The McLaren P1 Might Eat GT3 Race Cars For Lunch
May I present to you the Weber Sporscar. It as as fast as Bugatti Veyron and it's entirely shaped by aerodynamics. It even features wing. As a technical exercise it is quite impressive. However, it is not very pretty to look at. You might see where I am going with this... The P1 might produce a large amount of downforce for a roadcar and as a technical exercise that is quite impressive. However, as you can see that does not complete the entire picture... Image Unavailable, Please Login
The problem with betting everything on performance and technology is that they will inevitably become obsolete. Style and passion on the other hand ...
This is a key point that a lot of the wing discussion is missing. It's why I asked the ride height of the P1 for these alleged GT3 beating laps. At a streetable ride height I would be surprised if it makes sufficient, appropriately balanced, downforce to beat a pure race car, even with its trick wing. Lower it down to race car height and all of sudden the underbody tricks are made much, much more efficient, and race car levels of downforce are possible - probably easy, because it doesn't have to follow a rule book. In that form, its basically a race car with license plates. In fairness, and along the same lines, it should be pointed out that Napolis did more than change the tires to drive his P4/5C to Lake Como. Look at the pics - the ride height is jacked way up to make it survivable on real roads. Try driving it to a 6:51 NS lap time at that height on those tires. Not gonna happen. Like any modern race car, it develops a great deal of its overall downforce by running a flat floor very close to the ground. Raise the floor and the downforce starts coming off very quickly.
A wing of a car works opposite to the one of an airplane, producing force in a downward fashion, increasing the grip of the car. The downforce is produced by difference in speed in the flow on the upper and lower parts of the airfoil of the wing. A spoiler instead works by detaching the flow from the car and creating increased drag. However while downforce is proportional to the speed, the faster the more downforce, once a spoiler has stalled the flow is game over. OMG... I sound like James May!!! Anywho...as mentioned there is too much variability in road surfaces for ground effect to work.
The P1 will be slightly faster around the Nürburgring. Who cares? Which one will have more soul? Which one will be more involving? Better handling? Better looking? More renowned? More significant? More iconic? More legendary? The P1 is a technical showcase. Nothing more. This is not the second coming of the F1. As good as the P1 is, it will forever live in the shadow of the F150.
Not to get too far off topic, but what do you think of the active aero wings such as the ones used on the new Pagani? Gimmick or the next big thing? Or what about a Ferrari with a rear wing which could be adjusted/optimized for less drag when trying to get top speed in a straight line? Do the rules at the ring or le man ban these trick aero novelties?
Like I told you in my previous post, big wings dont go well with cars that are shaped like sculptures. For instance, big wing on 918 look good because of its overall design: http://www.ephotobay.com/image/porsche-918-rsr-concept-1920-1080.jpg (this is RSR version, but since its pretty similar to road version you can get the idea).
I can't wait to see it! And I want to know what name Ferrari will choose to this car. I think it will be one name of a F1 driver like Ferrari Villeneuve or something like this. PD: Sorry for my english if I failed writting my message haha.
McLaren doomed themselves with the F1. That car was so ahead of its time, they should have done like Ferrari and adjusted the areo to never let that car do 240 mph. Its like a singer or movie star who's been type cast after 1 hit record or 1 hit movie very early in their career and will never be able to capture that moment again. I'm sorry but the P1 misses the mark for me personally. I think its butt ugly & uninspiring despite its capabilities. It doesn't make me feel emotional when I see it the way the F1 still does. The P1 will probably always live in the shadow of the F1 as well.
So if the P1 will be faster how can you ask which will be better handling? That just makes no sense to me why you'd question that after what you said first.... Whilst your last line is disputable Ferrari has one thing up it's sleeve, the fact it's been making road cars for a very long time now. People like the look of Ferrari's simply because they're Ferrari, how ******** ugly tho is the 612 and FF? The F12 imo looks pretty good till you get to the back and there's that gimmicky as hell F1 rain light. From about the taillights down it's a mess....The 458 to me does look good but not great and for me only the GT3 version looks the best of all 458s, I just hope they up their game on the F70 and don't chase looks over performance like I'm expecting they will because I'm excited as hell to see the P1 vs F70 vs 918 battle play out.
I don't agree at all. The F1 transcends time as a retired legend that still commands respect, not as a current competitor caught up in earning it. It may have been ahead of its time, but there are Veyrons and Huayras and Koenigseggs to contend with now. You know who understands best the success of the F1? McLaren. You know who is best equipped to recreate--and even exceed--that success with the P1? McLaren.
Someone who's already ordered the car told me that the rear wing is more subtle than that on the P1 but extremely clever and advanced nonetheless. This, coupled with other advanced active aero features, produce a lot of downforce. One should dismiss the technical might of Ferrari at their own peril... Sent from my Neo V using Tapatalk.
Not sure if this has been answered yet but this mobile diffuser, which direction does it move? That'll help give an idea of how it benefits the downforce.... If the F70 'wing' (more like lip spoiler going by the mule photos) stays the size it currently is then there's no point bringing it up as at the size it is it's of no real gain compared to the quite frankly massive P1 wing.
this thread is rapidly expanding and I didnt see this posted but.....is this it!!!!??? Image Unavailable, Please Login