[WEC] Porsche Prototype Discussion

[NelisB]

I'm also a bit disappointed by the lack of color on the car, but it'll look good all flyspattered, oily and with loads of brakedust on the sides.

[PascaLM]

Here is a strong family resemblance. both Audi and Porsche are white and grey. I wish Dave Maraj would get, if possible, some of these cars to bring them several colors.

[Spyderman]

Testing with Audi at Sebring next Sat + Sun I believe.

[NelisB]

Originally Posted by PascaLM

Here is a strong family resemblance. both Audi and Porsche are white and grey. I wish Dave Maraj would get, if possible, some of these cars to bring them several colors.

I believe the audis will stay black this year. So there will be a difference between them.

[vincegail]

Somebody at Mulsanne's Corner facebook has been busy with some colours:

[deggis]

Site updated:

http://www.porsche.com/microsite/mis...ozero/usa.aspx

Videos:

http://special.porsche.com/microsite...iler_en-us.mp4
http://special.porsche.com/microsite...iler_en-us.mp4
http://special.porsche.com/microsite...clip_en-us.mp4

Plus if you click "Current highlights" it is the stage presentation video. Also the spinning car at the bottom is interactive.

Official "yeah right" power figures:

Power: > 370 kW (> 500 hp) + Electric machine > 250 hp

[Spyderman]

I prefer it in white.

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Originally Posted by vincegail

Somebody at Mulsanne's Corner facebook has been busy with some colours:

We can also need Red and Blue...and I've inspired myself with this one.
If "PORSCHE INTELLIGENT SYSTEM" at the top of the car were like these:

LMP1

• LIEB
• DUMAS
• JANI
• BERNH...ARD
• HARTL...EY
• WEBBE...R

GTE

• MAKOW...IECKI
• PILET
• HOLZE...R

[carbon_titanium]

Originally Posted by PascaLM

Here is a strong family resemblance. both Audi and Porsche are white and grey. I wish Dave Maraj would get, if possible, some of these cars to bring them several colors.

Don't think is because of family resemblance, but I think is more because the white-silver paint was the "default" for german racing cars in the first decades of last century. Is more because of tradition. Blue was the colour for french racing cars and indeed in peugeot 908 liveries, blue was the main colour. Racing green for UK racing cars, indeed work and semi-work DBR9 GT1 had a racing green livery during first 2 seasons, bentley speed8 was racing green too for the same reason. Red for italian racing cars.
Since the debut (excluded 2010 and 2011 #1 darth vader car at spa and le mans) audi always used a white-grey-silver base colour to respect this tradition.

[gwyllion]

If these pictures are correct, the 919 is using springs instead of torsion beams for its front and rear suspension.



Note how extremely short the engine is on the second drawing

The gearbox casing appears to be partially made from carbon.

The cooling air seems to be ducted to the radiator (left side) and the intercooler (right side), a bit similar to the Aston Martin AMR-One.

[PascaLM]

Originally Posted by carbon_titanium

Don't think is because of family resemblance, but I think is more because the white-silver paint was the "default" for german racing cars in the first decades of last century. Is more because of tradition. Blue was the colour for french racing cars and indeed in peugeot 908 liveries, blue was the main colour. Racing green for UK racing cars, indeed work and semi-work DBR9 GT1 had a racing green livery during first 2 seasons, bentley speed8 was racing green too for the same reason. Red for italian racing cars.
Since the debut (excluded 2010 and 2011 #1 darth vader car at spa and le mans) audi always used a white-grey-silver base colour to respect this tradition.

Yes I know, but if German cars are traditionally white (or silver for Mercedes), several more colours were used before on official cars (Martini scheme from 71 to 78, Jules in 1981, R*thm*ns from 82 to 87, thin blue and red lines from 96 to 98).

[carbon_titanium]

Originally Posted by PascaLM

Yes I know, but if German cars are traditionally white (or silver for Mercedes), several more colours were used before on official cars (Martini scheme from 71 to 78, Jules in 1981, R*thm*ns from 82 to 87, thin blue and red lines from 96 to 98).

