Random Research DP1

[Vaigra]

Originally Posted by Pando

The graph picture annoys me as it says BMW Sauber and has a picture of a Renault in it.

I'm way too nice.

[fpv_gtho]

This thing is madness. Halfway between a gokart and Formula Ford!

[jediali]

whats that software?

[Zytek_Fan]

It reminds me of the Panoz LMP07...

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by jediali

whats that software?

From the "Live For SPeed" community.

"Ben Ponsford" aka "Bob Smith" :0

You can find it at http://lfs.thefloatingwidget.net/grc.html

Another commercial "real world" () one is Cartest at http://www.cartestsoftware.com/cartest2000/index.html

[jediali]

thanks matra

[Sauc3]

Originally Posted by Vaigra

I'm way too nice.

Good to see you got Renault spelled right.

[90ft]

I love the concept. Tiny car 4 wheel drive and idiotic amounts of power.
But . . . .
Have you read his site.
125,000$ for the 1st protoype. That's unbelievably expensive.
All it is is a Hyabusa engine in a tube frame chassis with a carbon one piece body. He's obviousely got money to burn.
$125K on materials. Incredible. That doesn't factor in any man hours worked.
Then instead of improving the design for production - he starts again!
New chassis new power train new ., . . . everything.
It's not an evolution. It's a new car. The only thing he's keeping is the basic layout.
But now with a V8 and trnsmission and fuel tank on one side - and 90kg for a heavy driver on the other . . Oh and drive shafts not chains. How's that going to ballance well?
Before he had a slight weight imbalance. not any more.
If he wants 300bhp he could have got it from a turbo on the Hayabusa engine with off hte shelf parts and kept the original design. Would have kept the weight and cost down. And he simply doesn't need the torque with the weight he's got.
Oh and then he's chosen a totally unproven engine. And decided to test it in an Atom.
Like I said.
Money to burn.
As long as he's happy. And he obviousely is.

[Cyco]

Originally Posted by 90ft

125,000$ for the 1st protoype. That's unbelievably expensive.

Most major manufactures don't get past the concept stage for this much, and to get to the 1st prototype would be lucky to get out of it for 100 times this amount.

US$125,000 strikes me as incredibly cheap.

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Cyco

Most major manufactures don't get past the concept stage for this much, and to get to the 1st prototype would be lucky to get out of it for 100 times this amount.

US$125,000 strikes me as incredibly cheap.

For the production version they'll have to lower the price though. Compared to the Radical SR3 Turbo's price of £41,000, this looks like a rip off.

[90ft]

Originally Posted by Cyco

Most major manufactures don't get past the concept stage for this much, and to get to the 1st prototype would be lucky to get out of it for 100 times this amount.
US$125,000 strikes me as incredibly cheap.

But he's not a major manufacturer.
He's an individual building a car in his garage. He has no crash regs to build to.
He's not building the engine. there is no interior. All he's doing is a tube chassis and then a simple shell to cover it. It should cost les than a kit car build. as the content is about the same. But it's over 3 times the price.

Compare his $125K to the cost of a formula SAE car. which probably costs - on average 30K

Like I said. He's got money to burn.
And he's having fun.

[johnnyperl]

If you read carefully $125,000 is MSRP which does include labor and warranty. The engine (V8) and transmission make up a huge part of that. I recently saw this engine in a prototype of another vehicle and they are using a production gearbox rather than the Hewland unit because the Hewland cost significantly into 5 digits.

HERE is the most recent video, my car is briefly in it

Originally Posted by Cyco

Most major manufactures don't get past the concept stage for this much, and to get to the 1st prototype would be lucky to get out of it for 100 times this amount.

US$125,000 strikes me as incredibly cheap.

you cant compare this to a concept/prototype/production car, this is hundreds of times simpler. I would hope there aren't many production cars that have only had 100 time this budget, most have 1000 time this amount.

From personal experience; I'm an Engineer for a subsidiary of Daimler-Chrysler where simply a small radius change to a bumper can cost close to a million dollars when all's said and done (on a vehicle already in production).

[Pando]

Originally Posted by Vaigra

I'm way too nice.

You sure are indeed.