Dome LMP Discussion

[TF110]

The track sure was bright. I couldnt see half the apex's. They must have a better view.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by TF110

The track sure was bright. I couldnt see half the apex's. They must have a better view.

I thought that too, but I think it was a camera setting issue.

[Jam3s]

Well the camera will be trying to set its exposure for what's a mix of a dark cabin to the bright outside and as a result will over-expose outside the car.

Anyway it looks really good, excited about this car.

[AndyN]

I hope it goes as well as it looks and sounds on the test.

Good luck to them in 2015.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by deggis

Onboard from Ricard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixAXiJPBUXQ

Is it just me or did there seem to be fair bit of vibration? Not to the level of Porkies this year but still

[Japanese Samurai]

Unique radiator/exhaust position of Strakka Dome S103 @Kota sera blog
http://serakota.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2015-01-10

[Japanese Samurai]

Dome news

Dome (correctly, new owner's company) bought land (3,900 square meters) by 287,000,000 yen for the new head office at Maibara.
Dome will built new head office building of 2,400 square meters of floor space.
http://www.city.maibara.lg.jp/0000006532.html
http://www.sankei.com/region/news/15...210073-n1.html

[Japanese Samurai]

According to Sports-carracing.net,
Much of Dome's LMP development staff seems transferred to TRD (Toyota Racing Development).
TRD is business division of TTC (Toyota Techno Craft).
But it seems that Yoshiaki Kinoshita become a CEO of TRD.
In short, it seems that TRD will be corporate.
http://www.sports-carracing.net/2015...tm#150401news1

[TF110]

Maybe this goes in hand with Toyota's new motorsport marketing strategy. Putting motorsport at the forefront of Toyota and using it to help with car building and selling. And having TRD expand looks like they may be setting up shop for their own business or race program(s)? What does this mean for Dome's lmp future?

[Bobby_status]

It seems like Toyota and DOME partnered up, I had a feeling it was more than just Toyota buying DOME's wind tunnel.

[templer]

Originally Posted by TF110

Maybe this goes in hand with Toyota's new motorsport marketing strategy. Putting motorsport at the forefront of Toyota and using it to help with car building and selling. And having TRD expand looks like they may be setting up shop for their own business or race program(s)? What does this mean for Dome's lmp future?

Have had a smaller discussion on this topic.
RCE's Sam Collins mentioned that Dome has had a LMP1 design based on the S103 tub and their wish was to use a Toyota hybrid works engine for the car.

After I know Hidenori Suzuki ( webmaster of sports-carracing.jp) has very close connections to Dome I asked him on the Dome LMP1 topic.
He told me that Dome reduces their business and required TRD to engage their LMP engineers. So from yesterday Dome does not have any ressources to do a LMP1 design.
But there is the possibilty that TRD can build up their own race department and design and build a LMP1 customer car ( works effort will still be run by TMG in Cologne).

Don't forget SARD has still strong intentions to run a LMP1 car.

So maybe we will see a surprise in the future coming form Japan.

[blankfile]

Dome-Sard-TRD-Toyota customer car? i love the sound of that haha

[Deleted]

What a way to describe Dome LMP1 dreams being completely dead in one sentence, and then right at the next maybe-not-afterall

Btw, mods should probably change the thread title to "Dome LMP Discussion" or something given that it's getting rather dated now, and non accurate.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by templer

Have had a smaller discussion on this topic.
RCE's Sam Collins mentioned that Dome has had a LMP1 design based on the S103 tub and their wish was to use a Toyota hybrid works engine for the car.

After I know Hidenori Suzuki ( webmaster of sports-carracing.jp) has very close connections to Dome I asked him on the Dome LMP1 topic.
He told me that Dome reduces their business and required TRD to engage their LMP engineers. So from yesterday Dome does not have any ressources to do a LMP1 design.
But there is the possibilty that TRD can build up their own race department and design and build a LMP1 customer car ( works effort will still be run by TMG in Cologne).

Don't forget SARD has still strong intentions to run a LMP1 car.

So maybe we will see a surprise in the future coming form Japan.

Maybe a way for 'Toyota' to continue after the factory team is done?

[Rodger Davies]

Which is at least three years away, isn't it?

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

Which is at least three years away, isn't it?

Yup. Which gives TRD plenty of time. If it happens that way. Maybe they just stick with class one/GT500. I was thinking lmp1 for them when/if WRC takes over as lead project at TMG?

[Pandamasque]

But why do it via TRD if TMG+Oreca are way is better placed to do it in terms of cost-effectiveness? It's as if Honda withdrew from F1 in 2009 to continue doing F1 as Mugen from Japan. Makes no sense to me, unless TMG is over-stretching its capacity with WRC now on their plate, but their top-bass is adamant that one doesn't hurt the other, but actually helps making both programmes more cost-effective.

[TF110]

Well, the engine and hybrid are already done in Japan, the whole car is able to be done there as well if they choose. What reason would TRD need lmp personnel for? TMG is great for logistics but if Toyota chooses them to do something else, like focus solely on wrc, TRD is set up to take the helm. It may not be that way, Im just thinking what reason Le Mans people would be signed on.

[Japanese Samurai]

Hiroshi Yuchi (Chief designer of Dome S103) has transferred to Toyota Techno Craft Co., Ltd.
https://jp.linkedin.com/pub/hiroshi-yuchi/30/b/3b7

[Japanese Samurai]

It seems that the rear damper of S103 was changed to the conventional layout.

[Japanese Samurai]

This picture shows that relocation of rear damper of S103 had a bad influence on aerodynamics (big bulges on rear deck).

[templer]

Originally Posted by Japanese Samurai

This picture shows that relocation of rear damper of S103 had a bad influence on aerodynamics (big bulges on rear deck).

Samuri-san, there is a quite good article on this month RCE magazine. The rear suspension was revised cause Dome has opted for a very low rear deck and the angle of the pushroads activating the rockers in the initial layout was too extrem ( bend forward if you look at the old pics). The whole suspension did not work properly and was not stiff enough so Strakka and Dome reworked the suspension to the layout you see now. The new layout made the initial exhaust positions impossible where the pipes were routed out on top of the rear cover. So the exhaust position was revised ( position in the sidepods). As you mentioned the higher rear deck and the bulges has negative influences on the aerodynamics so it was also done a lot of work to minimise these effects by gains in other aeras

[Japanese Samurai]

Thanks a lot!

[Japanese Samurai]

Radiator layout also different.

[kvenom]

Dome is always ambitious, but the final product is always slightly pear-shaped.