Preferred Style of Prototype? - Page 3

marcosgt · 4 Feb 2005, 11:42 (Ref:1217338)

Definitely GTPs.

They may be FAR removed from road cars, but there's something more 'sportscar' about a GTP.

Cheers.

Jack Man · 4 Feb 2005, 11:59 (Ref:1217352)

Tin Tops all the way

marcush. · 4 Feb 2005, 23:57 (Ref:1217870)

I might be biased ,but the coolest looking sportsprototype is the DBA sporting the mojo blue of Creation.

johnh875 · 5 Feb 2005, 08:49 (Ref:1218001)

Quote:

Originally Posted by krt917

Le Mans has been won more times by open cars than closed

Would there have been many closed cars entered in the first say, 30 years? I associate Le Mans and endurance racing with the GT40, 917 and Group C prototypes so I will say closed top for endurance racing. For the sprint races or smaller class prototypes I think the open cars are appropriate. Foot in both camps? Definitely! The main point however is that the cars must be styled as well as streamlined.

krt917 · 8 Feb 2005, 12:41 (Ref:1220306)

There weren't many closed cars before the war - the odd streamlined Alfa or Delahaye Coupe. After the war, there was a mix for a while. There were open and closed Cunninghams and Ferraris, and Mercedes actually took the first win for a properly closed car in 1952.

As I said, I prefer a roof on top - for sportscars in general, not just Le Mans - but wouldn't mind open cars if they were made by the likes of Porsche and Ferrari!

Spiteful · 8 Mar 2005, 13:30 (Ref:1246648)

With the new LMP rules - spyders and coupés get the same tires and restrictors - I hope more constructors decide to put a roof on their cars. I just seems to me a coupé would have less drag and smoother airflow around the rear wing, and I base that on absolutely nothing

I can imagine there is some extra development cost (condensation, wipers, ventilation...) but for a manufacturer like Audi (Porsche? Mazda, Nissan, Lada?

) that should be easy to overcome. I guess they'll figure it out and we'll just have to wait and see, but Bentley's efforts have given me hope.
Don't get me wrong, I like the open cars too, but I miss the graceful prototypes and that Bentley was beautiful.

d-b · 12 Mar 2005, 16:40 (Ref:1250335)

hi there

Group C for ever for me i'm afraid

i think with the Audi its a nearly car

i know its about the best car at the minute but its not got everything
it's hard to explain but there's just something not right about it
i think for me personally it doesn't sound right (it sounds boring)

i mean the Sauber C9 was right,it looked right,it went right & it sounded right
same with the Jag's & the Mazda 787 (they had characterful sounds) but the Audi doesn't which means it will never be one of my favourites no matter how well it goes

i know this is a bit controversial but it's just my tenpennoth

d-b

pirenzo · 12 Mar 2005, 17:02 (Ref:1250337)

It really depends.

I loved the Panoz LMP1 - what a great looking car. Unlike its successor, it had nice clean lines and a really mean look. Similarly the BMW LMR was a beauty in a way.
But with the new double hoop regs, the open cars have suddenly got a lot uglier.
The Group C cars were pretty, but modern day GTPs like the Bentley and the Toyota GT-One are good looking because of their sleek agressive lines yet I tend to prefer the open top cars over them.
Its very hard to decide! I'd probably go for a mix like we have now.

BSchneiderFan · 12 Mar 2005, 17:22 (Ref:1250343)

I understand that wipers are pretty much cosmetic on a sportscar; at any speed, the airflow will take the rain off the screen anyway. I seem to recall that, for example, the wiper on the Toyota GT-One couldn't have worked anyway, so dramatically curved was the windscreen.

I'm sure someone will correct me if that's all utter nonsense.

Spiteful · 12 Mar 2005, 17:56 (Ref:1250356)

Not sure... The rain doesn't come off on my car even at 190 kph (it won't go any faster

)
I think boundary layer flow is actually pretty slow, but that's probably even bigger crap
Maybe they use some water-repelling (? me not speaky english very well) coat for the windscreen, like on helmets

cybersdorf · 14 Mar 2005, 20:04 (Ref:1251919)

Open cars, definitely.

Bob Riebe · 15 Mar 2005, 04:32 (Ref:1252142)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiteful

Not sure... The rain doesn't come off on my car even at 190 kph (it won't go any faster

)
I think boundary layer flow is actually pretty slow, but that's probably even bigger crap
Maybe they use some water-repelling (? me not speaky english very well) coat for the windscreen, like on helmets

I can state for a fact, boundry layer does keep rain off of the windshield, when I still had my Boss Mustang I was returning on the freeway in a nasty rainstorm, in which some people were pulling off of the road; when seeing taillights, and not much more, (the wipers were overwhelmed,) I pulled into the fast lane as I cold see the a string of tail lights, in front of me.
, had an end.
I put the peddle down to get around them quickly and suddenly about 70 mph the water stopped hitting the windshield and I could see clearly for at least 1/4 of a mile.
I shut the wipers off put the pedal down father and passed everything on the road at a high rate of speed.

