[MagneticMeerkat]

flemke said:

TKF said:

flemke said:

I was driving in a clear lane at maybe 70 mph when a car in a parallel lane, traveling at maybe 15 mph, suddenly and without indicating pulled in front of me. My choices were to hit the back of him at a speed differential of perhaps 40 mph

Lots of people over the years have tried to guess how your apparent wealth came about. It's fair to say we can rule out finance.

You might be right, but I'm afraid I can't follow how you got there.

Someone care to explain?

Cheers.

Hey, that happened to me. Except I was driving an old Citroen at a higher speed. I also didn't crash although the French boulevardier was highly upset by the evasive action.

So perhaps I should get the McLaren as a reward for such elite skills?

[flemke]

tontoro said:

flemke said:

You might be right, but I'm afraid I can't follow how you got there.

Someone care to explain?

Cheers.

70 minus 15 doesn't equal 40

Thanks for the explanation.

I thought it was clearly implicit that, in the time between the moment when the car going 15 mph cut in front of me and any subsequent moment of potential impact, I would have been able to reduce my car's speed at least a bit. It was just that I would not have been able to slow enough to avoid a fairly high speed impact. Hence I guessed that the speed differential at impact would have been "perhaps 40".

Cheers.

[flemke]

MagneticMeerkat said:

flemke said:

TKF said:

flemke said:

I was driving in a clear lane at maybe 70 mph when a car in a parallel lane, traveling at maybe 15 mph, suddenly and without indicating pulled in front of me. My choices were to hit the back of him at a speed differential of perhaps 40 mph

Lots of people over the years have tried to guess how your apparent wealth came about. It's fair to say we can rule out finance.

You might be right, but I'm afraid I can't follow how you got there.

Someone care to explain?

Cheers.

Hey, that happened to me. Except I was driving an old Citroen at a higher speed. I also didn't crash although the French boulevardier was highly upset by the evasive action.

So perhaps I should get the McLaren as a reward for such elite skills?

Only if a key part of your evasive action was getting your Citroen up on 2 wheels and clearing the slow car ahead at an angle.

[Megaflow]

Peloton25 said:

This just in: Gooding and Company will auction the (nearly) original McLaren F1 chassis 031 at their upcoming Monterey auction in mid-August. Estimate is eye-watering, but likely warranted for such a unique and barely used example.



Highly Original, Three-Owner F1
Originally Finished in Striking Marlboro White - the Sole Such Example
Complete with Manual, Tools, and Fitted Luggage
Just over 1,617 KM (1,004 Miles) from New
2008 Extensive Service by McLaren

Estimate: $12,000,000 - $14,000,000

>8^)
ER

Edited by Peloton25 on Wednesday 23 July 17:54

Which has just reminded me of a question. When the cars were new, much was made of the modem data link and the tool kit and McLarens ability to send a technician to the cars location for any work. Do McLaren still offer this service and does anybody know if anybody uses it?

[flemke]

Megaflow said:

Peloton25 said:

This just in: Gooding and Company will auction the (nearly) original McLaren F1 chassis 031 at their upcoming Monterey auction in mid-August. Estimate is eye-watering, but likely warranted for such a unique and barely used example.



Highly Original, Three-Owner F1
Originally Finished in Striking Marlboro White - the Sole Such Example
Complete with Manual, Tools, and Fitted Luggage
Just over 1,617 KM (1,004 Miles) from New
2008 Extensive Service by McLaren

Estimate: $12,000,000 - $14,000,000

>8^)
ER

Edited by Peloton25 on Wednesday 23 July 17:54

Which has just reminded me of a question. When the cars were new, much was made of the modem data link and the tool kit and McLarens ability to send a technician to the cars location for any work. Do McLaren still offer this service and does anybody know if anybody uses it?

As you will imagine, the data link is pre-historic by our standards, although on the rare occasion it is used. On the other hand, the factory always hook one of their old laptops to a car when it's being serviced or there is a problem.

The tool kit is fairly redundant, apart from the wheel nut socket and torque wrench, which are kind of essential if you ever want to remove a wheel. As the factory has a monopoly on the (standard road car) tyres, wheels are removed away from the factory or an authorised service centre less often than one might normally expect, but still there are occasions when that monster socket is needed.

The factory will still send a technician to remote locations when necessary. They have done that for me on one occasion, when the car was out of UK and had an electrics-related problem that required their laptop in order to be diagnosed.

[Sway]

First image I've seen of the P1 GTR - Blimey they've gone all Spinal TAP!

[anonymous-user]

Sway said:

First image I've seen of the P1 GTR - Blimey they've gone all Spinal TAP!

Wait till you drive it........ ;-)

[Sway]

Is that an invite?!

Cause that's the only way I can ever see me getting in one...

Pwetty pwease, doe eyes, fawning, etc.

[Output Flange]

flemke said:

The tool kit is fairly redundant, apart from the wheel nut socket and torque wrench, which are kind of essential if you ever want to remove a wheel. As the factory has a monopoly on the (standard road car) tyres, wheels are removed away from the factory or an authorised service centre less often than one might normally expect, but still there are occasions when that monster socket is needed.

IIRC you've still got the red/blue centrelock nuts on your wheels, right?. Is it an anodized finish, and is it resilient enough to not be damaged by the socket on the odd occassion you need to take the wheels off?

[Megaflow]

Sway said:

First image I've seen of the P1 GTR - Blimey they've gone all Spinal TAP!

That most definitely requires:

[AreOut]

lol, flemke will not like that wing

btw now I see it's the track-only version and every P1 owner will be eligible to buy one, quite negates P1 tracking capabilities and compromises if you are going to buy P1 GTR...

