Now this has got to be the weirdest thing I've ver seen in a car.
A delta wing racing car!
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/09/nissan-delta-wing-set-for-u-s-debut-at-petit-le-mans.html
Yow!
M.
I can't help but think, John Force is behind this ? Obviously,it's a funny car for road courses ! Question is, how "funny" in a turn ? To be continued, roverman.
Eeeeeek!
Apparently thdelta wing shape gives the car significantly better fuel economy, which in an endurance race like Le Mans transltes to fewer refueling stops which clearly could be of some benefit in attempting to win the race. As far as tipping goes, think "Big Wheel"
Jim
I think that is a Ben Bowlby design,, gotta hand it to whomever financed it,, it was a brave move.
Dave
It does appear to be abit tipsy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW7qaG9K2_c
And too wide. And too hard to see. Possibly even unsafe.
Saw this car run at LeMans. Although it was taken out early by a shunt with another racer, the car's performance while it was running was impressive...especially given it was running a 1.6 litre turbo that had to be, possibly, the smallest power plant in the field.
In the air a delta wing is a good idea but on the track running within inches of another car it is a real problem. Normally a driver can judge side clearance from the competetor's front fender and the minimum safe distance is easily judged within an inch or less. But where you have a foot or so of difference between the front bodywork and the rear it becomes an impossible task. There is no reference point that can be used and an error of six inches or more becomes very likely. Add to this that such judgements are typically made subconciously without any active thought and it is extremely easy to see why the competitor, seeing the driver, would misjudge the distance. It does no good to say an open wheel car would be the same, it would not. That car has a front wheel as a reference point. I would not be at all surprised to see this car get shunted in every single race it competes in. Can you just imagine the mayhem with an entire field of them? Sidecar racing comes to mind.
Jim
Fred Key, you were there, update please ? This car received "Race Car of the Year", from Automobile Magazine,article this month. Not knowing any better, we might suspect Ben Blowby, had lost his compression ? Read the article, and you might see some merit. Ben claims this design, open wheeled, would run laps at 235 mph, with 300 hp., at Indy !! Move over Batman....roverman.