Friday, August 29, 2008 - 09:53 pm, by: Damian Ware(Frozenpod)
Interesting.
There are different variations to the ring different distances but the Porsche GT3 RS has and under 7 minute time which I believe was on the 20km circuit (same as ZR1 listed time).
That being said all the cars named here are very quick and any of them would be bucket loads of fun to drive.
I read somewhere apparently one lap of the ring is roughly equivalent to 1000km of driving on regular road (or something crazy like that) due to all the stresses it puts on the car.
Friday, August 29, 2008 - 10:51 pm, by: Damian Ware(Frozenpod)
I have read a lot of crazy stuff about it to.
I must admit I think it was more crap than fact.
Anyway back to the Nitrogen, I haven't tried but but I have been told by an experienced race driver who is also an automotive engineer that it is faster and provided a more even tyre temperature across the surface of the tyre through out a race.
Does it I don't know I would have thought once at full operating temperature it wouldn't make any difference but perhaps the balance between hot and cold is better.
I questioned him on this and he said the impurities in air even though a small % was enough to make a difference.
Saturday, August 30, 2008 - 08:49 am, by: David Vaughan(Davidv)
I would have go go back to look at previous research but I think it is the presence or absence of water vapour which can make a difference, hence the alternative of a dry gas which nitrogen becomes when prepared.
If we take water out of the gas, then I would like to ask that race driver in what respect air has lumpy bits which settle preferentially on one side of the tyre or in certain spots, that it can make a difference to temperature which over-rides heat patterns arising from frictional and torsional stresses?
Some F1 drivers always wear red socks or underpants and one of the most thoughtful of cricketers was known always to carry a red handkerchief when he went to bat. That did not stop him from being a great batsman and captain but my point is that it is not only the overtly silly placebos which we imagine to be helpful. Any idea which has one practical reason can be vested with qualities it actually lacks, but which there is no special reason to question, and if no-one questions them they become "true".
Sunday, August 31, 2008 - 09:38 am, by: Don Bagnall(Baggs)
Having just watched the Viper doing it's thing-at-the-ring again, methinks they might want to program the rev limiter a bit higher and shave another 3 secs or so off the time.
Honda will be debuting a V10 something or other at the Ring soon, also (as others have said) the Nizmo tweaked R35 has yet to do it's "Thing".
Monday, September 01, 2008 - 07:20 am, by: Miles Baker(Milesb)
From the video page:
With the 2 top overall production car times (Viper ACR and Corvette ZR1), the top sedan time (Cadillac CTS-V), and top front drive compact time (Cobalt SS), can we please put to rest the myth that American manufacturers can not build a car that handles well?? ;)