Which car?

[ger80]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

The Lola; you can't beat English engineering.

You can - German engineering
Anyway, the Lola is the car to go or even better non spec chassis regs

[NaBUru38]

The Delta Wing is perfect, except it's ugly. Or should I say, it doesn't look like a formula car should look like. The rest is perfect, but far from enough. I agree that it would keep people interested for years and revolutionize the sport, but anyway I don't like it.

My favourite is the Lola. The Dallara 1 and 2 have interesting pieces (rear wing, D2's airbox) but don't add one, so they are second. The Swifts and Dallara 3 are strange and get the bottom places.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

My vote goes to the Panoz DP01... wait that wasn't an option. I guess I'll choose the Lola.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by ger80

You can - German engineering
Anyway, the Lola is the car to go or even better non spec chassis regs

I've yet to see German engineering make an impression outside of Le Mans and ALMS.

[fourWheelDrift]

I have come rather late to this thread but have just voted Lola. As a follower of open wheel racing I'd obviously have to stop watching if any of the other designs were chosen!

Seriously though the design of open wheeled cars has developed in response to a specific technical challenge; having got to this point make it a spec series based on this solution if you must. However if you want to completely change the cars like this you should set a new technical challenge and let a number of designers compete in a genuine competitve racing enviroment over several seasons in order to develop this new concept.

For clarity by technical challenge I mean a set of technical regulations for the cars and some information about the tracks on which they will compete.

Arbitrarily announcing that you have to race some bizzarre creation without a body of real world engineering experience around it is a piece of nonsense and any race series that does that deserves to go bust for lack of interest.

Just my opinion of course.

[Purist]

If I'm not mistaken, Porsche engines were in the 1984-1985 F1 McLarens. They also probably had a good unit for CART, except that the big, established teams didn't want them coming in and messing up their status quo.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Purist

If I'm not mistaken, Porsche engines were in the 1984-1985 F1 McLarens. They also probably had a good unit for CART, except that the big, established teams didn't want them coming in and messing up their status quo.

The engine used by McLaren was designed to John Barnard's specifications. He was McLarens's designer. It was funded by TAG, Techniques d'Avant Garde, and badged with "made by Porsche".

During the USAC period Porsche entered their own car and engine for Interscope Racing but the other USAC teams were unhappy with the boost level the Porsche produced. Wrangling and disagreement led it to being shelved. In the CART era Porsche produced a V8 in 1988 along with their own chassis. The only wins came when the engine was used in a March chassis.

[luke]

Are they just giving the rights too one manufacturer?? We don't want a spec series let all four build cars!!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by luke

Are they just giving the rights too one manufacturer?? We don't want a spec series let all four build cars!!

No one wants a spec series, however the costs and the economic situation may not allow for more than one chassis, in which case the best choice would be the Lola.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

The engine used by McLaren was designed to John Barnard's specifications. He was McLarens's designer. It was funded by TAG, Techniques d'Avant Garde, and badged with "made by Porsche".

IMHO, that gives Mr. Barnard way too much credit and not enough to Porsche and engine management partner Bosch. While he may have defined the basic requirements of the engine (probably for packaging purposes), it was up to Porsche and others to take those requirements and make a working and winning engine. It's not like Barnard just gave them a design and they just machined parts and assembled it. Consider today's F1 engines in which the spec is VERY tight, but yet you still have some that are good and some that are bad. So in short, I say +1 for Porsche and Bosch (and German engineering) with respect to the TAG F1 engine.

With that said, I voted for the Lola.

[bjohnsonsmith]

John Barnard wanted a particular engine requirement and certainly specified the layout of the engine so it would fit in the car; originally the Porsche flat 6 was to be used but didn't fit with the cars aerodynamics. I suppose alot of the credit goes to TAG for funding the whole project.

Anycase back to the thread. I think the Lola offers the best all round package especially if the IRL decides to go for a spec series, which I really hope it doesn't.

[HJJ]

Concept #5 coming next week.

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...next-week.html

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by HJJ

Concept #5 coming next week.

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...next-week.html

There's a problem with that link. You wanted this link instead. http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...next-week.html

[alesi95]

I have to agree with what Gil de Ferran said. Whatever they come up with it has to be the fastest single seater in the states.
I simply dont believe the Delta Wing would generate enough corner speeds, although i want to.
So in that case i go for the Lola.

[JagtechOhio]

The BAT group will be the best of the lot.

IICS has a real problem.

[bjohnsonsmith]

They certainly have a fantastic combined history.

[cthib10]

I really like the design of the Swift and I wanted to pick it but I think I have to go with Lola which seems more pratical.

[HJJ]

The Oval Office, Episode 1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7Rg9...layer_embedded

[Speedworx]

Nothing beats the Lola.

[bil588]

I like several aspects from all four companies so far, but I do


not

want

a

spec

chassis

for

2012. Period.

[gttouring]

Really will a spec chassis help the Indy car series? Not inthe long run not again. The defacto spec in the Lola in CC And the DP01 were great cars andlookedgood doing it but the time for an open battle of engines and drivers and chassis is on Indy . It's been 100 years do something crazy for one season and let it be sorted out. This is racing and Indy for crying out loud not nascar

[mz2k]

After taking much time to mull things over, I picked the Delta Wing.

It's the only one that is a potential game changer.

[marcostraz]

About BAT project, I like the lateral view of the car...I don't like the two "arms" coming out from the body...

[bjohnsonsmith]

I like the BAT mobile. It has a great pedigree and I think you can't beat English engineering when it comes to designing race cars and engines.

[ghinzani]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

John Barnard wanted a particular engine requirement and certainly specified the layout of the engine so it would fit in the car; originally the Porsche flat 6 was to be used but didn't fit with the cars aerodynamics. I suppose alot of the credit goes to TAG for funding the whole project.

.

I never heard of the classic flat 6 being cosnidered for F1, especially sleeved down to 1.5 litres. Are you thinking perhaps of the USAC engine used briefly by the Interscope team?