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Pete
Lyons' fantastic Can-Am Cars in Detail:
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September/October
2010
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to see the latest news
All news content copyright Michael J. Fuller, unless
otherwise noted |
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| >>Petit
Le Mans 2010<< |
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 10.30.10
>>24
hours after the teaser image on Autosport, Peugeot releases 3 views of
their new 90X LMP1. The accompanying pdf says precious little
about technical details and Bruno Famin is quoted saying, "We are still
exploring several options with regard to the engine and technology we
will use."
Evident are the mandatory for new 2011 cars big
honking fin, as well as the swan neck rear wing mounts, and the curious
large air intake on the roof. The traditional turbo inlets have
made a visit to the witch doctor and have been drastically reduced in
size and more importantly inlet area (and their locations has been
shifted rearwards). Interestingly the front end looks essentially
identical to the 908 (even the mirror's shape and position, which lends
the belief that everything from the side pod leading edge forward is the same), though the splitter looks a little shorter.
|
 From this angle it seems pretty clear the 90X shares much in the front end with the 908. |
 Note
the lack of NACA brake cooling intake (as was on the 908). More
evidence that the small "turbo" duct on the rear fender leading edge
is actually now for brakes. You can also just see the carbon
cover for the exhaust which pokes out of the top of the rear bodywork.
The location of the exhaust begins to seem significant to the
engine choice, as does the choice of photos (note none show the
opposite side)... |
 Here we can see that the entire rear end has been redesigned. |
 Note how the front pontoon fender trailing edge shape matches the sculpted shape for the sidepod. |
 |
 The
90X's rear fender profile has been completely redesigned as have the
side pods. We can still see the large louver panel on the
outboard vertical face of the side pod. The trailing edge detail
to the front pontoon fender is different to the 908 as well. This
is driven by the more sculpted outboard side pod shape. The
endplate shape has changed, specifically the lower left chamfer size.
It also does appear the wheelbase dimension has been revised and is shorter.
Yesterday's
guess was that this was an interim test mule. With these images
being officially released by Peugeot that opinion changes.
We're a little surprised. The 2011 engine regulations call
for drastically smaller engines (and power outputs) and the car we're
seeing here still very much has that "big car" look and feel to it.
Could their still be a diesel in the 90X's future?
Possibly, the cooling package we're seeing on the 90X bears
resemblance to the 908's. One would think with a small gas
powered engine (for instance) the car's cooling needs would shrink
drastically and it doesn't appear that's the case. If
anything, the height of the side pod at the leading edge seems as tall
ason the 908 leading one to beleive the inlet area for the coolers is
similar. While this may seem a little confusing given the smaller
3.7 liter capacity for 2011 diesels (compared to the previous 5.5 liter
cap) ; smalle engine, smaller coolers. But it's a good guess that
there's a hybrid coupling in the 90X and that could push Peugeot back
to needing similar volumes of airflow to keep the engine cool.
But then there's that exhaust location (and roof intake)...in the
end I wouldn't be surprised if Peugeot did an end-run and surprised
everyone with a gasoline powered engine (of some variety) coupled with
a hybrid powerplant... |
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9.29.10
>>News
flash, Mulsanne's Corner breaks into the 21st Century. We'll
be
updating live from the track, bringing it to you as we see fit!
At some point I'll create a dedicated page (see link
above)...frankly this is
basically a test of the wireless...;-)
Here's a FaceBook album from this afternoon's
session.
Continue to check the dedicated Petit Le Mans 2010 page for the
most recent updates. |
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|
 9.28.10
>>Today's big
news had to do with Lotus Group's announcement of a LMP2 program aiming
at Le Mans 2012. Along with this news Lotus Group also
announced
a GT2 program, a GT3 program, as well as ratcheting up their IRL
commitment for 2011 culminating in an aero kit in 2012, and all of this
to go along with their current F1 program in addition to last week's
news of a GP2 sponsorship tie-in (ART racing)....whew. Ok,
I'm
skeptical. All this motorsport activity and one wonders who's
paying for it as none
of it's
cheap. And of course their's the push pull over the use of
the
Lotus name between Proton and Lotus Racing. While I don't
know
for sure how that relates, it certainly muddies the water. |
 The
only thing giving today's LMP2 announcement any credibility is that
Paolo Catone (Peugeot 908, 905, Courage) has been signed to design the
car. Lotus Group only released these images and no technical
details only to say they expect the car to be testing by late next year.
Note the lack of big honking fin... |
|
 9.15.10
>>About a month after Dome's public decision
to cease all efforts to field a factory backed team at Le Mans or sell
customer LMP cars, Dome have released images of the final developments
to the S102 chassis. |
 The
requisite big honking fin for 2011 coupled with swan neck rear wing
mounts. Note the longitudinal cuts in the big
honking fin;
the big honking fin has an allowable height variance of
between
920 and 1030 mm from the reference plane. |
 Note
the rear tire masking plates behind the rear fenders. |
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|
 9.11.10
>>We're
catching up on some news from the past week(s) starting with today's
Aston Martin announcement. Aston Martin has committed to a
factory backed LMP1 program and has indicated that 6 cars will be built
and the initial construction is already underway. Aston
Martin's David Richards indicated that the regulation changes
for
2011 helped ease their deciscion, "In recent
years, it has been impossible for petrol cars to compete on equal terms
with the diesels. However, we now have assurances from the
ACO that, with the adoption of the 2011 regulations, they will properly
balance the performance of these new cars. Under these
circumstances we have been prepared to develop Aston Martin’s first
purpose-built racing chassis and engine for more than 50 years."
Few techncial details for the moment other than what we can
observe: open cockpit, big honking fin, Aston Martin styling cues
(front wheel well exit). Aston are hoping for a Sebring 2011
debut. |
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|
 >>On
Thursday Judd released a press release and photo showing their 2011
LMP2 engine. The engine is based BMW's 4.0 liter V8 and will
have
a "HK" desigantion in memory of Judd engine designer Hiro Kaneda who
passed away in January
of this year. |
 >>Oreca
has released a rendering of their 2011 "03" LMP2. Looks
pretty
much like this year's car but with a big honking fin. Though
we're reminded, it is just a rendering. |
  >>For
the past year and a half I've been working on a CFD investigation of
the 2009 ACO rear wing regulations. With the help of Simon
McBeath
we're getting close to publishing our findings. The CFD
anaylsis
looks at the rear wing regulations changes introduced in 2009 and its
effects as well as the introduction of the swan neck rear wing mounts.
|
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