DeltaWing, powered by Nissan

Wow. And we have an inside scoop coming soon in the magazine. (We know people who know people.)

Is it at Sebring?

I'm sure it will be at Sebring on display, but not racing.

I can see you sticking your nose into a situation and then remembering how wide your butt is.

http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/nissan/53788/

Keith wrote: Is it at Sebring?

Yes, it is, but it is not an official entrant. I hear that it will run some laps, though.

Looks like an old Hot Wheels jet car I had as a kid. Cool!

na-na na-na na-na na-na na-na na-na na-na na-na Deltawing!

Pow! Wham!

+1 to the hotwheels reference, what I thought right after Batmobile.

So it's going to compete at Le Mans, but not Sebring? Seems like they could have used the testing time. Cool, I'm looking forward to seeing it.

From the link above:

"The car will make its first public demo laps at Sebring, Florida, at 12.30pm local time on Thursday, March 15."

I'm sure it'll be plenty stable, but for some reason all I can envision is the Reliant Robin on Top Gear

93EXCivic wrote:

agree, 100%!!!

This is all I can think of every time I see this car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bIn_ZgHJaE

Onboard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wlQAvEfmeI

Anyone recognize the track (I don't)?

DukeOfUndersteer wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

agree, 100%!!!

Yeah, this thing does absolutely nothing for me. I honestly don't care how fast it is.

Eh its a technology research bed. You know what F1 is used to be but has gotten bogged down with politics and money?

Looks like the Batmobile made love the Washington monument but I'd like to know more about the underlying technologies and what they're actually testing, besides the 1.6L 300HP DI 4 banger.

Not like they're making a racing class out of it just there to showboat around and get some numbers.

As ugly as it is, bring back the real prototypes! This car and the GT3 Hybrid have been the most exciting race cars of the last decade. Oh, and the Leaf RC. I love this bleading-edge new-tech stuff in racing, that's what racing originally was!

It'll work.

It works on the same principle as a zero-turn-radius lawnmower, and those work fine.

They will need to add a wing on the front, and we'll see one fairly soon. 20% of the weight isn't 0%, so the downforce distribution of 100% rear will provide understeer at high speeds.

In terms of how well the concept works, I suggest grabbing a radar gun and clocking it at the start and end of the straightaways. Cutting drag usually doesn't improve laptimes much, so it'll need a big improvement here to make it the centerpiece of the car's competitive advantage.

Of course, the real coup behind this car is convincing the rulesmakers that the concept's bad enough that they can run a car that weighs half as much as the others!

BoostedBrandon wrote:

Not gonna lie...this is the first thought that occured to me too. ANYTHING new and different in motorsports is good, though. Can't wait to see it do something.

chaparral wrote: In terms of how well the concept works, I suggest grabbing a radar gun and clocking it at the start and end of the straightaways. Cutting drag usually doesn't improve laptimes much, so it'll need a big improvement here to make it the centerpiece of the car's competitive advantage.

I dunno, at Le Mans the drag reduction could be significant both due to the long, fast straights and the fuel economy aspect. It wouldn't make as much sense in a sprint race.

friedgreencorrado wrote: Onboard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wlQAvEfmeI Anyone recognize the track (I don't)?

Buttonwillow, CA

I read that it was going to "compete" in its own class at LeMans, because it doesn't fit in anywhere. So...That makes it a bit less interesting, for me.

It's a showcase of new technology. That makes it interesting to me. I think it is great that they have invited it to run at LeMans.

JamesMcD wrote: I read that it was going to "compete" in its own class at LeMans, because it doesn't fit in anywhere. So...That makes it a bit less interesting, for me.

Le Mans has something called "Garage 56" that allows new technology test bed cars like this to run without following any class rules. They aren't really "competing", they are running as an exhibition entrant. They can't really "win".

Argo1 wrote:

friedgreencorrado wrote: Onboard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wlQAvEfmeI Anyone recognize the track (I don't)?

Buttonwillow, CA

Thanks. Still not sure how I feel about it. My basic instinct is to hate it just on looks alone (getoffamylawn, etc.), but OTOH, it was built by Dan Gurney's guys. Do they believe in it, or did they just fulfill a contract? Hmm..