I agree with you, the car will be very expensive comparing with the performance.
I'm only an engineering student and I haven't got experience with racing cars (I envy so much people like you ), but that chassis seems very simple, although I think he is planning to do the next prototype of carbon fiber.
Also, the brakes layout seems problematic, personally I don't like it, the cooling, performance and axle overload..but he did that to save weight and $$$
The engine layout...I'm not an expert but I think it would be bettet to put the engine behind the driver and the fuel cell (although he has made a well balanced car, near to %25 weight in each corner with the driver in).
well I have some questions , what you think about:
* The chassis design, apart from being not good in terms of performance, in terms of security, could you say if that is secure. Because without doing a crash test or FEA simulation....I wouldn't drive a car done by me How could you make a %100 secure design (well, asuming we can't do simulations and crash test, so making a wise overmeasuring )
* Is there really a need for use 4WD, the weight isn't much, but with a hayabusa 1300cc motorcycle engine, would be a problem the lack of traction ?
* what is better for aerodynamics, a open wheel or close whell design ?
(I think it's better the close whell design, but the F1 cars are open wheel, perhaps because the regulation)
My dream is in some years to design a hill clim race car (only design it in CATIA and simulate using MSC adams, fluent...), and if i had enough money perhaps build it.
I have in mind a osella PA20 style, le mans style car, smaller with about 350 Kg, aluminium chassis, motorcycle engine (turbocharged dual intercooled hayabusa engine with about 300 - 330 HP), use the vaporisation or latent heat of water for cooling (banned on F1), rear wheel drive, padle shifter, high downforce with underbody all long ventury tunnels with side skirts touching the ground like early F1 ground effect racers, high downforce rear wing and some front wing like audi R10 (drag isn't a great problem in hillclimb here, very twisty roads with low speed, max 200 km/h, average 85-95 km/h)
this car wouldn't be legal for racing, I would make it as illegal as possible with all the technical stuff banned, and then try to race it in a local hill climb in a special category (not sure if this can be done).
obviously i haven't the knowledge and experience to do this project, but i'm trying to find information on forums and webs. Also the things i study at the university are very usefull to understand any text i find and to have a background on dynamics, vibrations, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and of course in welding (I've finished this year technical mechanical engineering specialized in welding, next year I will start the last 2 years to obtain "superior" engineering title in industrial engineering, so perhaps I can help you in welding problems )
Life is too short to stay, race!
Gora Euskadi! Visca Catalunya!