The 2018 IR-12!!!

Indycar did well. So glad the bumper pods will be gone. Beautiful car.
Those smaller rear wings look good.
I notice that in both configurations, the outboard ends of the rear wing partially shield the rear wheels from behind. I liked the old pods for safety reasons, but perhaps the new wings will cause a driver to think about how close his fronts are getting to the car ahead.

Does anyone see any differences between the two configs besides the front and rear wing assemblies? If that's the only diff, it should hold costs down.
 
I notice that in both configurations, the outboard ends of the rear wing partially shield the rear wheels from behind. I liked the old pods for safety reasons, but perhaps the new wings will cause a driver to think about how close his fronts are getting to the car ahead.

Does anyone see any differences between the two configs besides the front and rear wing assemblies? If that's the only diff, it should hold costs down.

The sidepods are lower profile, the weird external pod seems to be gone or reduced, and the rollhoop is more independent without the big fins off the back. Looks like an old CART car. I dig it.
 
Those front wings are so huge. I can visualize wing pieces littering street courses and ovals every week. With spec pieces to be used by every team, there is no competitive pressure to go for maximum downforce. So I was hoping the front wings would be less wide and less forward.
 
Big surprise...Dallara chosen to provide the new aero kits.

INDYCAR’s aerodynamic target safety enhancements include side impact structures in the car’s sidepods and repositioned radiators to assist in reducing the severity of side impacts by crushing on impact. Other noticeable features in the new car images include a lower engine cover to provide a more traditional Indy car look. Turbocharger inlets are moving to the inside of the radiator inlet ducts.

The rear wing and front wing main plane are smaller in the new car look, and the centerline wicker from the nose of the car to the ****pit is tapered. The rear wing in the street course/road course/short oval configuration is lower and wider. The fins on the leading edge of the sidepods of the current car will be minimized on the 2018 car.

http://www.indycar.com/News/2017/06/06-06-Dallara-universal-kit-supplier

 
INDYCAR’S NEXT CAR DESIGN: BOLDER, SAFER, EVEN MORE THRILLING
Full: http://www.indycar.com/News/2017/07/07-24-New-car-unveil

Side impact protection has been significantly improved in a variety of ways, including the sidepod leading edge and induct duct joined with two bulkheads to create a proper crushable structure ahead of the radiator. The unitary construction is designed to absorb loads from all directions, and the structure is 8 to 10 inches wider at the driver’s hips.

The top of the sidepod has been designed to exceed FIA side impact tests. The inlet duct, sidepod side and bottom have been constructed in hybrid carbon/dyneema fibers for improved penetration protection. Oil and water radiators have been moved forward, adding cushioning on the driver’s side.

A wider leading edge mitigates the chance of another car’s wheel climbing on top of the underwing.

Simulations show the new car meets all of INDYCAR’s targets for not going airborne in spins at 90, 135 or 180 degrees yaw. The rear wing and front wing main plane are smaller and the centerline wicker from the nose of the car to the ****pit is tapered to provide protection against the car lifting when it spins.

The front wings are noticeably smaller with fewer pieces, reducing the amount of potential debris in incidents. Fewer pieces also means less to maintain.

Some elements added to fix previous instability issues (domed skids on the car’s undertray and a large tail fin) are no longer necessary. The stability and downforce provided by the domed skids on the 2017 car have been replaced by lateral domes attached to the underwings of the 2018 car.

The rear wheel guards have been removed – therefore, the winglets have been removed.

Fences in the rear of the underbody have been added to the road course/short oval package.

The design has allowed for a ****pit windscreen application, when developed.

The current 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engines from Chevrolet and Honda will continue to be used. Modeling indicates oval-track qualifying speeds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway should be comparable to 2017 Indianapolis 500 speeds. Given the car will be lighter, higher speeds than previously seen at some venues are possible.

Drivers have been asking for the car to generate more downforce from underneath the car instead of on top using the wings. Now, 66 percent of the generated downforce will be at the bottom of the car in road course/short oval configuration, an increase of 19 percent.

Reducing the dependency on topside downforce has eliminated the need for many of the extra aero kit pieces, which added to the turbulent air an Indy car leaves in its wake. At a recent short oval test where some of the new kit’s components were affixed to a current car, the following distance for a trailing car was cut in half, improving maneuverability. If it’s easier to follow, it should be easier to pass, creating an opportunity for tighter, more exciting racing.

Drivers have long been asking for the car’s weight to be moved forward for improved handling. This design has accomplished that.

Veteran drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Oriol Servia have been tabbed to drive the two cars – one for each engine manufacturer – throughout the testing regimen operated by INDYCAR. Team Penske is providing the Chevrolet-powered car for Montoya; Schmidt Peterson Motorsports the Honda-powered chassis for Servia.

The testing schedule is as follows:

Tuesday and Wednesday (if necessary): Indianapolis Motor Speedway (superspeedway).

Aug. 1: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (road course).

Aug. 10: Iowa Speedway (short oval).

Sept. 26: Sebring International Raceway (street-course simulation; brakes and cooling test).

The first kits will be delivered to Verizon IndyCar Series teams in November.

07-24-Honda-2018-Front-FullWidth.jpg


07-24-Chevy-2018-Cowling-FullWidth.jpg


07-24-Chevy-2018-Sidepod-FullWidth.jpg


07-24-Honda-2018-QuarterAngle-FullWidth.jpg
 
INDYCAR’S NEXT CAR DESIGN: BOLDER, SAFER, EVEN MORE THRILLING
Full: http://www.indycar.com/News/2017/07/07-24-New-car-unveil







07-24-Honda-2018-Front-FullWidth.jpg


07-24-Chevy-2018-Cowling-FullWidth.jpg


07-24-Chevy-2018-Sidepod-FullWidth.jpg


07-24-Honda-2018-QuarterAngle-FullWidth.jpg

It's like a mix between the old car and the DW12. I love bringing it back to basics yet still having a beautiful F1-style tub. I'd love to see the excitement of this series continue to grow. If we can get the Tecate's and Texaco's of the world interested again, it's going to be all downhill.



Side note: I'll be shocked if they let those front and rear wings be non-adjustable. Obviously the RC cars are going to have different downforce but even on the ovals, they'll want some adjustability.
 
It's a decent looking car, but I have to wonder why the rear bumper was so critical all those years and now they simply vanished. Did the danger of running over a rear wheel suddenly disappear, or is safety not as important as it was in 2011?
 
It's a decent looking car, but I have to wonder why the rear bumper was so critical all those years and now they simply vanished. Did the danger of running over a rear wheel suddenly disappear, or is safety not as important as it was in 2011?
I don't think it ever worked as previous management intended it to. I can't recall it preventing any major accidents, just being a big piece of potential debris mainly.
 
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