Nissan Delta Wing your thoughts?

Justin Martin · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 328

Personally as innovative as it may be I feel the the advantages lost in downforce adjustment, suspension, and front tire contact patch.... Too many compromises IMO.

What are your thoughts?

Peter Zambos · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:01 am Post subject:

I heartily and respectfully disagree. I would absolutely love to race this thing.

This isn't a typically car that, because of the limits of mechanical grip due to high vehicle weight, must rely heavily (no pun intended) upon downforce to get it through the turns. As it is so light, the only downforce requirements are to keep the vehicle vertically stable, to counter the thing from becoming too light from lift at high speed. You then really don't have to worry about generating more downforce for a specific application and therefore don't need to worry about adjusting it to a significant degree.

Contact patch is relative. If your grip is ample, you'd say that the contact patch is appropriate, wouldn't you? Well, the Delta Wing doesn't lack front grip. So, even though the front tires look like they could go on my bicycle, they get the job done.

I can't speak to the suspension. I race a kart, after all.

Listen, I thought the thing was ridiculous at first and even as late as last February when the mock-up was at the Chicago Auto Show. It's proven me wrong, and it was as fast as an LMP2 with the same motor that powers a Nissan Juke (btw, Nissan, not Mazda), and Bowlby says that there's a lot left to develop. To boot, it was designed in the States (admittedly by an Englishman), developed it the States and built in the States.

I love it and want one. I think it even might fit in my trailer.

TJ Koyen · Joined: 03 Oct 2004 Posts: 1425

I also have grown to love it. I hated it as a concept for the new IndyCar, but as a prototype road racer, it's awesome. And it's proven to be pretty damn quick.
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Chris Hurst · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 11:32 am Post subject:

The Delta Wing really caught my eye when I first saw it. I think it's in line with an alternative way of thinking that doesn't get put into practice as much as it should be due to regulations and it's a shame.

Reminds me of some of Luigi Colani's designs if anyone is unfamiliar with him if you read his books you will look at the best looking modern race cars and think they look boring. Some of this work:

30% better fuel consumption without even touching the motor.

Ferrari told him he didn't know how to build cars so he took an F50 I think that was and redesigned it. I think to date it is actually the highest top speed Ferrari in the world.

[img]http://thinng.com/system/images/3458/large/luigi-colani-aerodynamic-race-cars3.png?1317806401[/img]
Shooting for 300mph with this car in the future according to Colani.

He has a lot of other cars and a great book of auto / industrial design. When I saw the Delta it reminded me of a Colani car for Le Mans.

Justin Martin · Joined: 27 Mar 2012 Posts: 328

Guys, I guess I didn't quite make my opinion clear. It's not so much the aerodynamic properties I am against, nor am I against the lighter weight or smaller engine. I am against the design of the front end.

From an aeronautical engineering standpoint one can achieve the same aerodynamic advantages without sacrificing such things like a wider front end.(I am in my Sr year of aerospace engineering, and I am not blowing hot air....)

I have countless hours toying with aerodynamic properties and there is no advantage in that front end over a wider conventional front end. You can achieve the same drag coefficient with many different shapes. Frontal surface area, or pressure has less to do with aerodynamic force than the air you leave behind you.

I am all for a lighter less powerful, more aerodynamic car. However I believe it can be achieved with a conventional much wider front end.

After all, aren't you guys of all people aware of how front end adjustments can effect a car/kart?

jeff grose · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:56 pm Post subject:

so much for the D-Wing, crashed out @ Petit Lemans today
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Chris Hurst · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 3:58 pm Post subject:

Peter Zambos · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 5:01 pm Post subject:

Peter Zambos · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 5:05 pm Post subject:

jeff grose · Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 3:51 am Post subject:

quite a discussion of who was at fault on the wreck Shocked

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Chris Livengood · Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 11:10 am Post subject:

It's an interesting experiment that's for sure. It has done a nice job of presenting some design ideas and it has even won over some praise, probably more so than it deserves in some cases but less in other areas.

The ACO screwed them when they didn't let them run their differential, otherwise it could have been cooler yet.

Bottom line is that it is a cool idea, it will inspire children to dream about racecars again, and it might even provide good science for future ideas. It however is not the answer for the racecar of tomorrow. The law of physics haven't changed.
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Chris Hurst · Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:07 pm Post subject:

Not sure if any of you guys have seen this article, but I'm sure it will be interesting to some:

What Can-Am would be today if there were no restrictions....
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/what-can-am-could-have-been

Even if the Delta Wing crashes and burns (metaphorically of course) at least they are out doing something different and trying new things. If I turn 80 some day and racing cars still look the same I'll be severely disappointed.

On the whole though when you look at the shapes of automobile in terms of overall shape they really haven't been altered much in the last 60 years. What surprises me most with the Delta Wing is that given they are going for efficiency and light weight over brute force and horsepower they have chose to keep it an open cockpit style race car.

You would think they would enclose it for aero purposes.

Scott Heavin · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 3:35 am Post subject:

I took this at the Ganassi shop a few months ago...

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Gregory Dzielinski · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:09 am Post subject:

Delta Wing crashed heavly yesterday at RA
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Chris Hurst · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:57 pm Post subject: