Scuderia Glickenhaus P4/5 Competizione

According to a BBC America piece last week EU regulators have their knives out for diesel. Running Derv cars may be seen as negative publicity before too long. A shame.

 

I'm afraid I can't get excited about the aural pleasures of diesel, no matter what the torque is like - sorry Jim!

As for moveable aerodynamics, I think ones that are linked in to the steering angle would be good. You could then get progressively more down-force as you need it when turning the wheel.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Not to worry - "There's an App for that"
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ferrari-sound/id337622060?mt=8

 

True - you can't argue with diesel's race victories. Sound is still an integral part of what gives a sport's fan-base it's thrills though, which is something F1 will have to think about. Even now, people still lament the loss of the V12 and then the V10 while they reminisce over old videos of those bigger engines doing a screaming pass down the straights...

Going back to the aerodynamics though: were you envisaging moveable components similar to what F1 is exploring now with the DRS (a binary on/off) or do you see something more akin to variable control with wing angles based upon steering input or perhaps computer-controlled/-optimised aerodynamics?

Now I'm worried that I don't have an iPhone and can't access that App!

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Jim,

while I'm no fan of Diesel engines I have to applaud you as a trailblazer: Your efforts go way beyond the privateer who wants to run his car. I'm impressed by your environmentalist efforts and path finding. Somebody has to do it.

One word of caution though: From what I'm hearing about the F1 KERS that's allegedly more window dressing than "being green": They overstress the batteries at each race and allegedly throw them away after each race. Not really environmentally friendly, but a dirty little secret they don't publicize (assuming my source is correct).

Anyhow, anxious to follow your exploits, in my book you have already won. For our planet!

Best,

Andreas

 

The thing about being green is the same thing that afflicts everything else: nothing is for free.

Diesel fuel combustion, no matter how "clean"or "green" they tout it is dirtier than using gasoline. The combustion by-products are dirtier (more polluting). The one advantage is the potential for higher gas mileage.

Kers and all of the other battery operated applications have the draw back of hazardous waste disposal at the end of their life (the shoe that is still to drop on all of these electric cars is the disposal of tons and tons of hazardous waste generated by battery disposal). As an aside, after evaluating this (my wife and I were considering buying a hybrid), we concluded that the environmentally (and economic) superior solution is to purchase a non-hybrid car. The issues around contamination and costs associated with battery disposal concern us greatly and don't seem to be made up by the slight increase in fuel efficiency, and if you keep your car for any length of time (we typically keep our DD's for about 10 years or so), you'll need to replace the batteries in 5 or 6 years, duplicating the problem.

I'm not saying we shouldn't pursue these technologies, I'm saying we need to do so with our eyes wide open as to ALL of their ramifications and not just buy the propaganda without some thought about the full effects.

Interesting diversion we've gone down on this thread.

 

Let's leave F1 engines out of it, they are built to last relatively short distances and unsuitable for endurance racing.

I can see where the engine question comes from though: You have one of the most accomplished engines in the world in your car, but peripheral factors prohibit it from reaching its' full potential, e.g. restricted air. If there is only so much air, that's all you can burn and thus creates a ceiling to the amount of energy generated.

It's easy to argue, that there will be engines that will process that air efficiently at a lower rpm than the Ferrari V-8 with restrictors, you lose less of the available energy to spin the extra 2000 RPM and thus have more power available to drive the wheels.

If you're making, let's say, 300kW in the restricted Ferrari engine, a Diesel unit might well come into reach without asking Peugeot or Audi being asked to supply.

I have no idea though what the regulations say about Diesels in your class.

 

Time to become a Bentley Boy, Jim?

 

EXP Speed 9 has a nice ring to it...

 

Interesting. It seems it would be a bit of a black eye to Ferrari if you used a non-Ferrari engine, specially if it was because it under performed compared to the BMW under the same restrictions (not to mention their non-cooperation/passive-aggressive approach to your venture). Too bad really.

Back in the day, was Ferrari as non-cooperative with private efforts as they have been with yours? I know they supplied cars and engines to privateers, but given that you have essentially rebuilt the car, did they support non-Ferrari built cars with engines, parts, etc. in the day? In other words, is this a continuation of the way they behaved in the past or is this new found Ferrari behavior?

 

It was usually second tier equipment to Privateers, never the latest technology....unless someone can cite an example.

Hence the Breadvan, and numerous 'specials", much the same as the subject here...

 

Chinetti might have been the only exception, I found a nice Chinetti piece recently I'll share with you all soon.....

 

Dayum....very sorry to hear this, Mr. G.
Maybe you and Luca need to have a meeting, pass the peace pipe around???

You have made their styling department look REALLY bad, after all......

The Cali and the FF are only "so-so".......and a few miscues on the 458 as well....

 

Or you could simply buy the company, like that guy with the electric shaver....

 

BMW can make more power because they run a purpose-built engine; the Ferrari-unit in P4/5 Comp was built for way more air and thus way more power, and is now not running in its' most efficient state.

What are the air regulations for LM?

Are Diesels also air restricted under the 'ring regulations?

Luca can't risk for Jim's team to make SpA look bad, so he blocks the sale of parts. It'd be interesting to know how many/few internet-hits the factory cars generated. Maybe a peace-pipe session isn't a bad idea.

 

IMHO that should have been instigated from the start of the project BY Ferrari especially considering JG's connection with the stable. At this point and imho it would be alittle to late, Ferrari needs nothing but their ego so lets hope P4/5C beats the factory effort.