[FourWheelDrift]

AreOut said:

lol, flemke will not like that wing

I thought that was the front and were angry horns.

[Mr_B]

Forgive me for not keeping up if this has been covered, but the Healey with the LS engine, I remember you posting to this thread I think it was years ago, but not finished. Is it complete and could you link any details or updates ?
Thanks

[flemke]

Output Flange said:

flemke said:

The tool kit is fairly redundant, apart from the wheel nut socket and torque wrench, which are kind of essential if you ever want to remove a wheel. As the factory has a monopoly on the (standard road car) tyres, wheels are removed away from the factory or an authorised service centre less often than one might normally expect, but still there are occasions when that monster socket is needed.

IIRC you've still got the red/blue centrelock nuts on your wheels, right?. Is it an anodized finish, and is it resilient enough to not be damaged by the socket on the odd occassion you need to take the wheels off?

McLaren have a socket in which the faces are coated in a low-friction material. The standard road car "brass" nut colour is anodised also.
Nonetheless, with use the nut faces will develop wear marks.

[flemke]

AreOut said:

lol, flemke will not like that wing

btw now I see it's the track-only version and every P1 owner will be eligible to buy one, quite negates P1 tracking capabilities and compromises if you are going to buy P1 GTR...

The track version's existence ought not to diminish the pleasures one could derive from driving a P1 on a circuit.

Then again, the only thing sillier than using a £1m car for a track day would be using a £2m car for a track day.

[flemke]

Mr_B said:

Forgive me for not keeping up if this has been covered, but the Healey with the LS engine, I remember you posting to this thread I think it was years ago, but not finished. Is it complete and could you link any details or updates ?
Thanks

It was delivered to me as "finished", although upon scrutiny it appeared that between what the chap who built it considered to be "finished" and what I (and everyone else who looked at it) considered to be finished there was something of a gap, as in:

[Sway]

Bugger, sorry to hear that F - trust it's being sorted?

On the P1 GTR note, wouldn't the rear wing 'link' with the diffuser better and reduce drag if it were mounted lower down and further back? Seen a few time attack cars with the wing essentially mounted level with the exhaust. Suppose it could even qualify as a blown wing a la recent Formula 1?

Mclaren - you've got your new aero guru right here, I'll take payment in regular P1 thanks!

[buckle88]

I think Mr B has got himself back into a McLaren.






Flemke, how long left of your P1 wait? And, if time allowed, would they let you go and watch some of the build?

Thanks.

[RenesisEvo]

Sway said:

On the P1 GTR note, wouldn't the rear wing 'link' with the diffuser better and reduce drag if it were mounted lower down and further back? Seen a few time attack cars with the wing essentially mounted level with the exhaust. Suppose it could even qualify as a blown wing a la recent Formula 1?

Yes it would 'link' them, but with unrestricted diffuser rules I can't see them having a problem meeting the downforce characteristics they are targeting. If you wanted big downforce and low drag you'd be better off removing the (relatively) draggy aerofoil and using the underbody alone. You certainly wouldn't arrive at that rear wing design if you wanted downforce in significant quantities from it. So I think the wing is only for 'because racecar' aesthetics, or movable aero feature-itis - I expect some of the target audience would expect any track car, never mind a £2mill one, to have a socking great rear wing, perhaps also dancing up and down like the road car. Having said that the FXX only has two little aerofoils, but that might be because it would look absurd with a giant wing tacked on.

Blowing the wing with the exhaust would not be a good concept for the target audience, it could well make for a car with unusual handling traits on/off throttle which the driver would really need to understand, and I imagine some 'gentleman racers' would prefer a more benign machine. Note that being turbo-charged means the exhaust jet is not nearly as energetic as it would be for a decent N/A engine.

[anonymous-user]

RenesisEvo said:

Sway said:

On the P1 GTR note, wouldn't the rear wing 'link' with the diffuser better and reduce drag if it were mounted lower down and further back? Seen a few time attack cars with the wing essentially mounted level with the exhaust. Suppose it could even qualify as a blown wing a la recent Formula 1?

Yes it would 'link' them, but with unrestricted diffuser rules I can't see them having a problem meeting the downforce characteristics they are targeting. If you wanted big downforce and low drag you'd be better off removing the (relatively) draggy aerofoil and using the underbody alone. You certainly wouldn't arrive at that rear wing design if you wanted downforce in significant quantities from it. So I think the wing is only for 'because racecar' aesthetics, or movable aero feature-itis - I expect some of the target audience would expect any track car, never mind a £2mill one, to have a socking great rear wing, perhaps also dancing up and down like the road car. Having said that the FXX only has two little aerofoils, but that might be because it would look absurd with a giant wing tacked on.

Blowing the wing with the exhaust would not be a good concept for the target audience, it could well make for a car with unusual handling traits on/off throttle which the driver would really need to understand, and I imagine some 'gentleman racers' would prefer a more benign machine. Note that being turbo-charged means the exhaust jet is not nearly as energetic as it would be for a decent N/A engine.

The issue is not one of rear downforce for a road based car, but of front downforce.

It is relatively easy to get masses of low drag rear downforce. It is significantly harder to do the same at the front of the car (an F1 car has a raised front body and a separate full width wing element, a Sports prototype has a wide and very low front body for ground effect). In order to get the car to handle correctly, front and rear downforce must be in balance. As such, increasing rear downforce without a corresponding front downforce increase is pointless. Unfortunately, a lot of the tricks for making a road car with significant front downforce (generally ground effects) also come with the penalty of that downforce being highly dependent upon vehicle attitude. As such, that can make such a vehicle very difficult to drive. Not something you really want when selling such a car to what are generally speaking, in all honesty, armature drivers (no offense meant!)