Panoz In Wind Tunnel!!

GBoehm · 18 Jan 2006, 00:12 (Ref:1503467)

http://www.champcarworldseries.com/N...le.asp?ID=9915

And it looks better than in the original drawings.

kingfloopy · 18 Jan 2006, 00:27 (Ref:1503471)

Wow that's a good looking car. Looks like everything is going well in getting the chassis ready for its debut next year. Here's hoping everything goes well.

J.D.

Alwaysfirst · 18 Jan 2006, 00:39 (Ref:1503475)

It certainly looks better than in the drawings. However, I still think that the nose cone stops too high which makes the front of the car look, not messy, but just unsophisticated.

Omega99 · 18 Jan 2006, 03:22 (Ref:1503507)

I agree. The nose is a bit high. I would prefer a lower pointed nose like that of the current Lola, but it helps with the downforce without creating turbulence, so I guess it's necessary.

The rest of the car looks killer!

mountainstar · 18 Jan 2006, 03:37 (Ref:1503515)

Agreed it really does look great. I'm looking forward to when it hits the track.

Amar7605 · 18 Jan 2006, 08:34 (Ref:1503593)

I was not able to see the picture. Can someone post the picture on this thread?

Thanks!
Amar

rustyfan · 18 Jan 2006, 10:48 (Ref:1503653)

Seems someone got cold feet and pulled it. Figures. Would have been nice to see what it looked like.

Tim Northcutt · 18 Jan 2006, 21:15 (Ref:1504013)

I saw an image of it in a news item on SpeedTV's site...

Try there...

I like the looks of it...

mp356a · 18 Jan 2006, 21:31 (Ref:1504027)

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/21601/

rustyfan · 18 Jan 2006, 22:32 (Ref:1504066)

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure what to think of it myself - looks a bit too much like the myriad of open-wheel cars in Europe, to be honest. Champ Cars have always had something special to them, something rough. Something American.

That said, if the new car does indeed improve passing (I'm still in believe-it-when-I-see-it-mode on that one), I'm all for it.

macdaddy · 18 Jan 2006, 22:59 (Ref:1504090)

Nice looking machine. The rear wing is quite-noticably smaller, I guess it's a necessary evil when balancing it against sponsor space.

Surprised me to read that it's being tested at a Penske facility. Why would that be?

Tim Northcutt · 18 Jan 2006, 23:43 (Ref:1504121)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure what to think of it myself - looks a bit too much like the myriad of open-wheel cars in Europe, to be honest. Champ Cars have always had something special to them, something rough. Something American.

That said, if the new car does indeed improve passing (I'm still in believe-it-when-I-see-it-mode on that one), I'm all for it.

No offense, but how does a Lola that is built in the U.K. look "American?"

Just wondering...not meant as a jab at out, rustyfan...

gttouring · 19 Jan 2006, 01:30 (Ref:1504142)

it does look nice, good change-
but doesn't the angle of the pushrods for the front Suspension look a little steep? and doesn't the car look rather frail now compared to the Lola and Reynards of old?

oh and Tim-i think he meant the UK built Lolas "looked american" as these were much porkier looking

rustyfan · 19 Jan 2006, 07:26 (Ref:1504211)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

No offense, but how does a Lola that is built in the U.K. look "American?"

Just wondering...not meant as a jab at out, rustyfan...

The Lola, and earlier Champ Car models, looks American in the sense of what I wrote above, that it looks a bit more rough and raw compared to the European open-wheelers. With the Panoz that subtle difference will now, as it seems (kind of hard to get a true feel of it with a head-on shot), be gone.

Ah well, it doesn't matter - Champ Car has abandoned most of its American heritage already anyway, so the new car is just another step in that process.

cybersdorf · 19 Jan 2006, 07:49 (Ref:1504213)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustyfan

The Lola, and earlier Champ Car models, looks American in the sense of what I wrote above, that it looks a bit more rough and raw compared to the European open-wheelers. With the Panoz that subtle difference will now, as it seems (kind of hard to get a true feel of it with a head-on shot), be gone.

Ah well, it doesn't matter - Champ Car has abandoned most of its American heritage already anyway, so the new car is just another step in that process.

A common European msperception: "American = oldfashioned".

Amar7605 · 19 Jan 2006, 07:51 (Ref:1504214)

Well the thing that is most glaring to me about the Panoz is how it really doesn't look like the IRL cars. That new nose really makes a difference.

To me, in addition to being sleeker than the current Lola, it still retains an American menacing look with that separation between the nose and wings. Those forks make the car look meaner than the Lola. And with the manufacturer being American, I think that Champ Car is going back to its American roots!

I can't wait for the Panoz to show its teeth at the July tests!

emjaya · 19 Jan 2006, 14:10 (Ref:1504451)

the side view from the champcar site.
http://www.champcarworldseries.com/c...0117P_0002.jpg
Looks good.

Jordi · 19 Jan 2006, 19:34 (Ref:1504652)

It doesn't look too bad. It reminds me of the Penske PC27, which I loved, even though it didn't win a single race. The DP01 looks like a compressed version of that Penske.

I'm just glad it looks a hell of a lot better than the first drawing that was shown.

Amar7605 · 19 Jan 2006, 19:35 (Ref:1504653)

Oh yeah, baby... I can't wait!

Flat12-Aircool · 31 Jan 2006, 01:52 (Ref:1512397)

Have they changed the high cockpit sides since the previous blueprints?

The first pictures I saw made me wonder how the driver could see anything out of his cockpit apart from directly straight ahead. This version however seems to have opened the cockpit up again slightly.

nciko1 · 31 Jan 2006, 20:37 (Ref:1513000)

The car looks like a Champ Car from the front wheels on back. But something still irks me about the front wing.

Amar7605 · 1 Feb 2006, 15:53 (Ref:1513579)

I think we need to see a full-scale model or an actual prototype. At least with the mock-up, they kept those spoked wheels.

rcarr · 1 Feb 2006, 16:08 (Ref:1513590)

I might be able to explain the front!

A little bird told me that the designers of the Champcar Panoz are former Williams F1 designers!

Maybe something to do with the raised nose?

gttouring · 1 Feb 2006, 16:47 (Ref:1513611)

well the raised nose in formula cars to my understanding is to allow more usable front wing area as (in F1 and the F3000-have plank flat undertrays) where Champcar has always had underfloor tunnels to produce downforce in addition to the front wing -which is why the nose has alway been lower and (ala reynard) had the wing incorporated closer to it- even the lola of last years fame had a low nose- but it seemed to be rising to get that 'formula' look to the cars...for what?
now with underflor tunnels and a rasied nose how much more down force are they really making?

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