Originally posted by Majestic RNA
Looks like a cross between an F1 car and a rocket

The front wheels don't seem to be wide enough apart to make the car handle well at speed, but a good looking car it is all the same

Yes, it's a road rocket!

Originally posted by SelfmadeGME
Lol wow how could you even fit into that?

...i could get in there but it'd be hell gettin' me out, lmao...

OMG, ITS THE BAT-MOBILE

Kinda

Needs a jet engine

A little history: until 1996 there was a single Indy Car series owned by the owners of the teams which competed in it. They got rich, the owners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway got rich, and everyone had an interest in promoting the deal. Then the owners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway decided they should have all the power and make all the money, so they split the sport, locked out the legitimate series (called "CART), and over the next 12 years completely destroyed top level American open wheel racing. Now U.S. fans of open wheel get to choose between F1 (closest race: Montreal) and the Indy Racing League, which is horribly stupid and boring and will probably be out of business soon. The owners of the teams, many of whom were the owners of CART until they finally surrendered to the Speedway, want to see the series survive and prosper in an improved format.

The reason this car is being promoted is that the owners of the teams (who designed the car) are offering an alternative to the absolutely pathetic product the IRL is putting on the track. The car is supposed to be green, achieve similar performance at much lower cost, and be safer than the current car (which is nicknamed the "crapwagon").

That being said, it looks like a giant penis.

It looks as if they started the design by copying an F-16 Fighter Jet.


I find it somewhat ugly as well, but it's functional and I am fairly certain that the engineers planned the vast offset in front vs rear tracks taking in consideration of the issue of handling, considering that it IS after all, a racing car.

From an environmental perspective it is using sleek aerodynamics, which is why it resembles a plane, to minimize drag, which is also why it can attain the same speeds as current race cars by using only half of the necessary horsepower and fuel.

In actuality, racing in general isn't a total waste of resources because the development racing technology does trickle down to the consumer market eventually making our cars and trucks more fuel efficient.

Most of our current vehicles horsepower is wasted on overcoming aerodynamic drag which increases exponentially the faster one travels.

Look at modern day 18 Wheeler trucks and all of the aerodynamic aids they utilize today, are a direct result of aerodynamic principals developed first in the racing industry which actually does benefit us all in lower fuel costs to deliver our food, clothing, building materials etc.

From my personal experience of having attended both IRL and F1 races, as well as from a business perspective, it is the nature of Oval track open wheel racing, which is considerably less interesting to watch than that of Formula 1 which has more to do with the lagging popularity of the Indy car racing.

I am not certain that his futuristic car could change that, especially due to the fact that the car is no longer an open wheel design and we already have NASCAR.

With the comments here pertaining to the car's phallic like looks perhaps it Would increase the popularity with the female race car fans though.




[edit on 23-2-2010 by nh_ee]

nh_ee, I have been to many races in the U.S., and I can tell you with certainty that oval racing was fantastic until the late 90's when they simply got to be too fast for the tracks. There was no way to maintain driver and spectator safety without slowing them down. CART oval racing was incredibly exciting in the early 90's and before. IRL racing (they have only existed since 1996) has always been complete garbage. NASCAR's side-by-side, "rubbin' is racin'," contrived shows don't even qualify as racing.

In actuality, racing in general isn't a total waste of resources because the development racing technology does trickle down to the consumer market eventually making our cars and trucks more fuel efficient.

That is not really true here today. All racing series in the U.S. use "spec" cars, meaning the rules are so strict that the cars, though prepared by the teams, allow no innovation of any kind. Stack chassis', stock engines. Again, a response to escalating speeds, but totally destroying the excitement of racing, which until twenty years ago was all about "what will they think of next." The change to the penismobile would specifically allow rules which would encourage innovation. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway wants to prevent this, because they are afraid of higher speeds at their track, which is the fastest one, and they receive kickbacks from the current spec chassis supplier, Dallara.

[edit on 23-2-2010 by Grumble]

Originally posted by RMFX1

Originally posted by Protostellar
The narrow fron wheel spacing allows for tight turning. There won't be any problems with handling.

I really don't think this team of engineers would focus there energy on a design that won't perform, much less show it to the public.

Actually, I'd imagine that it's completely the opposite to what you say. Not only is the narrow front end going to be unstable in corners, but added to that theres the fact that there's no front wing to speak of equalling not a lot of downforce on the front end and those tiny tyres there's not going to be a hell of a lot of grip...it's going to be terrible doing anything other than a straight line.


I'm a BIG F1 fan, and I'm sorry to say that I'm laughing at this thing as much now as I was when I first saw it a few weeks back.

[edit on 22-2-2010 by RMFX1]

Here's a quote taken from the article Grumble posted above me:

"In this case, to use a well-worn phrase, absolutely form follows function," Bowlby continues. "There's nothing on this car that's there to look cool or to make it look a certain way. It's about creating the most efficient, best-handling racing machine that we can come up with to meet the requirements of going from the Long Beach hairpin to turn one at Indianapolis."

hello all,

I would have to say having delved into designs quite similar to the delta this would be a step in the right direction. Just from the cg prototype I was going to propose that the design was a bit to long but having seen the concept vehicle, also. It seems they have fixed that problem and if anything they might benefit from shortening it a smidge more.

With the shorter front wheel base you receive a major increase in turning capabilities albeit it can get a little squirley at speed. It seems,They took care of that obviously with the aerodynamic design they chose. Yea it might not be to pretty but concepts sometimes have that effect. This will be easily remedied when manufacturing starts, where the final design will be produced, and when different paint schemes are applied. Back to the aerodynamics. The design shows nothing but downforce and the undercarriage "should" be designed to minimize lift_javascript:icon(''). Therefore these puppies shouldn't fly unless they want them to of course.

Also if you notice in NASCAR the vehicles only really get airborne when they get turned around at speed and the spoiler does the exact opposite of what it is designed to do and creates lift.

Have a good one people,
PEACE
JC