History
Endurance Racing, like all great things (pizza, pretzels, and Jacuzzis), got its start in Italy. The first races began around 1900 and were about 300 miles long, lasting around 4.75 hours. Endurance racing, unlike some other sports, was predominately to test the car’s ability to handle a challenge, making it a good way for automobile companies to show off their car’s reliability. In endurance racing’s early years, companies such as Fiat, Mercedes, Peugeot, and Bugatti competed. Targa Florio was a race through the mountains of Sicily; as one of the toughest competitions in Europe, the race was 277 miles of treacherous mountain roads, hairpin curves, and to heights where severe fluctuations in climate would challenge the cars and their drivers. The first race of Targa Florio in 1906 took nine hours and the winner averaged 30 MPH. The first 24-hour automobile race event was on a one-mile long oval track in Columbus, Ohio in 1905. The winning car covered 828.5 miles. 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest active sports car race in endurance racing; it has been held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France. It is currently part of the FIA WEC. (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile: World Endurance Championship). Up into the 1950s, it was still legal for one driver to race for 24 hours. However, most teams used two drivers. Today, the WEC requires a certain amount of drivers depending on the length of the race, and also requires that they switch after a specified amount of time. Now a common custom for winners of all motorsports, the first known instance of champagne being sprayed from the bottle (instead of drank) by the winner was at Le Mans in ’67.
Autos
The WEC races began in 2012 as a way to race GT (Grand Tourer cars) and Le Mans Prototype racers. GT cars are made to travel long distances at high speeds (and usually in comfort and style). These are essentially road cars that have been modified. They appear as they would on the road. However, this “GT” badge tends to be abused and just used on any car to sound fancy. WEC racing is a way for automobile manufacturers to prove the worthiness of their cars, show their racing competence, and gain publicity. Currently, manufactures that take part are Audi, Porsche, Toyota, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Chevrolet, and Nissan, among others. There are different classes racing together. Although they race together, and other than the Driver’s Championship, there is no overall winning platform; there are multiple different types of platforms to win based on the type of car.
Technique
It’s hard enough to imagine what it must have been like for racers to drive the 24hr endurance races solo, let alone with multiple drivers. There are a few people who monitor each car: one person for car welfare, one for the engine, and then the driver’s engineer. The driver and engineer must have a tight relationship and mutual understanding to allow for clear, concise advice that is accurate. There are mechanics and pit crew all ready to implement orders. Everything has to be perfect. The 24hr Le Mans race is the Olympics of automobile racing. Racing teams continually need to validate their existence to their sponsors, and that means bringing home gold. Just because you passed the checkered flag first doesn’t mean you’ve won—it’s the car that has traveled the furthest distance in 24hrs. Drivers are wearing diapers for urination and have to carefully balance when and what they eat to avoid digestion at certain times so they do not become tired while driving. They will eat and nap in stretches of a few hours while the other driver is out with the car. I am no racing driver, but I have driven solo 13 hours straight through, refueling twice and not urinating. (Road trip!) It’s hard enough to stay awake and alert switching between audiobooks, music, and silence driving straight through the night on an empty highway—I averaged 68 miles per hour. I can’t imagine the intensity of racing fifty-some cars while trying to understand what your vehicle is doing and reiterating that to your engineer. The fastest average speed at Le Mans for the 24hr race is 153 miles per hour.
Full-Speed Ahead
When I was little, I remember asking my dad why NASCAR didn’t go on for five laps so that it didn’t have to last so long. I was little and thinking in terms of a few students running from one end of the playground and back again to see who was the fastest. But it isn’t really about speed. It’s about balancing speed, intuition, smooth driving, breaking, efficiency, and everything else involved. My dad said to me, “They have to go two-hundred laps because it’s about endurance.” It clicked for me. That made sense. It didn’t make me any more interested in it, but at least it made sense. Endurance racing makes sense. It is the ultimate test of manufacturers of all parts involved, especially tires. It’s about the endurance of the drivers. If you’re not committed or passionate about racing, you’ll never make it to Le Mans. For races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it’s an accomplishment to finish the race. In fact, it's expected that more than four-fifths of the cars will not finish the race.
References:
Erskine, James. Dir.Le Mans: Racing is Everything. Amazon Studios. Streaming. 2017. George, Patrick. "These Incredible Photos Show How Le Mans Evolved Over 84 Years." Jalopnik. 2014. Web. Other hyperlinks included in body text.
