V-8 Car of the Future

[colcol]

There is a crisis swirling around the V-8 Car of The Future that you won't read about on their website, because every thing there is rosy, that is the lack of Free To Air Television broadcast in place for this year, with less than 7 weeks to go before the start of the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, there is no television deal locked, this is causing major problems, a few teams have lost sponsors as they have no deal to lock in, the teams need to go to sponsors and say this is how much television coverage you will get, this is the time it will be shown, this is when it will be repeated, our network will do a 'special' on your team to be shown on the news, etc, even things like hotel bookings and sponsors on the cars and drivers to be hired with big fat pay checks from potential sponsors and merchandising and places to be sold on drivers overalls are reaching a crisis point, a recent online survey found that 75% of V-8 fans prefered the broadcast on channel 10 and the other 25% prefered channel 7, channel 9 being broke are out of the running for broadcast rights, channel 10, while not bankrupt are not in a strong position finance wise, so it looks like it will be on Channel 7, i would say the delay is most likely caused by sticking points like money and if it will be shown on their main channels like 7 or hived off to one of their digital channels like 72 mate, as the sponsors prefer the main stations, as not every household has a digital television, and not all those that have them know how they work, here is hoping they sort it out, wouldn't have dragged out this long if big Tony was still running it......, Colin.

[colcol]

Ford Performance Racing has been sold, part owner Prodrive have sold their holding to Rod Nash, who owns the Bottle-o sponsered green Falcon driven by David Reynolds and to Melbourne racing indentity and Porche Racer Rust French, Prodrive a company led by David Richards also last year sold off their interest in Ford Performance Vehicles, this comes after a horror year for Ford, whose Falcon sales dipped to 14,000 down from a peak of 85,000 in 1995, Colin.

[Evan Bottcher]

Whoops they accidentally stuck a mercedes grille on this commodore?



What the heck?  I really hoped that despite the common base chassis we would be able to distinguish the manufacturers.  Am I the only one who thinks this looks awful?  Such a shame especially when the Mercedes DTM cars look bloody hot!  (example: http://www.ausmotive.com/images2011/Mercedes-DTM-AMG-C-Coupe-02.jpg or http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cc2X3NSuz1U/TnPNJFAkfwI/AAAAAAAFFSk/vYToqt3p_0k/s1600/MERCEDES-BENZ-C-COUPE-DTM-AMG-4.jpg)

[Evan Bottcher]

Doesn't look much like this huh?  http://www.themotorreport.com.au/content/image/2/0/2012_mercedes_benz_e63_amg_01_b-4e9fe2787b314.jpg

[colcol]

Leigh Holdsworth, [Mercedes], apparantly had a rotor break while testing last Friday at Queensland raceway, due to the heat cracking the rotors, came to grief, but car was repaired, V-8 teams testing at Winton noticed a few cracks as well, the brake package is a control item and is the same for every car, the Clipsall 500 in 2 weeks will be interesting in more ways than one, Colin.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Doesn't look much like this huh?  http://www.themotorreport.com.au/content/image/2/0/2012_mercedes_benz_e63_amg_01_b-4e9fe2787b314.jpg

Thats a little unfair though, as that's  the 2012 model you've posted in that link.  They've styled it to look like the 2014 model, which is released in a month or so, and has the lights and grill seen on the racecar.  See here for a better idea....  http://www.thetorquereport.com/2013/01/2014_mercedes-benz_e63_amg_off.html#more

I think they've done a reasonable job considering they're working with a 23mm shorter wheelbase and a 100mm longer car. 

Such a shame they're all based on the same yada yada.....  (But it is a real shame)

[Evan Bottcher]

Thats a little unfair though, as that's  the 2012 model you've posted in that link. 

Yep more than a little unfair, and poorly researched on my part.  I'll wait to see it in the flesh, but it's the roof-line down through the A-pillar, and the curvature of the bonnet that looks wrong in those photos.  It's probably actually just the effect of that front spoiler that looks very falcodore and not at all fitting on the merc.

Meh - it'll still make me tune in and watch the racing this year instead of ignoring it like the last n years.

Can't wait for the boo'ing on the podium...

