Since its inception, car racing began to gather hordes of fans around the world. There are not so many of those who did not limit themselves to contemplation and became a professional race car driver - a thin school notebook with a dozen sheets is enough to enumerate. They fully quenched their thirst for high speeds and strong g-forces in competitions, while the rest could only lick their lips. But there were also enthusiasts among them who were ready to spend some of their time, money and effort on creating their own fast car. So, the salt lakes of California served as a testing ground for lovers of high speeds almost a hundred years ago. As we said in the article, by the middle of the last century, this phenomenon had become so massive that it was just right to compare it in scale with professional motorsport. The flight of fancy when building cars was often not even limited by common sense, but today we will tell about the other side of this tuning - copies of racing cars or replicas.
Why is this needed?
There are several reasons for the appearance of racing car replicas. The main one is the desire to touch motorsport and keep for oneself the most important part of it - the car. For example, among football fans, the ball and the uniform of the players who played their triumphant match are valuable; in hockey, sticks and helmets are such attributes. But if serious battles are played out for equipment at auctions, then it is almost impossible to buy a real car. In any case, for sane money. But creating a copy of such a machine is possible even in your own garage.
Such machines are also being prepared for participation in expositions and filming. In this case, budgets sometimes allow the use of genuine copies, but the difficulty in finding them pushes customers to make copies. Finally, this type of tuning is less common than others, due to which the replicas attract much more attention than their counterparts in the "regular" tuning.
Who are we copying?
Of course, we are not talking about recreating Formula class cars or sports prototypes, since they have practically nothing in common with production models. Therefore, the production of such a replica will require many times larger budgets and labor costs.
The "mainstream" of this tuning are the "body" classes of circuit and rally disciplines - WRC, WTCC and the like, as well as "charged" versions and limited series of popular models. The most banal example is to make a BMW 520i look and drive like an M5, and modify a Subaru WRX in the manner of Petter Solberg's rally car. If you're a fan of the 9,000 rpm cutoff and your Honda Civic doesn't have red badges, you'll probably want to turn it into a Type R. As with any style of tuning, there are no hard and fast rules, but we'll only look at typical examples when the final project resembles its prototype as a whole, and not by individual elements.
Where do they meet?
The final appearance and technical characteristics of replicas primarily depend on the goals that are set for them. If the project is destined to visit exhibitions, there is no need to interfere in the technical aspects, keeping the main units in native specification with a corresponding change in appearance and interior. Urban operation of the “artificial race” will require the preservation of the functionality of the cabin and the presence of comfort elements in it. The technique in this case is being finalized in accordance with the wishes and budgets of the owner. Finally, the replica can "beat" on the tracks, not inferior to the original fireballs, attacking the apexes and soaring into the air on the crest of the springboards. But the preparation of such a machine affects almost every element, with an eye to the regulations of the sports discipline for which it is being prepared. Below we will take a closer look at the main techniques used in the creation of such machines.
The technical side of the issue
As we said above, the "technical" is completely dictated by the scope of the car. In the case of rally and ring cars, everything is decided by the class regulations, which allow for quite definite changes not only in the engine and transmission, but also in all other components - from brake pads and tires to the thickness of anti-roll bars. There can be no question of a complete coincidence with the prototype, since the technical requirements change annually. One thing remains unchanged: the car is also focused on the minimum time to cover a given distance with maximum safety for the pilot. For this reason, an automatic fire extinguishing system is installed in all such machines, and an automatic fire extinguishing system is “on duty” under the hood.
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It follows from this that a city or exhibition replica can be even faster and more powerful than a real one - there are no restrictions! But even "vegetable" copies, with full external compliance with the original, must have "adult" brakes, a suspension adjusted to the desired clearance and sports tires. Otherwise, the substitution can be recognized without even lifting the hood.
Outside
Unlike, the concept of which requires the complete preservation of the standard appearance, a modified exterior is a mandatory attribute of any racing replica. Depending on which car and with what accuracy it is necessary to copy, the amount of changes also differs. The simplest scheme is when the race body differs only in a couple of elements: for example, air intakes and spoilers. In this case, you can limit yourself to changing the existing external parts without resorting to replacing them.
Another thing is when an expansion of the body is required. So, to turn the BMW E30 Coupe into the M3 Evo version, it is necessary to reshape the entire rear of the body, replace almost all elements in the front and install hubs with five-bolt wheels instead of the standard four-by-one. Fortunately, some companies have already launched the production of appropriate fiberglass parts, thanks to which tuners are spared the search for rare lots and save a lot of money.