I wouldn't doubt the others drivers thought there was a mad-man driving in the fast lane.
Bob

Kempi · 15 Mar 2005, 07:06 (Ref:1252173)

I've driven quicker than 70mph in numerous times and the rain never stopped to obstruct my vision. You got lucky or you had some hallucinations.

70mph after all isn't really that fast.

ss_collins · 15 Mar 2005, 09:42 (Ref:1252239)

maybe dodgy aero on the fron ot the 'stang!

marcel82 · 15 Mar 2005, 15:23 (Ref:1252523)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foster

Also take note on color schemes. The R8 looks good in Champion's colors, but looks better in Joest trim. This makes a lot of difference.

it looked best in last year's Goh colours, imo

Bob Riebe · 15 Mar 2005, 15:41 (Ref:1252536)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kempi

I've driven quicker than 70mph in numerous times and the rain never stopped to obstruct my vision. You got lucky or you had some hallucinations.

70mph after all isn't really that fast.

If you would drive something other than a Yugo it might have worked for you also.
I could actuallwhat the train diver, right about the cowling. It looked as if there was sci-fi's favorite, a force field diverting, of course that is what boundry layer is.

Like it or not, it happened.
Bob

lj79 · 15 Mar 2005, 17:13 (Ref:1252621)

How come Win Percy had to retire from the 87 TT when his RS500's wipers packed up?

ss_collins · 15 Mar 2005, 17:27 (Ref:1252643)

Actaully I raced the Uniroyal Beetle in the wet at Snetterton last year and the wiper motor burnt out - making visibility very tough when the rain got going. Luckily it was near the end of my stint and I passed the buck so to speak.

Kempi · 15 Mar 2005, 19:35 (Ref:1252774)

Quote:

If you would drive something other than a Yugo it might have worked for you also.

Damn. I didn't know Mercedes was a subsidiary of Yugo. Good that you tell me, thanks. Also, I didn't know Yugos could run 120mph plus. But I guess someone living in a country where the max. allowed speed is 65mph must know more about rain, high speeds and turned off windshield wipers.

Also, I wonder why racecars even have windshield whipers, let alone the drivers use them, when they normally travel at 1.5 to double the speed on average during the race of your 70mph. Guess they must have missed that the rain doesn't hinder their vision anymore once a certain speed is reached.

BSchneiderFan · 15 Mar 2005, 19:38 (Ref:1252779)

Can I return to the Toyota GT-One, the car from which I had a recollection of this example being drawn? It was my understanding that the windscreen was so dramatically curved that a wiper couldn't actually operate on it, but that at racing speed this was not too much of a problem - can someone confirm or deny this?

Also, in an open car, a driver's visor doesn't have a wiper - how does he manage?

pirenzo · 15 Mar 2005, 21:21 (Ref:1252872)

I suspect the shape of the windshield has a lot to do with it. A curved surface isn't such a bit surface for rain to get stuck on, and at any rate if you go fast enough, I'd imagine the car builds up a layer of air infront of it which repels the water round the car.
Its obviously not a problem or they'd have to design the cars so the wipers could work properly.

Bob Riebe · 15 Mar 2005, 23:26 (Ref:1253001)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kempi

Damn. I didn't know Mercedes was a subsidiary of Yugo. Good that you tell me, thanks. Also, I didn't know Yugos could run 120mph plus. But I guess someone living in a country where the max. allowed speed is 65mph must know more about rain, high speeds and turned off windshield wipers.

Also, I wonder why racecars even have windshield whipers, let alone the drivers use them, when they normally travel at 1.5 to double the speed on average during the race of your 70mph. Guess they must have missed that the rain doesn't hinder their vision anymore once a certain speed is reached.

Now, now you reap what you sow.

Bob

d-b · 17 Mar 2005, 01:13 (Ref:1253893)

hi there

isn't that why,in America in the 1950's you could get those plastic "Bug Deflectors" that clipped onto the front of the bonnet ? (or am i wrong again?)

liked the colours though

d-b

The Badger · 17 Mar 2005, 06:24 (Ref:1253966)

My favourite type of sportscar ..... i'd have to say open top prototype's . The first races that i saw were all group C races and i could never imagine something with an "open top" god forbid . But they grew on me . The Courage C60 and all the R&S Mk.3 ,333SP and Panoz are wonderful toi the eye and sound magic !!! . And you can see what the driver is doing too ..... Bonus

flashgame · 17 Mar 2005, 06:27 (Ref:1253967)

i am a newbie ,I am glad to come here,I think this is a good place.

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