Serious Testers Wanted: Driving View Physics Changes and Differences?

  • Thread starter Thread starter amar212
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Well, I did some testing with this today

I ran about 5 laps at Suzuka, then when I reached my max I decided to switch from cockpit to the roof camera.

Instantly I was .450 faster through the first split.

However, I was only able to maintain that advantage for the rest of the lap.

I can't say there was a physics change, as the new view was very alien to me, but I think the biggest difference was being able to see the exit of the corners much better. In cockpit view I concentrate on whats 20-30 feet ahead of me, in roof camera I am looking 100, 200 feet up the road and can see the exits and where the rumble strips are from a greater distance.

This has opened my eyes to a problem with my driving, I am not looking far enough up the road, more specifically the exits.
 
This has opened my eyes to a problem with my driving, I am not looking far enough up the road, more specifically the exits.

I have had to explain something similar to my kids that the faster they are traveling the further ahead they had better be looking. The eight year old took to it pretty well it took the fifteen year old a little longer.
 
My first impressions are that driving from the bumper cam, you can see all the road, and can be more precise in your breaking and turning. The Viper is a good example of limited in-car view, that long hood really restricts the amount of the road you can see. I don't really think it's a difference in physics, as much as an increase in your ability to react more quickly with the bumper cam. It's a different driving experience for sure.

The drawback for me, driving from the bumper is that I loose the sense of driving a particular car. From the in-car I feel the weight of the car and suspension travel much more.
 
I personally think the only difference is a psychological one.

Yes you can see more on bumper cam, soley because you dont have any instrument panels and A pillars blocking your way. So most people would choose this view for that fact.

Inside car view is like driving a car in real life, once you figure out the boundaries of the car (with a RHD car turning left you know how far you are from the kerb) the times should be identical.
 
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