Even more difficult when it comes to building a replica racing car. Indeed, on many of them, the wheels are fastened with a central nut, the glasses are replaced with lightweight polycarbonate ones without the possibility of lowering, and it is difficult to make copies of some parts. Thus, the exterior, being the "cover" of the replica, is often the most difficult stage of construction.
Sports cars in the photo and in reality
Sports cars, photos of which we see in magazines, on calendars, on the Internet, are beautiful, bright and super powerful cars. Every self-respecting man from childhood dreams of someday buying such a car. But over time, most understand that such cars are clearly not for our roads.
It is worth distinguishing between sports and racing cars. The first, unlike the second, can ride on city roads. Racing is a car of narrow specialization.
Sports cars, photos of which tickle our nerves, are beauty, sophistication of design, interior comfort and enviable power under the hood. This is not to say that sports cars are in great demand today. This product has always been and always will be very specific. Not everyone can afford to buy a Hennessey Venom GTV, McLaren P1, GTA Spano, Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach or Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. And as for further maintenance - there is no need to speak. Such a machine is not intended for the carriage of goods or a family trip with children. Such a car was created for those who like to take risks and emphasize their status in all possible ways. Sports car - for active, bright and self-confident people.
Racing cars and their vivid photos There is no person who would not know what Formula 1 is. But the true fans of this competition also know each pilot by name, the characteristics of their cars and even the names of the technicians who folded the car. The racing cars in the photo from the new race are super-powerful and super-fast cars that are designed purely for competition.
Racing cars in the photo and video amaze with the speed of acceleration. They are able to reach speeds of 100 km/h in 2 seconds. Do you want even more, 300 km/h on the track? This is possible with the KTM X-Bow, Caterham 7 Superlicht R500, Radical SR3 SL. These are examples of the best cars that have shown the highest results in races in terms of maneuverability, speed, reliability, lightness and at the same time the impossibility of flying off the track. Racing cars are always very bright and beautiful in appearance. They differ not only in the amount of horsepower under the hood, but also in endurance and, of course, in the market price. The most extreme racing car made in England is called the Caparo T1. It has 575 horses under the hood, takes a hundred in 2.5 seconds, weighs 550 kg and costs $480,000 today.
Racing car models that conquered Formula 1
You will not find so many millions of American dollars that alternately cut circles on the Formula 1 tracks anywhere else. The cars that made the history of the competition, today, even after they left the track, are worth a fortune. And all because some models of racing cars turned out so successful that it is impossible to think of a better one. For example, the legendary McLaren M23, which became the champion in this race 16 times, Lotus 72 - 20 wins, Ferrari 500 - 14 wins, Williams FW11 / FW11B - 18 wins and, of course - Red Bull RB6" which in 2011 won 9 wins, in 2012 - 12, and in 2013 - 13 times took first place. The pilots of these machines never knew what defeat or descent from the track is, they confidently marched to their victory. Such models of racing cars have gone down in history forever, simply because they have become an example of an absolutely perfect automotive industry for all the times of the existence of not only Formula 1, but also the automotive industry in general. Today, these racing car models are passed from auction to auction, each time with a louder price tag. Some of them sold like expensive antiques this year for $2-2.5 million.
Racing cars are not cars for weak-willed drivers.
Racing cars are an absolutely unique class of the automotive industry, which is prohibited from being used for public purposes, in the stream of ordinary transport. Racing cars are initially designed and then built for a specific type of competition, taking into account the specifics of the track and the rules of the competition.
Race cars should not be confused with sports cars because they have very different assembly methods. Racing cars for road racing are assembled using separate parts from different manufacturers, and the emphasis is on power and agility. Sports cars, for the most part, are made from start to finish under the same brand.
Racing cars used in Formula 1 are called race cars. They represent the original type of cars that engineers assemble for a specific driver and for the upcoming track. Fireballs annually represent a complex of the most advanced and innovative developments in the automotive industry. Racing cars very often become examples for the introduction of innovations in the production of conventional passenger cars.
Racing car
a single-seat (monoposto) car designed to participate in car races, including for setting speed records (record-racing and ultra-fast cars - "fireballs").
