21 replies to this topic

[AErrorist]

IBLotus 2011 Championchip with this idea...

The Lotus Exos T125 is an F1 race car in all but a few ways. The company's building twenty five of 'em, selling each for a cool $1 million and forming a private racing league for the owners. Totally. Awesome.

Think of the Lotus Exos program as the most brilliant F1 development strategy in history. Lotus is returning to F1, having announced their new F1-car and begun development testing already. The competition is fierce though, and development costs for the series are phenomenal, so what if there was a way to offset the cost and get some additional development while not breaking F1's testing ban? That's basically the Exos. Of course, that's not the "official" story, but a wink's as good as a nod.

The 1,433 lb Exos is an all carbon fiber F1-style race car fitted with a 650 HP Cosworth V8 with a blistering 10,300 RPM red line, an on-board starter, and a (get this!) 2,800-mile tear down schedule. That's like sending the space shuttle up a half-dozen times before servicing it. As awesome as the machine is, the really slick part is the program surrounding it. Lotus will be forming the "Exos Club," something that might be considered the greatest owner's experience ever conceived.

The Exos Club's perks read like every racing fantasy you've ever had. The owners will go through rigorous drivers training managed by a collection of engineers, race drivers, mechanics and physical trainers and physicians. The owner will be honed into a legitimate racing driver in not just the mental but the physical. Then, beginning in 2011, Lotus will put on five races for the owners across Europe. Now ow we have something to do with all that blogging money we've been sitting on...

http://jalopnik.com/...ce-cars-arrived

[MrBucket]

Looks like Lotus has an interesting way to skirt the testing ban, just sell very similar cars to private customers and have them test it for you.




$1,000,000 and it has a 650hp Cosworth v8. Limited to 10,300 rpm so its obviously not F1 spec but the car seems pretty damn close.

http://www.autoblog....s-quasi-f1-car/

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

Really, do you think you'll need the 'push-to-pass' button when you show up with this thing at a trackday?

[Redliner]

Really, do you think you'll need the 'push-to-pass' button when you show up with this thing at a trackday?

Just in case you run into an Enzo FXX or Zonda R, lulz.

I don't think they'll get much test data out of these cars to be honest. Rich clientales hardly make valuable test drivers Plus, those are Michelins - they're running Pirellis next year in F1, aren't they?

That paint job is sex tho. What size rims are those, they look bigger than 13s...pretty hawt.

[vietlol]

Now thats a ballin track car

[Redliner]

I want to see it run the 'Ring for lap times !

[MrBucket]

Just in case you run into an Enzo FXX or Zonda R, lulz.

I don't think they'll get much test data out of these cars to be honest. Rich clientales hardly make valuable test drivers Plus, those are Michelins - they're running Pirellis next year in F1, aren't they?

That paint job is sex tho. What size rims are those, they look bigger than 13s...pretty hawt.

I think this thing would destroy either of those cars.

[Redliner]

I think this thing would destroy either of those cars.

That totally wasn't sarcasm on my part. Not at all... Still would be very cool to see this thing running soon. Too bad only 25 will be built total.

[MrBucket]

oh and it should be fairly reliable, they claim 4,000km before an engine rebuild

[AErrorist]

I posted in the F1 2010 season thread, haha.

[vietlol]

oh and it should be fairly reliable, they claim 4,000km before an engine rebuild

thats about 13 race distances, turning the revs down does wonders

[MrBucket]

thats about 13 race distances, turning the revs down does wonders

although im sure if you can spend $1,000,000 on a toy that you could deal with shorter teardown interviews with 18,000 rpm engines.

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

although im sure if you can spend $1,000,000 on a toy that you could deal with shorter teardown interviews with 18,000 rpm engines.

Think its worth mentioning here that this engine isn't the 2.4L V8 Cosworth that the F1 cars use, but a 3.5L V8 Cosworth. Not sure what racing series this engine is derived from or if it is a completely new design, but it clearly isn't designed to go 17k rpm like the F1 engine. 4000km per service interval isn't too bad however, coming to about 75% race distance of a R15+ TDI at Le Mans 24hrs this year.

[MrBucket]

Think its worth mentioning here that this engine isn't the 2.4L V8 Cosworth that the F1 cars use, but a 3.5L V8 Cosworth. Not sure what racing series this engine is derived from or if it is a completely new design, but it clearly isn't designed to go 17k rpm like the F1 engine. 4000km per service interval isn't too bad however, coming to about 75% race distance of a R15+ TDI at Le Mans 24hrs this year.

Yeah I was trying to find if it was used in another series and its not gp2, gp3, or a1gp.

[Redliner]

Yeah I was trying to find if it was used in another series and its not gp2, gp3, or a1gp.

IRL? Before it was strictly Honda?

[MrBucket]

IRL? Before it was strictly Honda?

Hrm those are 3.5L v8


Its definitely a IRL spec Cosworth engine, these are the current specs of the Honda one used.

Type: 3.5-liter (213.6 cubic inches) V-8, 32-valve dual-overhead cam (DOHC), Normally aspirated (no turbocharger) Max. bore diameter 93 millimeters Four camshafts, four valves per cylinder.
Weight: Minimum dry weight is 280 pounds - no headers, clutch, ECU, spark box or filters.
RPM: 10,300 (rpm) maximum (league-supplied rev limiter).
Power output: 650 hp (485 kW).
Fuel: 100% fuel grade Ethanol.[15]
Injector: Electronic.
Models: Honda Racing Indy V-8.
Manufacturer: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

[MrBucket]

The power, the rev limit, and the engine size matches up too perfectly for anything else.

[MrBucket]

I believe this car has steel rotor brakes, seems like an interesting choice to me.

[Redliner]

I believe this car has steel rotor brakes, seems like an interesting choice to me.

Yeah...i don't think Lotus F1 will get much out of testing like this. Plus, amateur drivers will probably never keep the heat in carbon brakes enough too. Makes sense.

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

Yeah...i don't think Lotus F1 will get much out of testing like this. Plus, amateur drivers will probably never keep the heat in carbon brakes enough too. Makes sense.

Rookies always overbrake if anything. I'd say if anything they'll have trouble getting the tires up to temp like Hammond did when he drove the Renault.

[Nacho]

Rookies always overbrake if anything. I'd say if anything they'll have trouble getting the tires up to temp like Hammond did when he drove the Renault.

Most people that I've seen datalogs from actually don't brake as hard as they could. They brake longer than needed, but not harder.

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

Most people that I've seen datalogs from actually don't brake as hard as they could. They brake longer than needed, but not harder.

I meant duration when I said "overbraking", as in using the brakes longer than necessary. Either way, which one would put more heat into the brake system, braking for longer 80% brake pressure or threshold braking?