Not even McLaren itself with the MP4-12C and the P1.
Not even McLaren itself with the MP4-12C and the P1.
it not suit all application
"Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
"No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"
Incidentally there was an Aeon GT3 for sale recently, which uses the same layout. I think there are quite a few reasons why it's not used. Few cars have interiors which are wide enough to accomodate 3 people abreast, especially with the requirements of decent side impact protection on modern cars. It's also a PITA to get into a central seat.
That said, there are quite a few cars which accomodate three people in the front: Fiat Multipla and Land Rover Defender spring to mind, though the latter does require that you to sit with a gearstick between your legs and receive a punt in the testicles whenever 4th gear is required
Gordon Murray strikes again...
2010 Gordon Murray Design T.25 - Images, Specifications and Information
In the past it was very common to seat three in front. Not the way the F1 does it though. In front engined cars it can be a bit more complicated to fit the steering rack as well. So packaging-wise it's a very unusual and not very realistic option to use in mass production.
Thousands of trucks have bench seats that can fit 3 up front, and as for hitting your passenger in the testes, column shift solves that.
I've always figured the 1+2 seating arrangement was a compromise of interior cabin space and overall wheelbase. It isnt so much a problem on a rear mid engined supercar, where the added wheelbase required isnt as much as an issue, but on a front engine car, the driver would have to sit higher up on account of the driveshaft, increasing height of the car overall. and then theirs the fact that the passengers wont have as much airbag protection directly infront of them, which could be a problem in a highspeed crash.
"Don't think your time on bad things
Just float your little mind around"
Jimi Hendrix
I could see issues with safety certifications as well. The F1 for example really had no need of forward airbags for the passengers given how far back they sat. However I think most regulations simply require them. So not only are they unnecessary but how do you get that airbag to go off without hurting the driver sitting next to it? Sadly there are enough regulations that govern cars that basically assume certain layouts and are inflexible when alternative designs are suggested. This is above and beyond any other issues with the layout. Heck, some law might state a car must be left hand or right hand drive in some given market.
Of course other things like easy of entry/exit or even turning to look at your passenger isn't an easy thing with that layout. It does however make it easier to have both left and right hand versions of the car ready at launch... or perhaps I would be more correct to say they have neither version?
The HTT Pléthore, the first supercar made in Québec (in Canada), uses the 3 seat design. Whether or not it will get past pre-production stage is the question.
I'm dropping out to create a company that starts with motorcycles, then cars, and forty years later signs a legendary Brazilian driver who has a public and expensive feud with his French teammate.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)