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Lotus 87
The Lotus 87 was a Formula One racing car used by Team Lotus in the second part of the 1981 Formula One season and in the first race of the 1982 season. Design and development The car, driven by Italian Elio de Angelis and future world champion Nigel Mansell, was another step in Lotus' development of Ground effect (cars), ground effect cars. Its predecessor, the Lotus 81 had proven to suffer from a chassis that was not rigid enough, compared to the dominant Williams FW07. Lotus therefore introduced a new chassis, built out of Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, carbon fibre and reinforced by kevlar sheets, since the team felt carbon fibre alone would not be sufficient to provide the chassis with the stability needed. As the John Barnard-designed McLaren MP4/1 would prove, this was a miscalculation. The chassis was originally planned for the ambitious twin-chassis Lotus 88, but after the car was outlawed, it was hastily rebuilt to become the more conservative 87. Racing hist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lotus 87 2008 Silverstone Classic
Lotus or LOTUS may refer to: Plants * List of plants known as lotus, a list of various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: **''Nelumbonaceae'', a single-genus family of aquatic flowering plants, consisting of just two species; the American lotus and the better known sacred lotus, or the Indian lotus, a symbolically important Asian plant ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae * Lotus tree, a plant in Greek and Roman mythology Places * Lotus, California, an unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California, United States *Lotus, Indiana, an unincorporated community in Union County, Indiana, United States *Lotus, Florida, a former village in Brevard County, Florida, United States * Lotus, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States Brands Cars and car racing *Lotus Cars, a British motor vehicle manufacturer **Lotus F1 Team, a British Formula One team that started competing in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mid-engine Design
In automotive engineering, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles, but behind the front axle. History The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of automobiles. A 1901 Autocar was the first gasoline-powered automobile to use a drive shaft and placed the engine under the seat. This pioneering vehicle is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. Benefits Mounting the engine in the middle instead of the front of the vehicle puts more weight over the rear tires, so they have more traction and provide more assistance to the front tires in braking the vehicle, with less chance of rear-wheel lockup and less chance of a skid or spin out. If the mid-engine vehicle is also rear-drive the added weight on the rear tires can also improve acceleration on slippery surfaces, providing much of the benefit of all-wheel-drive without the added weight and expense of all-wheel-drive com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
McLaren MP4/1
The McLaren MP4/1 (initially known as the MP4) was a Formula One racing car produced by the McLaren team. It debuted at round three of the 1981 season, the , and saw continued use in 1982 and 1983. It was one of the first Formula One cars to use a monocoque chassis wholly manufactured from carbon fibre composite, a concept which is now ubiquitous. Whilst the Lotus 88 was the first Formula One car to debut with a composite chassis at the US Grand Prix West at Long Beach that was the opener for the 1981 season, it was banned during that race weekend, so the MP4/1 was the first to actually race with a composite chassis. The chassis was designed by John Barnard, Steve Nichols and Alan Jenkins. The car was initially powered by a Ford-Cosworth DFV engine, which was the standard in Formula One at the time. Background and name Formula One teams had been using carbon-fibre reinforced polymer to build auto parts since 1975, when a carbon fibre rear wing was added to Graham Hill's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Barnard
John Edward Barnard, (born 4 May 1946) is an English engineer and racing car designer. Barnard is credited with the introduction of two new designs into Formula One: the carbon fibre composite chassis first seen in with McLaren, and the semi-automatic gearbox with shift paddles on the steering wheel, which he introduced with Ferrari in . Early career Barnard gained a diploma from Watford College of Technology in the 1960s and unlike many of his contemporaries he did not follow a lengthy academic career, instead choosing to join General Electric Company. In 1968, Barnard was recruited by Lola Cars in Huntingdon as a junior designer and began working on many of the chassis manufacturer's projects, including Formula Vee racers and numerous sports cars. While at Lola, Barnard was introduced to Patrick Head, who later helped Frank Williams found the Williams Formula One team. The two engineers became good friends and Head was best man at Barnard's wedding in the early 1970s. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carbon-fiber-reinforced Polymer