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Everyone’s heard the term “supercar.” What comes to your mind? A Lamborghini? A Ferrari? I picture a Lexus LFA or a Nissan GTR. We probably all have a gut reaction when we hear “supercar.” It’s probably something we remember from childhood, or a car you might consider if you won the lottery and didn’t want to stay rich for long. A term many people don’t have a gut reaction for is “hypercar.” What is a hypercar? Does it fly? Is it better or worse than a supercar? Is it something from Star Trek? Furthermore, why do we need them? Let’s just call it a supercar on steroids... There are plenty of supercars. Where is the line drawn? It’s subjective. There really isn’t a clear factor which separates them. In the past it has been mostly acceleration and price, but I like to think it’s more than that. While supercars usually run in the hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars-range, hypercars are usually well over a million dollars. Hypercars are also exclusive, not only because few can afford them, but because so few are produced. They don't fly and they aren't from Star Trek. Rather, they are supercars elevated to new heights. Currently, most would agree the Ferrari LaFerrari, the McLaren P1, and the Porsche 918 Spyder are hypercars. All three of these are hybrids—meaning they have both a gasoline powered engine and some form of electric power. Hybrid, yes, but they aren’t exactly a Toyota Prius. Rather than using the electric aspect for just fuel efficiency and minimizing the use of the traditional engine… the hypercars are using the electricity to improve where the traditional engine lags, (in very layman’s terms).
We can’t discuss the future of hypercars without mentioning the past. For that, we must mention the McLaren F1. In 1998, the McLaren F1 was the fastest production car on earth at 231 mph (243 mph with rev limiter removed). Only 106 were produced in the mid to late 90s. The engine was naturally aspirated (aka, no turbo charger). As for aerodynamics… it creates less drag than the Bugatti Veyron, and the Veyron was released about a decade later.
For me, a hypercar has to have excellent aerodynamics and has to be extremely light. The entire chassis of the McLaren F1 was carbon fiber*—the first of its kind on earth for a production car. For those of you that this matters, McLaren F1: 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. 2,509lbs. 627bhp. $970,000.00 base. *(What is Carbon Fiber?) I believe that the hypercar origins belong with the McLaren F1; it still one of the most amazing production cars to date. To date.
Now, something else is coming.
It’s those plucky British again! (And I don’t mean McLaren). Aston Martin is creating something called the AM-RB 001 Sounds like a bad virus, right? Well, it's nothing like R1N1 (Swine Flu). Because that’s not its official name. This was more like a project code name that signifies the first car made between Aston Martin and Red Bull racing. The formal name will be Valkyrie. Although the Valkyrie will be released around twenty years after the McLaren F1, the ingredients in the recipe of a hypercar are surprisingly similar: astounding aerodynamics, perfect weight, and a naturally aspirated engine (no turbo). Like the McLaren, they plan to produce only about 100 cars. But there’s something special about the Aston. Like the McLaren P1, the Ferrari LaFerrari, and the Porsche 918 Spyder, the Aston engine will also be a hybrid. The future is now, folks! Our super-hyper-crazy cars are hybrids.
Here’s what we know now:
The Aston will be around $3 Million USD. Over 1,000 horsepower. V12 engine. It will weigh in at about 2,271 pounds. The materials are carbon fiber, aluminum, and titanium. It will be released in 2019. It does not have rear view mirrors. To reduce drag, it has tiny cameras that send a live feed to the driver on screens inside the car. Aston Martin has done everything possible to reduce the weight of the car. Even the usual badge placed on the hood of an Aston Martin is too heavy. In a recent press release, Aston Martin stated: “the Aston Martin Design Team came up with a chemical etched aluminium badge just 70 microns thick. That’s 30 per cent thinner than a human hair, and a remarkable 99.4 per cent lighter than the regular enamel wings badge.” This is the kind of dedication and attention to detail required to create a hypercar. Since it’s an Aston, you can bet that the charm won’t be in the specs or the numbers, but the entire feel of the car as one complete machine. As for McLaren, they want to introduce 15 new models (or variants) of the P1 by 2022, so they are by no means slowing down. Most of us will probably never even see one of these cars in person, let alone drive one. Aston Martin has only produced upwards of 88,000 individual automobiles in the 104 years since establishment. Vehicles sold by GM in 2015: 3.1 million. Not that you can easily compare the two companies.
Some people think it’s silly to be interested in supercars, hypercars, and the like ...simply because we will never own one, but it isn’t about ownership. It’s admiration and a drive to support something great—something of stature. It is about setting goals—setting a bar—and then saying, “let’s double that,” and then the guy to your left saying, “No, let’s triple that. We need to figure out how we can do that.” Within the limits of physics, creating supercars and hypercars is about exceeding goals and inspiring awe.
