Formula Renault 3.5 2012-2014 car specs

[jondownunder]

italiaracing are reporting that the design of the next generation FR 3.5 car will be revealed at Monaco:

http://www.italiaracing.net/translat...&cat=5&lang=en

-Zytek engine, 50-100 bhp greater than the current engine (which is 480 bhp)

-Dallara chassis, based on the current car, with modified front/rear wings - but NOT copying the F1/GP2 design... phew

-However: "with the intent to further improve the aerodynamic coefficient"... doesn't sound too promising to me. Get RID of excess aero grip for flip's sake, unless I'm reading that wrongly?

-New compound of Michelins

With the intention to make the car faster, at the same budget, it sounds like they're stepping up to be more of a direct rival to GP2.

[ptclaus98]

Does anybody else love all the new cars we'll be getting from 2012-2014. It's like Christmas.

[bella]

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

Does anybody else love all the new cars we'll be getting from 2012-2014. It's like Christmas.

can't tell if this is the saddest thing i've ever read or the truest...

i only have one request. please, for the love of god let it be easy on the eye. being like f1 is not the be-all and end-all, especially since it can't decide what it actually is at the moment.

now renault no longer have gp2 as a clashing brand this could be a very interesting car...

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by bella

can't tell if this is the saddest thing i've ever read or the truest...

i only have one request. please, for the love of god let it be easy on the eye. being like f1 is not the be-all and end-all, especially since it can't decide what it actually is at the moment.

now renault no longer have gp2 as a clashing brand this could be a very interesting car...

????

[Valker]

New FR3.5 isn't Renault (well ok, even the current one is actually Nissan) or 3.5 but will have a ~550hp 3.4l V8 from Zytek. Sounds like the A1GP/Auto GP engine (ZA348)...

[jondownunder]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91777

[Alex K]

@ptclaus98 Renault do not support GP2, they do not even badge engines.

Speaking about engines. They may say it's gonna be completely new engine, but to keep costs low I believe they are going to use the ZA348, if not then at least they'll build it along ZA's block. Interesting.

Also I think I remember correctly, current chassis is same rolling chassis that debuted in 2005, but it's aero package was "updated" for 2008?! Am I not right by saying it's going to be same tube and rolling chassis that debuted in 2005, but they will change aero package again?!

[bella]

that's how i read it too. which seems sensible, i mean, if it still passes all the tests (which it will do with a bit more weight from the modifications) then why redesign it? i wonder whether the mods can be carried out on existing tubs.

i'm pleased they've kept the general aesthetics of the thing - it still looks like a proper racing car not one of these silly narrow rear winged things with a daft engine cover.

again, if the engine is already tried and tested in the autogp cars then that can only be a good thing. they were a couple of seconds a lap faster at monza, and if they can produce a similar engine note then it's going to sound excellent

the only thing i'm skeptical about is the use of a drs wotsit which could be troublesome to police depending on how they implement it. and hopefully michelin haven't done a pirelli and made the new tyre ridiculous.

otherwise it's the formula renault 3.5 we've come to expect - sensible, smart, aware of the market conditions and not excessively radical for the sake of it.

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by bella

that's how i read it too. which seems sensible, i mean, if it still passes all the tests (which it will do with a bit more weight from the modifications) then why redesign it? i wonder whether the mods can be carried out on existing tubs.

i'm pleased they've kept the general aesthetics of the thing - it still looks like a proper racing car not one of these silly narrow rear winged things with a daft engine cover.

again, if the engine is already tried and tested in the autogp cars then that can only be a good thing. they were a couple of seconds a lap faster at monza, and if they can produce a similar engine note then it's going to sound excellent

the only thing i'm skeptical about is the use of a drs wotsit which could be troublesome to police depending on how they implement it. and hopefully michelin haven't done a pirelli and made the new tyre ridiculous.

otherwise it's the formula renault 3.5 we've come to expect - sensible, smart, aware of the market conditions and not excessively radical for the sake of it.

Indeed. I can't wait to see the thing.

[bella]

i know we discussed this on the silverstone thread (i'll copy the posts over to this one once i figure out how to do it ), but peter mills has done a piece on autosport.com on the new car, and a bit of comment from renaultsport as well:

http://plus.autosport.com/premium/fe...-f1-starmaker/

the most interesting bit for me is at the end...

Originally Posted by emmanuel esnault, renaultsport

"I consider that it's possible for a driver who includes the World Series by Renault ladder in his career can, in five or six seasons of FR2.0 and FR3.5, or FR2.0 plus F3 and FR3.5, be ready for F1 with an outlay of far less than Euro 3.5 million."

i haven't doublechecked the maths behind that, but that's a pretty interesting figure, especially in the context of gp2. of course, it relies on being a brilliant talent spotted almost immediately by a f1 team and so on and having the right f1 break at the right time but food for thought certainly.

new car photos and info: http://tentenths.com/news/showentry.php?e=2494

[ptclaus98]

Even so, if you have the talent, that path should at least prepare you for the top flight.

[NaBUru38]

I'd prefer Renault to encourage FR2.0 drivers to do F3 before FR3.5.

[bella]

why not, that's the sensible way of doing it? you learn the basics of car control and racing and stuff in fr2.0, then move onto f3 which is far more technical and you have a far greater wealth of information available. then you can attack fr3.5 with the right skills and abilities.

[chunterer]

It would make even more sense if there was still a competitive Renault/Sodemo engine....

Onto the new car again, won't we actually need to call the series Formula Renault 3.4 from next year?

[bella]

absolutely, the same way the snetterton 300 is actually the snetterton 299