IndyCar just announced plans to get a little greener. Beginning in 2022, its race cars will be hybrids. They'll use a combination of internal combustion engines from Honda and Chevrolet and a hybrid system to produce somewhere in the ballpark of 900...
Earlier this month, after lots of planning and testing, Volkswagen's electric ID.R racer set a record for "the fastest lap ever driven in an emission-free racing car" at the famed Nürburgring-Nordschleife. An in-car video proving the record was...
At first thought, the idea of an autonomous race car seems like a hard sell. However, that all changes when you see what the cars could look like by ditching the driver! N.01 is one such concept designed for the Roborace world. Created as a vision for the future of the autonomous race car, its iconic form is somehow aggressive and minimalistic at once.
The fact that that this autonomous vehicle lacks a pilot provided the freedom to play with shapes and the automotive architecture. Marked by an extremely low profile, its in-wheel electric motors enhance this slim aesthetic without compromising power.
There have been a few electric proposals for future Le Mans races but this Pagani is one of the first that harnesses hydrogen power! Called the Ganador (Spanish for “winner”), it races ahead using a monstrous V12 hydrogen-powered prototype engine.
It’s wicked aesthetic looks like a bullet on wheels, with an elongated, enclosed cockpit that protects the driver (even using internal heat-sensing tech to monitor their condition) from wind and the elements without obstructing views.
Other innovations include carbon-fiber wind flaps that act as air brakes, wind-turbine wheels that collect wind energy for reuse, and hard/soft hybrid tires that allow the driver to continue lapping at high speeds before heading to the pit!
The GAMMA concept explores the jump to magnetic levitation racing in the form of a wicked fast hybrid that relies on gasoline to supplement a magnetic engine. On the straightaways, the vehicle hovers on the maglev track at breakneck speeds. Speeds so fast even the wheels need their own individual aerodynamic casings! On the curves, the vehicle makes contact with the ground again. To handle turns at these velocities, each wheels is powered and can turn independently. This gives the vehicle enhanced agility and handling as the angle and rotation of each wheel can be specified by the driver to maximize efficiency and minimize time.
Designer: Dong-Hoon OH
Each wheel’s are separated to give the driver full control of speed and rotation during curves.
Imagine how fast race cars would be if there was no rolling resistance with wheels against the pavement? The speed and maneuverability would be almost limitless if we could just get ’em off the ground! We’ve escaped gravity somewhat with magnetic levitation, but it’s largely limited to dedicated tracks. However, there might be a solution around the corner and it’s straight out of science fiction!
The QMR (Quantum Motor Racing) concept explores the use of quantum levitation, a far-out yet feasible expansion of magnet tech that relies on temperature adjustments and a delicate balance of superconductors and magnets. The requirements for development into large-scale use (like that of a racetrack) would be incredibly challenging and expensive but absolutely fascinating if achieved!
Because it’s completely frictionless as far as the ground is concerned, the QMR concept vehicle itself is optimized for aerodynamics. As for forward propulsion, that’s still left to the imagination!
The Millennium Falcon is the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, so really, it should have a paint job that matches it’s speed. If Han Solo ever decided to start racing the old girl, he would need to make it look like a race car. And that is just what Joe Gan has done with his version of the Falcon.
He created this racing Falcon using parts from a Lego Technic Grand Prix Racer set. This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. Now it looks like it can do it in eleven, maybe less.
This ship looks great in racing colors. I just hope they have a good pit crew. This Falcon has been known to have its share of problems.
The 24 hour race at Le Mans held every year is among the most punishing automotive tests on the planet: race-bred machines running top-speed (or close) for a full day. Recently, gasoline-powered cars have had their dominance usurped by diesels, who themselves are now losing to hybrids. The next step? It could be EVs. The GreenGT H2 will take the grid of next year's 24 hour race as an experimental entry, driving the full race distance pushing only water vapor out its tailpipe. Hydrogen is stored in the two large tanks running down the sides, while the massive fuel cell stack itself is situated behind the driver. Power output is somewhere north of 500 horsepower, which is quite healthy for a car that the company hopes will be down under 1000Kg (2,200 pounds) by the time it hits the track in anger. Enough to win Le Mans? Almost certainly not, but it'll be fun to watch it try.
Over the years, the Batmobile has shown up in all kinds of crazy designs. It’s amazing how geeks change things around and create all kinds of cool versions of the classic Bat car. And now it has been converted into an Formula One race car by Knightvision3D. I can only imagine how awesome the Joker’s car would look if he had an F1 racer too.
It is pretty impressive and was made in 3DS Max 2013. It’s a combination of F1 design, Tumbler technology and powered by jet turbines. They even added hydraulic flaps and allowed the air collected above the cockpit to be funneled around the turbine exhaust and out under the rear diffuser. Who cares that it defies good aerodynamics?
Man, if I had Bruce Wayne’s money I would so build one of these.
Formula 1 car technology has come a long way since it first hit the asphalt banks 62 years ago. It's been hard to convey the sheer amount of change in a succinct way, but Rufus Blacklock may have nailed it in exactly one minute. Abstract versions of the cars show us the progression from the bullet-shaped cars of the 1950's through to the low-slung, wing-laden beasts we know today. If the clip is a little too F1-fast, there's also an infographic that details exactly when certain technology changes came into play, starting with the first wings in 1968 through to modern (and at times controversial) introductions like KERS in 2009. Click past the break for the video, and check out the relevant source link for a quite literal big picture.
IndyCar just announced plans to get a little greener. Beginning in 2022, its race cars will be hybrids. They'll use a combination of internal combustion engines from Honda and Chevrolet and a hybrid system to produce somewhere in the ballpark of 900...
Earlier this month, after lots of planning and testing, Volkswagen's electric ID.R racer set a record for "the fastest lap ever driven in an emission-free racing car" at the famed Nürburgring-Nordschleife. An in-car video proving the record was...