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Imagine how many more E63s they'll sell on the Monday after their first win!!  Sales will be through the roof!!

[Davidm1600]

Here is a question that I wonder if it is worth pondering.  If I heard correctly, as I think I did, are not both Fraud and Olden going to stop production of the Chook and Crapadore in the not too distant future.  If so, what then for V8 Racing (Car of the Future etc), here in Aus.  I mean I really can't see the bogan's cheering on Merc, Audi, Chrysler or whoever else might be left. 

Woo hoo, anticipation, could that perhaps mean a return to the good old days before the 2 horse race took over and ruined Bathurst etc, or is just me who is paramountly disinterested in such racing these days ?

[Anthony Miller]

Hey Pauly, seeing as they all use the same transaxle, I think the Nissan's should go about the same as the falcadores
Dave, good luck finding a V8 nissan sedan, I don't think it will make much difference to the knuckle draggers (thanks Paul) as to which model is racing or whether what is racing is relevant to what is on sale, As long as the badge on the bonnet matches the t-shirt and flag. If anything it should get back some of the drift crew to wave their Nissan flags at the podium should the Kelly's find form.

[colcol]

The Nissan Altima is a Front wheel drive with 4 and 6 cylinders, the engine is a overhead camshaft V-8 from an American Nissan Patrol, when the Falcon goes out of production, there are rumors Ford want to use a Rear wheel drive Mustang, [its a two door], all reports say that this facelifted VF Commodore will be the last, and they will most likely shift over to the Chevrolet Malibu or Cruze, as the 'Car Of The Future' allow such massive engineering changes, Ford said last year that they may race a Front wheel drive Mondeo, re-engineered to a rear wheel drive with a transaxle, the cars have a space frame with panels bolted on the outside, to make the outline like a production car, the performance will be the same as they all have a power and torque sensor in the driveshaft to monitor engine power, the looks and rear aerodams on the cars have been put there by the govering body, so that all the aero and downforce is within .5% of each other, Mark Winterbottom, [Pepsi Max Falcon], has said that the transaxle has such a bad change, he has changed his fitness routine training for more upper body strength, to cope with the new more difficult gearchange, Colin.

[Paul Gulliver]

Mark Winterbottom, [Pepsi Max Falcon], has said that the transaxle has such a bad change, he has changed his fitness routine training for more upper body strength, to cope with the new more difficult gearchange, Colin.

Is he training in an Alfetta

[colcol]

I imagine Mark Winterbottoms water tight contract only allows him to drive a Falcon, some contracts even prohibed going in a Taxi of another brand to what you are contracted to drive.     All the Alfettas that i have driven have had light long throw gear changes, a little bit vague, but i have been spoilt by driving a good 33 for 27 years, Craig Lowndes said that the new V-8 transaxle has such a slow gearchange, you can now brake faster than you can downchange, like when you finish your braking, you are still going down through the sequencial gearbox to get the correct gear, Colin.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

.

Hey Uncle Colcol, did you just get a new keyboard?

[Duk]

All the Alfettas that i have driven have had light long throw gear changes, a little bit vague, but i have been spoilt by driving a good 33 for 27 years, Craig Lowndes said that the new V-8 transaxle has such a slow gearchange, you can now brake faster than you can downchange, like when you finish your braking, you are still going down through the sequencial gearbox to get the correct gear, Colin.

Lets get 1 thing incredibly straight right here!
Slow gear changes in an Alfetta/90/75 has absolutely NOTHING to do with the location of the gearbox, the fact that it shares a house with a differential, the weight of the rear flywheel or tailshaft! Slow gear changes are a direct result of the syncro's used in the G'box and the rotating mass that they have to speed up and slow down.

For the Albins TA, my guess is that they haven't got the dog tooth profile as good as what the Holinger's had. Maybe the sequential mechanism isn't as good. But it has NOTHING to do with being a mid mounted transaxle! PERIOD!!!
Do you think that a Formula 1 gearbox could some how change gears quicker if it was mounted at the front of the car??? 
When you play Pool or Snooker, does the tip move slower or some time after you've pushed the handle? 

Similar for the rubbery gear lever. It's a function of some very ordinary engineering and choice of materials by Alfa Romeo for the gear linkages.