Originally Posted by XHawkeye
It still looks like 3 million bucks!
I guess that's a compliment for the MR2 Spyder, but I still don't see the comparison...looks more like a porsche 918 front end to me
Back to the function of the car, I found the explanation of how the fan actually works very interesting. It's not literally sucking the car to the ground, it's just making extremely aggressive ground effects more effective than they would be normally. And since the fan is controllable, it's basically providing adjustable ground effects downforce.
Get that weak shit off my track
In another mode it can also reduce drag and simultaneously provide extra thrust. A very interesting concept. The Formula 1 fan car had skirts that dragged the ground, sealing off the underbody air, and so the fan was literally creating a powerful vacuum underneath the car. That's not practical for road cars of course, so the T.50 has a diffuser shaped so aggressively that it wouldn't work without the fan. The air wouldn't follow the diffuser well enough for it to work; instead it would tumble off the beginning of the diffuser in a wake of turbulence. The fan keeps the air attached to the diffuser (with its high "angle of attack" I'll call it) allowing that much more aggressive diffuser shape to work effectively. Pretty cool! Especially the bit about where the center of pressure is when this system is working (it ends up ahead of the diffuser, approximately in the middle of the car).
I was waiting for someone to post the Spyder front end photo.
I wonder if that fan makes any significant noise...
Also, can't wait to hear what the engine sounds like while dancing around the track...
Show us some videos GM, enough words!
In one of the videos he discusses the timeline, as of the videos we've seen being recorded they didn't actually have a working engine at the factory to install. The first one was getting delivered at the end of July, installed in the first half of August, and the first test laps near the end of August. Fingers crossed that they'll be fast and open with those vids.I wonder if that fan makes any significant noise...
Also, can't wait to hear what the engine sounds like while dancing around the track...
Show us some videos GM, enough words!
Get that weak shit off my track
Looking forward to it!!!
My expectation is that this car will sound better than modern day hybrid F1 cars!
Chris Harris & Gordon Murray podcast.
https://collectingcars.com/podcasts/
If you've watch the videos (I'd guess a 1/3 of the podcast is about the T.50) or heard Murray talk about his racing career there's not much new here but if you need to kill 90 minutes listening to something it's good.
One 'new' story I heard, G.M. was a 20% share holder in McLaren Auto. After the F1 he proposed (2) cars using one using the BMW V-8 and another using the I-6, mounted Miura style tilted Slant-6 style over the transmission. Ron had signed a deal with M-B for race engines but assured Gordon that BMW wouldn't mind (which Gordon knew was wrong) and they went to Munich to sign the papers. The BMW crew was all smiles until Ron told them about the M-B race deal at which point BMW left the room while Gordon shook his head.
I did like the Top Gear video, specifically discussing the F1. It was striking to hear Gordon Murray list the failings of the F1, for a car that has been held up on such a high pedestal. Obviously it was minor things, but I was surprised to hear he didn't like some of the design elements like the intake spine and rear end. I especially had never heard that the headlights were shit.
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