brendo

do NOT look for one of those at a vintage race near you in 2040

Fabio421

Hmmmm? I've seen this before. They don't turn well at speed.

Flying Finn

That's ****ed up...

And then the virtual demonstration... I've won 24 hrs of Le Mans & Formula 1 race in virtual world, why aren't any team owners calling?

dp35

New Lola IndyCar concept announced today:



http://www.lola-group.com/newsstory.asp?NewsId=189

Like the Swift, this looks like a nice, modern open wheel race car. Unfortunately, its starting to sound like the deck is stacked in favor of the Delta Wing gimmick car, with most/all of the owners in favor of it, and none of the others even being discussed.

Larry Herman

I still want to see those ungainly things pass each other.

Potomac-Greg

There will be no more "brushing the wall." The tail will brush first, forcing the nose hard over into the wall. Did they not think about this (or the half dozen other obvious problems) or is this entirely a marketing ploy/prank? I definitely checked my calendar and it's not April1.

Larry Herman

Well the definitive video showing how well they will go at Mid Ohio is gone. Maybe they read our thread?

dp35

They've got this all figured out. The Delta Wing cars will understeer so badly that their front & rear wheels (or body parts since they are not open wheeled) will touch the wall simultaneously.

That's too bad, because that cartoon erased any doubt about the car's cornering ability.

Bri Bro

Take a look at WindTunnel this week on the Speed Channel. Dave Dispain talks to Chip Ganassi about a new car chassis for Indy cars. He stated the delta wing (and several other designs) is 1/2 the weight. 1/2 the horse power, 1/2 the cost but have the same speed as current cars. Reducing cost and breaking the engine monopoly appears to be at the root of the changes. Links below.
http://www.speedtv.com/video/popup/6...9001/595223643
http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...-revealed.html
.

dp35

I have a problem with these claims.

"Half the weight" - how is this possible? Shorter front suspension arms seem to be the only obvious weight saving items, and wouldn't change much. This car appears to be much longer, which would add weight. I say NO WAY would this car be any lighter than other options, assuming equal crash protection.

"Half the cost" - Compared to the current package, maybe, but not compared to the other options. Figuring out how to race dragsters around corners will cost twice as much in development.

"Half the horsepower" - Another bold claim, and I seriously doubt this car would be able to perform the way they claim with only 300hp.

"Half the drag" - IF this is true, its because this concept was built with a different set of rules, allowing wheel fairings & much longer bodywork. Allow the other options to do this, then compare drag.

I'm insulted by the bold, unchallenged statements like these, and calling this an "open wheel" car.

Jarez Mifkin

I think this is a great 'concept' but it looks like it would drive like sh*t.

IcemanG17

okay I'm no race engineer but how in the WORLD will that thing turn.....since everyone knows how well 3 wheeled vehicles handle.....

Bri Bro

What they say from link above, not a clue what it means.

"The differential will feature full torque vectoring active technology with drive control of gain for balance adjustment."

This is what google found on torque vectoring active technology.

"German transmission and driveline company ZF has also developed a torque-vectoring system, called Vector Drive—and it’s ready for volume production in all-wheel and rear-wheel drive vehicles. The system distributes drive torque individually to each of the rear wheels, generating a yaw movement around the vertical axis. This improves both cornering performance and vehicle stability in less-than-ideal road conditions. When driving straight, the torque vectoring rear axle behaves like an ordinary open differential. Drive torque is distributed equally to the wheels. Torque is only distributed individually along both halfshafts on an axle during cornering, controlled by an electromechanically actuated multi-disk brake. The ZF system also generates wheel differential torque independently of the drive torque. When cornering through a downhill section off the throttle, the outer wheel receives more drive torque than the inner wheel, allowing crisper turn-in. The gears of the planetary gearset don’t turn when driving straight, so the system saves fuel too. The torque-vectoring drive also acts like a positive-traction or locking differential on dry or uneven traction startups, with torque going to the wheel with higher friction potential."

ajcjr

i was thinking the same thing. front looks to narrow.

The claim on wind tunnel last night was that its cheaper to build that here in the US than the other cars in Italy.

chris walrod

I would like to know how one would achieve a driveable aerobalance?