Foreign firms began to build G. and. after 1900. Classification and technical requirements for G. a. are regulated by the rules of the International Sports Code, adopted in 1962, and its annexes, developed by the sports commission of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
According to the working volume of the engine (l) and its own weight (kg) G. a. are subdivided into groups ≈ racing formulas: 1 (up to 3 l, not less than 500 kg), 2 (up to 1.6 l, not less than 450 kg), 3 (up to 1 l, not less than 400 kg). Formula 4 is also used (motorcycle engine up to 250 cm3), which is not officially approved by the FIA. Record-G. A. with gas turbine engines are allocated in a separate class. The best engines of G. a. formulas 1 have a liter capacity of up to 110 kW / l (150 hp / l) at 12,000 rpm and a compression ratio of 11≈12 and a 4-valve scheme that provides high-speed engine with better cylinder filling. On all G. a. Formulas 1 and 2 use direct fuel injection devices. As a rule, G. and. have multi-stage (five-speed) transmissions. Clutches are usually double disc. Disc brakes, ventilated; the width of the rims of the wheels and tires is greater than that of ordinary passenger cars (more than 400 mm). G. and are made in the USSR. formula 4 of the Tallinn Automobile Repair Plant, sports cars ZIL-112S, record racing "Kharkov-7" and gas turbine cars "Pioneer".
The most famous for the construction of G. a. are foreign firms Lotus (Great Britain), Porsche (Germany), Ford, Italian. Ferrari factory, etc.
The absolute world speed record on land was set on October 23, 1970 by G. Gabelich (USA) on the Blue Flame rocket car ≈1014, 294 km/h. The absolute world speed record for a car belongs to R. Summers (USA) ≈ 658.5 km / h (1965).
Lit .: Beckman V.V., Racing cars, 2nd ed., L., 1967.
V. I. Martyuk.
Wikipedia
Racing car
Racing car- cars designed and built specifically for motor racing - both for mass racing and for setting speed records. Unlike mass-produced road sports cars, racing cars have the most lightweight body, which lacks many important control and safety components. These vehicles are generally not allowed on public roads.
Racing cars, unlike conventional serial cars, were created not for the transport of passengers, but for competitions, to determine the technical capabilities of the car and its driving.
Participation in races requires high speed and aerodynamic characteristics from such cars. Racing cars have a large engine power, low weight, respectively, they can quickly accelerate and reach high speeds, as well as steadily turn around.
Racing cars are produced both by the sports divisions of large automakers (such as Daimler-Benz's AMG) and by small private companies created to build a single model. As a rule, such companies design only the body of the car and some of its components, and the most important and difficult part to manufacture - the engine - is supplied to them by large car manufacturers.
When cars first appeared, they developed a speed of 30 km / h that was simply fabulous for those times. It seemed something supernatural then, but now such a figure seems ridiculous, worthy of a bicycle. After all, modern mass-produced cars are able to accelerate to 150-200 km / h completely freely, without any alterations.
But there are also special racing models for which such speeds are very small. They can accelerate up to 400 km/h. Naturally, they are produced in very limited quantities and are available only to very rich people. Yes, and you can only ride them on smooth roads. Therefore, such cars serve more as symbols of prestige, and are not used for racing.
Such models are able to show what really fast driving is. Consider the coolest racing cars in the world today.
This hypercar began to be produced in 2-13 and is still being produced, of course, in very limited quantities - only 7 pieces per year. This is the development of Lebanese specialists from W-Motors, although many other auto companies have provided their developments.
The car has a 3.7-liter engine, and a twin turbo provides it with 750 hp. With. power. Lykan Fenyr Supersport can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds, and its top speed is limited to 395 km/h. Despite such an impressive figure, however, this is not the fastest racing car in the world, although it is in the top ten.
The bodywork uses titanium and carbon fiber parts, and the trim includes diamond inlay, genuine leather and gold thread sewing. Therefore, very rich people, such as Arab sheikhs, buy such models - the cost of the first models was more than 3 million dollars.
This is an American supercar, which was produced in 2005 - 2009, but is still included in the lists of the best racing cars. This car is equipped with a 750-horsepower twin-turbo engine, and can hit a hundred in just 2.8 seconds. The highest recorded speed of this model is 399 km/h.
This model was originally developed as a racing model, therefore it does not have such a rich finish as the previous one. Everything here is geared towards maximum speed - a carbon fiber body, a movable driver's seat for optimal weight distribution, etc.
The Swedish-made hypercar began production in 2016 and is still in production. This is just a monster, equipped with a 5-liter engine capable of delivering 1100 horsepower. With.
As a result, Koenigsegg Regera can accelerate to hundreds in 2.7 seconds, and the maximum speed is limited to 410 km / h. Undoubtedly, this model is one of the most powerful racing cars in the world, although not the first among them.
