versions) on the track for a few years, and never got wheel hop like this. The only time I see it with POC is with those drivers in their race-prepped 911's and 944's, who run the Time Trial and Cup events - the ones that stay gripped are the street cars and lightly modified street cars.

I'm fine if it is speed and lateral G forces, but how come it only happens on this car, one with a hardcore welded cage, motons, GT3 control arms, and 1300lb/900lb springs? To me, that's a stiff suspension, and it keeps the car as one piece so that lateral G's tip the car off the track. A more flexible chassis and suspension would maintain connection, at least as I understand it.

No need to rain on my parade, I'd rather know what's up. I'm not easily offended - I drive a Boxster, for cripes sake!

Veloce Raptor

I think it is the rigidity of the front end combined with track camber/elevation change, plain and simple.

schvetkaaks

Here are some more examples. See the race-prepped 911 with stiff suspension getting air, versus the more stock 911's (old and new) both of which were still pulling big g's (see the load on the driver's side) but still sticking to the ground. To me, that means less stiff suspension and more chassis flex. In driving my car, I can tell you, there's little to NO chassis flex. See the video attached below the pictures for an example of how little flex there is - watch the sections with bumps. It's a carbon fiber board on wheels.







Video - watch the bumpy sections, and listen to the wheel hop. That's not chassis flex, that's stiffness...

http://www.vimeo.com/1105969

Veloce Raptor

Agreed.

schvetkaaks

Remember, when it has this welded in, it ceases to become a roadster/cabriolet/convertible:

Bryan Watts

It's front springs and bars stiff to the point that there's not enough rebound travel to keep the wheel on the ground when the car rolls and front suspension geometry that actually increases it's tendency to roll the lower your ride height (since the roll center drops much faster than the center of gravity) Personally, if possible, I like to keep all 4 wheels on the ground. I don't find tires in the air to provide much benefit.