The Le Mans General Discussion Thread

Kamuifanboy · Feb 22, 2015

wowbaggerBR
Still hopelessly ugly.

If that is ugly, then the Audi and new Porsche is in a whole different world of ugly then. Don't even get me started on the Nissan. That thing needs a lunch bag over it so nobody has to look at it.

raven214
Better than that Oreca

What? The Oreca looks so much better than the open top stuff. And I REALLY like the way it looks with the KCMG livery.

TexasTyme214 · Feb 23, 2015

Holdenhsvgtsr
Spotted testing

That's an interesting response to the new rear wing mounting rules.

Michael88 · Feb 23, 2015

TexasTyme214
That's an interesting response to the new rear wing mounting rules.

But will it ~~blend~~ bend? That is the question! :sly:

CodeRedR51 · Feb 23, 2015

Kamuifanboy
If that is ugly, then the Audi and new Porsche is in a whole different world of ugly then. Don't even get me started on the Nissan. That thing needs a lunch bag over it so nobody has to look at it.

All P1 cars are ugly.

SK8RBOI · Feb 23, 2015

Really? I suppose you ether love em or hate em! I like the Audi cuz it looks like a space ship!

wowbaggerBR · Feb 23, 2015

R1600Turbo
All P1 cars are ugly.

This generation is hiddeous. The bigger, wider ones, up until 2013, were very beautiful.

R5 · Feb 23, 2015

SK8RBOI
Audi cuz it looks like a space ship

I think that's the problem. People see no relation to road cars, and there aren't even any classically beautiful lines for these "alien" crafts.

CodeRedR51 · Feb 23, 2015

The GT1 cars were the last, great LeMans racers. I just never could get into the current generation, too much going on.

SK8RBOI · Feb 23, 2015

legacyMACHINE
I think that's the problem. People see no relation to road cars, and there aren't even any classically beautiful lines for these "alien" crafts.

Yes because the biggest series in the world (F1) defenatly resembles road cars. Dose any one else think that red bull looked like a Clio?

G.T.Ace · Feb 23, 2015

SK8RBOI
Yes because the biggest series in the world (F1) defenatly resembles road cars. Dose any one else think that red bull looked like a Clio?

F1 =/= Sportscar racing.

wowbaggerBR
This generation is hiddeous. The bigger, wider ones, up until 2013, were very beautiful.

I respectfully disagree. The Audis never looked better to me and I love the Rebellion, Porsche and the P2 coupes. The 2012 TS030 looked sexier than the new one though, but I still like it..

Michael88 · Feb 23, 2015

I think beauty lies in function. If it works well I can learn to appreciate its looks.

That being said, however, I think nothing can touch the sheer beauty of the Group-C and IMSA GTP cars.

TDZdave · Feb 23, 2015

I like these new coupe bodies, specially when the camera pans down pit lane and all of the cars have their doors open while mechanics do their final preps, looks like an organized swarm of genetically modified dragon flies :lol:

R5 · Feb 23, 2015

SK8RBOI
Yes because the biggest series in the world (F1) defenatly resembles road cars. Dose any one else think that red bull looked like a Clio?

Do people call them beautiful?

Legro · Feb 23, 2015

legacyMACHINE
Do people call them beautiful?

Modern F1 cars or Renault Clios?

R5 · Feb 23, 2015

Legro
Modern F1 cars or Renault Clios?

I would never say no to a last gen RS Clio.

But both I guess.

cnd01 · Feb 23, 2015

R1600Turbo
All P1 cars are ugly.

Incredibly ugly. Functionally sound, but visually hideous.

Michael88
I think beauty lies in function. If it works well I can learn to appreciate its looks.

That being said, however, I think nothing can touch the sheer beauty of the Group-C and IMSA GTP cars.

I'm hoping with the 2017 new rules package, the new WEC LMP2/IMSA P will be closer to something like that beauty

R0ssingt0n · Feb 23, 2015

I think the best thing about P1 cars is that they look like spaceships. Leave the road going relevence to the GT boys.