Sometimes, it isn’t even about making money: The Lexus LFA (2012 supercar) cost so much to produce, Lexus/Toyota lost money on every single car. ($375,000 MSRP). They sold the LFA at a negative to show the world they could make something great (and to boost marketing). Both supercars and hypercars are generally about pushing the limits, whether they are profitable or not. All of these cars usually sell out before they are built, (especially considering they are built in low numbers). We will likely never drive one of these cars. However, they set an example that can inspire us to push beyond our preconceived limitations. That's why we need hypercars. A few (new or in-development) Hypercar models:
A 40 sec introduction to the Valkyrie.
References: Aston Martin Press Release 7/10/2017 JF Musial, Joshua Vietze Dir. APEX: The Story of the Hypercar. TangentVector, Inc. 2016. Video. TopSpeed.com.McLaren F1 specs. Web.
The Nürburgring tends to divide motoring enthusiasts. Some people think it’s useful and others think it’s pointless and rather annoying. I’m one of the first set; I think the Nürburgring provides a use. Some people also think it’s too dangerous and plagued with death… others find it thrilling and interesting.
Nürburgring is a race complex in Germany with a couple different tracks. Not only is it used for racing, but it’s used to help develop cars (this is where the division of enthusiasts happens). Originally, it was completed in 1927 and had 174 bends. It was long and dangerous and after only two years, the full track was no longer used. Grand Prix races would have to be held on the Nordschleife circuit (Northern Loop), while motorcycle races were held on the Südschleife circuit (Southern Loop), which was shorter and safer. On the weekends, the Nürburgring is essentially a toll road that nearly anyone can use. However, on the weekdays it’s used by manufacturers to develop automobiles. It’s common for the track to be closed frequently (up to several times a day) for cleaning, repairs, and for medical emergency intervention. The Nürburgring management refuses to publish official figures of the death toll. However, people have used police reports to tally an estimation on the number of deaths. On the motoring show Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson said, "Over the years this track has claimed over 200 lives," referring to the Nürburgring. While deaths during professional races are uncommon, the current toll of drivers gone is 69, three race officials, five test drivers, and one spectator. As far as the Nürburgring management is concerned, the track has a death toll of 78, but this figure does not include all of the deaths from civilian drivers. Some estimations have claimed anywhere from three to a dozen people die yearly. For the purposes of this post, we’ll focus on the Nordschleife circuit. It was originally 14.2 miles long until Formula One boycotted the track for being too dangerous in the early 1980s. They straightened out some corners. They flattened bumps and other areas where automobiles were prone to jumping. They also installed more safety barriers to avoid impacts with trees. But the death toll continues. The problem with the Nürburgring is its size and the terrain. The terrain changes throughout the circuit. The weather can vary. It can be raining on one end and dry on the other, leaving drivers with specialized tires on their automobiles in a disastrous situation. This is exactly what happened in 1976 in the famous Formula One race with Niki Lauda and James Hunt. (Featured in Ron Howard’s film Rush). Lauda suggested the race not take place and the track boycotted, but the vote was against him and the race went ahead. The track marshals were not equipped to save him when he crashed and his car caught on fire. His competitors left their cars to pull him out to safety. He was badly burned and nearly died from smoke exposure. The length of the track made it too difficult for fire engines and ambulances to respond in a timely manner. The old Nordschleife never held another Formula One race again. The Nordschleife was shortened from 14.2 to 12.944 miles long and reopened in the early 80s Some car manufactures develop their cars to drive the Nürburgring at a certain lap time. This gains the company credibility and publicity. However, these cars end up being regular road cars that normal people buy and it tends to make for an uncomfortable car—this is why some people don’t like the Nürburgring and its use for developing cars. Most people who buy these cars will never drive them around a track, let alone the infamous Nürburgring. To get around the circuit fast, the car needs to have a stiffer suspension; this creates an uncomfortable ride for normal drivers on normal roads. However, I quite enjoy the standard the track creates for car companies. It helps put a car’s capabilities into perspective because of how challenging the circuit is. Although the Nürburgring has been modified for safety, it’s still dangerous and one of the only circuits left that still has the flare of an older racetrack from back when motorsport was like the untamed Wild West. I think that’s why so many people admire it… It’s a challenge, it's deadly, it has history, and it’s deeply rooted in motoring culture. Currently, the fastest lap time has been set by a Chinese company called NIO using an electric supercar (called the EP9). A British company called Radical Sportscars holds the second-fastest lap time, and it’s a company with only around 140 employees. Leave it to the Germans and their world-renowned engineering to create something vast, complex, and regarded as one of the best racetracks in the world, even after ninty years.
Reference:
Lehbrink, Harmut. 90 Years of Nürburgring: The History of the Famous Nordschleife. Delius Klasing Verlag GMbH. 2016. Print. |
AuthorLiberty White Archives
November 2017
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