Another American supercar, which showed a maximum speed of 421 km / h in tests. In general, it was planned to accelerate this car to 430 km / h, but cooling with a volume of 6.4 liters did not allow this figure to be reached.
This model has a long history and has gone through several generations with many modifications. Not all of them have been released.
This car is unusual in that it is an electric car. It was first presented to the public in 2018 at the Geneva Motor Show. It was a response to the Croatian auto company of the American model Tesla Roadstar and personally to Elon Musk.
Each wheel of this machine is equipped with its own electric motor, and their total power is 1408 kW, or an incredible 1914 hp. With. This incredible power accelerates the sports car to hundreds in a measly 1.85 seconds, and its maximum speed reaches 415 km / h. This is the fastest electric car in the world, and in terms of acceleration, it has practically no competitors at all.
A well-known brand car is among the fastest. The 16-cylinder engine produces 1479 horses and accelerates the car to hundreds in just 2.5 seconds, and the highest speed can reach 420 km / h, and then it is specially limited with the help of electronics. This is done in order to prevent overheating of the engine and rupture of tires.
At the same time, it is perhaps the most beautiful racing car in the world. Its design stands out from the rest with its swiftness and power. She looks chic, which is not surprising at a cost of more than $ 3 million.
This French hypercar is equipped with a 16-cylinder engine capable of delivering 1200 horsepower. He dials a hundred in 2.5 seconds. In 2010, the Veyron Super Sport model entered the Guinness Book of Records with an average speed of 431 km / h, but was stripped of the record due to the fact that it is a production model with a disengaged speed limiter. Then, after long trials and disputes, the record was nevertheless approved.
This American hypercar was a contender for breaking the record of the previous model - Bugatti Veyron. He managed to reach 435 km / h, but he still did not get into the Guinness Book of Records, because the average result of at least two races was required, and this was a single one. In addition, for the car to be considered serial, the production of at least 30 copies is required, and the Henenessey Venom GT was released in a boxed version.
Nevertheless, Henenessey Venom GT holds several recognized records, for example, acceleration to 300 km / h in just 13.63 seconds.
The Swedish hypercar, equipped with an 8-cylinder 5-liter engine, has several records. This is the world's fastest production car, accelerating to 445 km / h. This is a car with a record acceleration to 400 km/h in 33.87 seconds. And it is the fastest car on a public highway, capable of accelerating to 456 km/h.
This is, the production of which only began in 2019. The car will be equipped with a 7.6-liter engine with a capacity of 1600 liters. With. It is planned that this will allow squeezing out a record 482 km / h, but real races have not yet been carried out. In total, it is planned to release 24 copies of this monster, which has a real chance of becoming the fastest car in the world.
As you can see, now the fastest cars are already close to the bar of 500 km / h, and yet a few years ago, even 4 hundreds were considered a fabulously large number. In terms of acceleration speed, the electric car became the record holder. Technology does not stand still, and it is quite possible that soon we will learn about overcoming the next high-speed frontier.
Until recently, electric vehicles were perceived, first of all, as city cars, which can be conveniently and cheaply driven only from home to work and back. But automakers are gradually expanding these horizons. And there are already quite a few electric and hybrid sports cars and even racing cars. Pro top ten of which will be discussed in this review.
Toyota TS040 Hybrid Race Car - hybrid racing car from Toyota
The most recent example of a racing car with an electric motor was recently presented by the Japanese company Toyota. The Toyota TS040 Hybrid Race Car was created specifically for racing in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship series, the goal of which is no longer the sports principle of “faster, higher, stronger”, but the development of modern energy-saving technologies.
The Toyota TS040 Hybrid Race Car is based on the Toyota TS040 racing car that will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A 3.7-liter fuel engine, as well as an electric motor, will give the hybrid a total output of 989 horsepower.
Nissan ZEOD RC - electric car to participate in the 24 hours of Le Mans
And if Toyota released two separate TS040 cars for different competitions, launching a car with an internal combustion engine for the 24 hours of Le Mans, then a year ago Nissan created not even a hybrid for endurance racing, but an electric car - Nissan ZEOD RC. He is expected to hit the track in 2014.
Nissan is one of the world's "locomotives" in the electric vehicle market. She created a unique technology to charge 80 percent of the battery in just 30 minutes. And it is to popularize her achievements that she plans to exhibit the Nissan ZEOD RC at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Of course, she can't count on winning. But even the very finish of an electric car in endurance competitions will be a huge marketing breakthrough.
