November/December 2012
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All news content copyright Michael J. Fuller, unless
otherwise noted |
|  11.19.12
>>An
HPD press release from November 16th fleshes out a few details of what
the ARX-03c 2013 LMP update will entail. From the press material
we understand the -03c will be running wide fronts as well as the front
suspension geometry, steering, and bodywork changes to go with that.
And we can see the bodywork changes are pretty minor; the
expected new front fenders and new (though similar to what we've seen
before) diveplanes.
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|  11.15.12* updated 11.19.12
>>So a shot of the Audi R18 testing at Spa shows up today on the Facebook page (thanks Jake Yorath for pointing that out)...
Naturally you can't help but look at it. And then note the changes...
For
now it appears the front end is largely unchanged. Give me 24 hours,
maybe I'll change my mind. But the front fenders appear to be the
same, the front BHHs same, nose box,etc...
|  But
the rear end is another story. The entire engine cover has been
re sculpted through the center section with a new very prominent blend
dominating the central section (1). This blend terminates in a
peak at the trailing edge of the engine cover that from this angle
appears much taller than the 2012 version. Makes you wonder
what's going on underneath as the bodywork has been offset locally and
would appear to be further away from the mechanical bits (engine
exhaust for instance). Cooling related, perhaps?
There's also a large blister (2) ahead of blend. Related?
The
inboard shape of the trailing edge of the rear fender (3) is also
changed. It fades away pretty quickly past the tire (much more so
than previously), not too differently than the OAK LMP.
Finally, it would appear that the leading edge of the rear fender is shorter (4).
So
overall, for me the main takeaway is the suggestion that something
mechanically has changed at the rear of the car prompting the obvious
bodywork changes. What could that be? We can certainly
guess. And a revised rear-drive hybrid system would be a
reasonable guess...
Meh,
maybe not so much. A sympathetic insider at Audi indicates that
the central blend (1) has been on the car all season, it's just
highlighted here because of the bare carbon. We're so used to
seeing the white livery which blanches out the details in this
area...The blister (2) has
been revised, but only slightly. And the leading edge of the rear
fender (4) is unchanged. So let me just walk back on nearly
everything...no word on if my observation regarding (3) is
correct...it's not. Ugh. 25%. I mean even a blind
squirrel gets a nut every now and again... | 
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