You're absolutely right, but as you can see modern lmp1 don't have a so important main sponsor that could influence the livery design. Work and Semi-Work DBR9 GT1 were racing green, then prodrive obtained gulf sponsorship and the official cars changed livery because of the new sponsorship. The official 911 GT1 and GT1 evo were white too, mobil1 and IBM were sponsors.

[Spyderman]

The original 917's

[gwyllion]

http://www.motorsport-total.com/wec/...-14030403.html contains a bit more technical details.

This article mentions a rev limit of 9000 rpm for the 2.0 V4 monoturbo engine.

It confirms that Porsche will run with the 8 MJ hybrid configuration and that the exhaust recovery system only acts as an electric generator (so no anti-lag possibility).

[carbon_titanium]

9000rpm? wow, sincerly I'd expect no more than 7500 from a 2.0 turbo with fuel flows.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by deggis

Official "yeah right" power figures:

The "full" technical specs are available on http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsand...turesandspecs/

Some interesting details:

Transmission: Sequential, hydraulically activated 7-speed sequential racing transmission
Transmission housing: Hybrid construction in CFRP with titanium inserts and cast aluminum housing
Steering: Hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion steering

[wdave0]

Originally Posted by Simmi

You see the above shot and it does all make sense but like I said before you'll never see that shot again.

There hasalways been a lot of helicopter footage from LeMans - not so good for attendees but good on TV, way back when that was about all the US saw of the GT40s.

[Bramzel]

I guess Webber has something to do with it...

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Originally Posted by Bramzel

I guess Webber has something to do with it...

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Makowiecki and Webber.

[RennenPorsche]

The Porsche's official specs says the width of tires is 360mm，but in my memory，the new LMP1 regulation limits it in 350mm。The regulation has been changed？

[gwyllion]

That must be a typo, because the dimensions of the 2014 Michelin LMP1 tyres is 31/71x18.

Michelin started work on its LMP1 endurance racing tyres for 2014 at the beginning of 2013. Next season, in addition to having closed cockpits, the LMP1 prototypes will be lighter (hybrids: 850kg / non-hybrids: 830kg) and narrower (10cm). Similarly, their tyres will be smaller and lighter, too.
“LMP1 tyres in 2014 will be smaller: 31/71x18, instead of 36/71x18 and 37/71x18 at the moment,” says Serge Grisin, manager of Michelin’s four-wheel motorsport programmes. “Even so, our aim is to maintain the same level of performance and longevity as today, which means quadruple or quintuple stints at Le Mans. The new size is similar to that used by the LMP2 prototypes and certain production sportscars, so that will facilitate the transfer of technology from our race tyres to our road tyres.”

source: http://www.lemanslive.com/News/June-...g-for-Michelin

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Bramzel

I guess Webber has something to do with it...

Well played!

[Richard C]

This video was posted a few pages back...

http://special.porsche.com/microsite...iler_en-us.mp4

But it does seem to definitively answer the questions to the purpose of the color correction cards we have seen taped to the cars during testing. As I and others suggested, they digitally removed the dazzle paint and then dynamically applied the livery. They also took it another step to insert a CGI version of the car exposing the interior tech. It all is pretty much as I expected.

Just compare the video above with the video from the early February Monza tests (dazzle livery + color correction cards + CGI reference markers).

Richard

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

If these pictures are correct, the 919 is using springs instead of torsion beams for its front and rear suspension.

I posted a similar comment on Mulsanne's Corner FB page as that detail is being discussed there as well, but could this just be Porsche hiding the details of their suspension setup? Or maybe (hard to believe) just "generic" front suspension in the diagram given the focus was supposed to be on the power units?

It seems odd to me to use coil springs for a few different reasons. First, it just isn't what everyone else is doing today in prototypes or F1 (for quite awhile I assume). Second, the RS Spyder used torsion front and rear and it worked for them then! Last (combining both points actually) I would expect that everyone involved, between existing and new (sourced from other prototype or F1 teams) design and engineering staff would have a large amount of experience dealing with a torsion setup. So why pick a tech that is generally unfamiliar to them (at this level) and likely has no known benefits.

Personally I don't believe they are going to use old school springs.

Richard