Monster Sport E-RUNNER - racing sprinter from Mitsubishi
It turns out that the Pikes Peak auto racing in Colorado has had separate races among electric cars for several years. But if earlier they were attended mainly by mass-produced cars with an electric motor, then for the last two years Mitsubishi has been creating special models of electric vehicles specifically for these competitions. And in 2013, the Monster Sport E-RUNNER from this manufacturer won the race by a wide margin.
Pikes Peak is an international auto race, the essence of which is to climb Pikes Peak mountain as quickly as possible along a 20 km long road with 156 turns and a vertical drop of 1439 meters. The track record is 8 minutes 13 seconds. The Monster Sport E-RUNNER electric car in 2013 completed the task in 9 minutes 46 seconds, taking 5th place in the overall standings of the race.
Nuna 7 - solar record holder
And in Australia, for several years in a row, races have been held among a special type of electric vehicles - cars powered by energy from solar panels installed on them. Luckily, the weather conditions make it possible to arrange such competitions. And in 2013, the 3,071-kilometer race between the cities of Darwin and Adelaide was won by a crew in a Nuna 7 car, spending 33 hours and 3 minutes on it.
The Nuna 7 solar electric car was created especially for the World Solar Challenge by a team of students from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The weight of this car is 190 kilograms, and the maximum speed is almost 100 kilometers per hour.
Lola B12/69 EV - the world's first electric racing car
And the first modern electric car, created specifically for serious, and not special auto racing, was. It was released in 2012 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance competition in 2013. The 850 horsepower engine allows this electric car to reach speeds of 329 kilometers per hour.
However, the Lola B12 / 69 EV could not participate in the 2013 races at Le Mans - its debut at these competitions was postponed to 2014. But the car has proven itself well in many other racing races. And the Drayson Racing team is scheduled to become one of the participants in the Formula E series, a new FIA project starting in September 2014.
Sports electric vehicles
In order not to limit our review to only electric racing cars that can only be seen on the tracks, we decided to tell you about some of the most remarkable modern electric sports cars - production cars already driving on the streets of cities.Inizio EVS is the world's first mass-produced electric sports car
For a long time, electric sports cars presented at car dealerships by various manufacturers remained concepts, released in one or more copies. The world's first mass-produced sports electric car became in 2011.
The cost of this car ranged from 139 to 249 thousand US dollars, depending on the model. Its maximum speed is 273 kilometers per hour, the acceleration time from zero to hundreds is 3.4 seconds, and the cruising range on a single battery charge is 402 km.
The fact is that the doors in this electric car do not open sideways, like in the vast majority of cars, but upwards, which has been a sign of expensive, high-status cars for several decades. Among other characteristics, the Tesla Model X boasts the ability to accelerate to a speed of 100 kilometers per hour in 4.4 seconds, a range of 440 kilometers and a fairly moderate price of 50 to 90 thousand dollars, depending on the model.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG - electric sports car from Mercedes-Benz
The auto giant Mercedes-Benz did not miss the opportunity to enter the electric sports car market. In 2013, the Germans launched a new variation of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar equipped with an electric motor into mass production.
The maximum speed of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG electric sports car is 250 kilometers per hour, the same distance the car can travel on one full battery charge. The cost of this car starts from 544 thousand US dollars.
Audi e-tron - the sports car of the future from Audi
In 2014, Audi fans are looking forward to the start of sales of one of the most controversial modern cars from this manufacturer. We are talking about the electric sports car Audi e-tron.
The Audi e-tron is based on the Audi R8 gasoline engine, which was replaced with four electric engines. They allow the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.8 seconds. The maximum speed of the car reaches 250 km / h, but the manufacturer at the hardware level limited this figure to 200, so that fans of driving do not drain the batteries of their sports car so quickly. The Audi e-tron starts at $200,000.
Porsche 918 is the most expensive hybrid sports car in the world
The most expensive mass-produced electric sports car in the world is the Porsche 918 hybrid car, which went on sale in 2013 in a limited edition of 918 cars.
The use of a hybrid engine with a total capacity of 887 horsepower allows the Porsche 918 to accelerate to hundreds in just 2.8 seconds, and its maximum speed reaches 345 kilometers per hour without any restrictions. True, with all these impressive characteristics, the hybrid from Porsche has a significant disadvantage - its price starts from 845 thousand dollars.
