Where's a 7 replica w/ aero?

[Bster13]

So I'm hooked on getting a seven replica.... been watching all sorts of youtube videos of the underdog (seven) gunning down more expensive makes on the track for months now (here is a great one YouTube - Caterham R500 Vs 996 GT2 - Nurburgring battle lap2), and that combined with the thought of touring backroads in one of these has me sold. But it got me wondering.....

 

If the seven replicas have wonderful power-to-weight, handle on a dime, and generally less expensive (bang-for-buck?) than it's competition, then what holds the car back on the track? It's seems like top end holds the car back vs. the competition on the track if anything. So are there any or why hasn't anyone created aero packages for these cars yet?

 

It wouldn't even have to be a seven replica, just something in the spirit of power-to-weight and great handling w/ a nice aero package. Now I know people will say "buy a radical sr3" or something of the like, but that just won't work. I need something that is streetable as well (read: ground clearance). The aero certainly would help in MPG and tank range while touring as well.

 

So before I slap down my hard-earned money for a seven replica, are there other cars out there to consider that are streetable, have great bang-for buck in performance, power-to-weight, and corner on a dime with a decent aero package? Just curious. thx.

[MHKflyer52]

The closest thing would be a Lotus 11 but that is not a 7 by any means.

 

Seven with aero is not a seven in my belief.

[Boxologist]

teh major contention of aero on a se7en. almost an age old debate.

[Hank]

Just buy my car. LOL.

[TLRracer]

They have them.

They are called:

 

Radical

West

Stohr

[Bster13]

I guess I can't have my cake (aero on a light kit car) and eat it too (streetable). But those track cars sure look the business.

 

They have them.

They are called:

 

Radical

West

Stohr

[Bster13]

Your megabusa is for sale? Nice car/build log!

 

Just buy my car. LOL.

[slngsht]

It's not just aero holding sevens back on straights against vipers, zr1s,etc... It's just raw power.

 

when you're doing 160, weight doesn't matter anymore (it's not like you're accelerating at near 1 g). you just have to push through the air.

 

sevens have poor aero, which hurts, but let's say they have aero that's equivalent to a modern car... which means slightly bigger frontal area than we have now (gotta cover the wheels), but significantly better cd.

 

So, now, you are an equal to a modern porsche / viper / vette. except that they still have 600hp doing the work, and you're at best trying to keep up with 200-300. You will just get your azz handed to you on a long straight.

 

The cheapest way to fix that problem is to add power.

 

Paging Kevin

[WestTexasS2K]

Donkervort has done some crazy stuff to run the Ring and set the record for a little bit. That car has alot of aero work.

[manik]

Here is a Westfield in Sweden with a little bit of aero on it.

[Torqueman]

It's not just aero holding sevens back on straights against vipers, zr1s,etc... It's just raw power.

 

when you're doing 160, weight doesn't matter anymore (it's not like you're accelerating at near 1 g). you just have to push through the air.

 

sevens have poor aero, which hurts, but let's say they have aero that's equivalent to a modern car... which means slightly bigger frontal area than we have now (gotta cover the wheels), but significantly better cd.

 

So, now, you are an equal to a modern porsche / viper / vette. except that they still have 600hp doing the work, and you're at best trying to keep up with 200-300. You will just get your azz handed to you on a long straight.

 

The cheapest way to fix that problem is to add power.

 

Paging Kevin

 

Exactly, more torque is the answer, just add a turbo and beat that wall of air in front of you!!

[Bster13]

Very nice... the aero on there looks to add downforce as opposed to make it more slippery, no?

[solder_guy]

Here you go .. more aero ..

[Mondo]

There's always Kevin's solution

[MoPho]

The cheapest way to fix that problem is to add power.

 

 

The cheapest way to fix the problem is to find roads with lots of corners

[snookwheel]

Exactly, more torque is the answer, just add a turbo and beat that wall of air in front of you!!

Or a Supercharger! Torque is a gooood. There is a SuperStalker out there with a wing mounted towards the middle of the car on it's roll cage. Not sure where I saw the picture.

Edited June 14, 2010 by snookwheel

[Bster13]

I think a lot of these aero mods are for downforce because these cars are running a ton of pwoer vs. your run of the mill seven replica. So actually these downforce aero mods actually create more drag, not reduce it.

[rnr]

I think a lot of these aero mods are for downforce because these cars are running a ton of pwoer vs. your run of the mill seven replica. So actually these downforce aero mods actually create more drag, not reduce it.

 

One you've experienced your steering get lighter at triple digit speeds you will happily trade drag for downforce

 

Plus if you can get around bends faster your laptimes will still drop even you lose a couple of mph down the straights.

[Bster13]

I have the light steering with my EVO now... man I can't fathom what it feels like with the stock rear wing removed like some of the owners do.

 

That's an interesting thought...I guess it depends on the track whether u want to maximize your cornering speed or your straightaway speed. Whichever you have more of on a given track I suppose you'd opt for the advantage in that area.

 

Another thought... when passing others on the track, is i tsafe to assume your average 7 will have better corning ability than the "competition?" (I don't race, just HPDEs afterall) If this is the case, wouldn't you opt for the better straight line speed in order to hold off those cars better in the straights that you just toasted in the corners?

 

And if you're going for lap times on an HPDE... I'd think u'd spend more time stuck behind a porker of a car in the corners, thus some of your cornering advantage is taken away when comparing a 7 w/ better top speed vs. better corner speed?

[JohnCh]

I think you are chasing a red herring here. Yes, the drag on a se7en is terrible, but even if the total drag was on par with a contemporary car, the lack of hp will still put you at a disadvantage at high speeds.

 

Take two hypothetical cars with identical drag and power to weight ratios, but one car is 2.5 times heavier with 2.5 times the power. Car A weighs 3750 lb with driver and has 600hp, car B weighs 1500 lb with driver and has 240hp. Doing the math, both carry 6.25 lb/hp. Now assume both cars require 100hp to cruise at 100 mph. That means car A has 500hp available for acceleration from that speed, and car B has just 140 hp.

 

Running the numbers for available power to weight from that speed, car A has a still impressive 7.5 lb/hp, but car B now has a far more pedestrian 10.7 lb/hp. Bottom line, if you want to have the fastest car down the straight, you either need a car with a lot of hp, or you need to run at track days where those cars don't show up

 

-John