Roger the Horse · Feb 23, 2015

They're not as good looking as some past prototypes, but they're still some of the best looking race cars out there.

Michael88 · Feb 23, 2015

I think what hit the LMPs the hardest in the aesthetics department was the introduction of the vertical fin that completely kills the silhouette of the car, the low min sidewall height that makes them look like F1 sidepods and the slimming of the cockpit width.

IMHO if we wanted to make them look better, technicalities and aerodynamics aside, they'd need to get rid of the fin and give them a little more beef.
LMPs nowadays have become too much catwalk fashion model and too little Selma Hayek.

Roger the Horse · Feb 23, 2015

The fin is a safety feature. Safety > aesthetics.

I think that there is an argument for larger LMP cockpits. If the whole point of sports prototypes is that they're two seaters then really they should be able to fit two six footers comfortably.

Holdenhsvgtsr · Feb 23, 2015

I like the shark fin.....

Michael88 · Feb 23, 2015

Roger the Horse
The fin is a safety feature. Safety > aesthetics.

I think that there is an argument for larger LMP cockpits. If the whole point of sports prototypes is that they're two seaters then really they should be able to fit two six footers comfortably.

Like I said, aside of aerodynamics.

And I'm not even so sure about the fins safety increase, the Hunaudieres straight is slim and the fin does give the car a lot of surface area for crosswinds, like a sail with lots of leverage. Also F1 got rid of that fin rather quickly.

I think the fin is here to stay because its a great place for sponsorship details.

Holdenhsvgtsr · Feb 23, 2015

Michael88
Like I said, aside of aerodynamics.

And I'm not even so sure about the fins safety increase, the Hunaudieres straight is slim and the fin does give the car a lot of surface area for crosswinds, like a sail with lots of leverage. Also F1 got rid of that fin rather quickly.

I think the fin is here to stay because its a great place for sponsorship details.

Yeah we've discussed this before with formulas.

Michael88 · Feb 23, 2015

Holdenhsvgtsr
Yeah we've discussed this before with formulas.

What was the final consensus?

Holdenhsvgtsr · Feb 23, 2015

Michael88
What was the final consensus?

It makes no difference what so ever in cross winds.

cnd01 · Feb 23, 2015

Michael88
What was the final consensus?

No difference in cross winds and slow speed situations, but turn a car sideways at higher speeds and it can help turn it over.

SK8RBOI · Feb 23, 2015

The fin makes an LMP an LMP. It makes them look bigger, mor spacey! Lol

cnd01 · Feb 23, 2015

SK8RBOI
The fin makes an LMP an LMP. It makes them look bigger, mor spacey! Lol

They were on F1 cars before any LMP had them. Don't know if that was rules or not. Just for kicks, here's the Porsche w/o fin:

Michael88 · Feb 23, 2015

cnd01
No difference in cross winds and slow speed situations, but turn a car sideways at higher speeds and it can help turn it over.

Now I'm curious, do you have a link to that place where the effects of the fin were discussed? I shoot precision rifles, I know a great deal about long range ballistics and the severe effects cross winds have on fast moving objects in only 1-3 seconds.
I find it puzzling that increasing the surface area of a fast moving object has no direct effect on its straight line path in cross winds.

I wonder if that vertical fin could've been implemented simply via allowing much larger/longer wing end plates, much like an airliners vertical stabilizer.

cnd01
Don't know if that was rules or not. Just for kicks, here's the Porsche w/o fin:

Way better! But like I said, beauty lies in function, if the car is fast its beautiful enough.

SK8RBOI · Feb 23, 2015

cnd01
They were on F1 cars before any LMP had them. Don't know if that was rules or not. Just for kicks, here's the Porsche w/o fin:

Not for me I'm afraid! They look so good on some lmps

But it might be because I never new the old prototypes with out the fin and I see it as a step backwards!