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon composite, or just carbon, are extremely strong and light fiber-reinforced plastics that contain carbon fibers. CFRPs can be expensive to produce, but are commonly used wherever high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness (rigidity) are required, such as aerospace, superstructures of ships, automotive, civil engineering, sports equipment, and an increasing number of consumer and technical applications. The binding polymer is often a thermoset resin such as epoxy, but other thermoset or thermoplastic polymers, such as polyester, vinyl ester, or nylon, are sometimes used. The properties of the final CFRP product can be affected by the type of additives introduced to the binding matrix (resin). The most common additive is silica, but other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Williams FW07
The Williams FW07 was a ground effect Formula One racing car designed by Patrick Head, Frank Dernie, and Neil Oatley for the 1979 Formula One season. Developed versions of the car were used in the , and seasons. Design 1979 It was closely based on the Lotus 79, even being developed in the same wind tunnel at Imperial College London. Some observers, among them Lotus aerodynamicist Peter Wright felt the FW07 was little more than a re-engineered Lotus 79, just having a stiffer chassis. The car was small and simple and extremely light, powered by the ubiquitous Ford Cosworth DFV. It had very clean lines and seemed to be a strong challenger for the new season, but early reliability problems halted any serious threat for the title. While not the first to use ground effects in Formula One, an honour belonging to Colin Chapman and the Lotus 78 (the Lotus 79's predecessor), Dernie may have had a better grasp of the principles than even Chapman. While Head had been developing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ground Effect (cars)
In car design, ground effect is a series of effects which have been exploited in automotive aerodynamics to create downforce, particularly in racing cars. This has been the successor to the earlier dominant aerodynamic focus on streamlining. The international Formula One series and American racing IndyCars employ ground effects in their engineering and designs. Similarly, they are also employed in other racing series to some extent; however, across Europe, many series employ regulations (or complete bans) to limit its effectiveness on safety grounds. Theory In racing cars, a designer's aim is for increased downforce and grip to achieve higher cornering speeds. A substantial amount of downforce is available by understanding the ground to be part of the aerodynamic system in question, hence the name "ground effect". Starting in the mid-1960s, 'wings' were routinely used in the design of race cars to increase downforce (which is not a type of ground effect). Designers shifted their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1981 Formula One Season
The 1981 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 35th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1981 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1981 Formula One World Championship for Manufacturers, which were contested over a fifteen-race series that commenced on 15 March and ended on 17 October. The 1981 South African Grand Prix, as a non-championship race due to difficulties from the ongoing FISA–FOCA war, was open to Formula One entrants but was not part of the World Championship. The 1981 championship was the first to be run under the ''FIA Formula One World Championship'' name, replacing both the original ''World Championship of Drivers'' and ''International Cup for Constructors''. Under the influence of Brabham team owner Bernie Ecclestone and the FOCA organisation, teams were asked to sign the first Concorde Agreement, which would set Formula One on course to become a profitable business. The agreement required teams to lodge entries for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1981 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1981 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on 31 May 1981. It was the sixth race of the 1981 Formula One World Championship. The 76-lap race was won by Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve, driving a Ferrari. Brazilian Nelson Piquet took pole position in his Brabham-Ford and led until he crashed out on lap 54. Australian Alan Jones finished second in a Williams-Ford, with Frenchman Jacques Laffite third in a Ligier-Matra. Race The start of the race was delayed after a fire in the Loews Hotel kitchens, which necessitated the fire service pumping large quantities of water to put the fires out. Water then seeped through the floors of the hotel and into the tunnel, delaying the race for an hour. Nelson Piquet led for much of the race, but crashed out late on. New race leader Alan Jones then suffered a fuel feed problem in the latter stages of the race, allowing Gilles Villeneuve in his Ferrari, to take his first victory since 1979 as well as becoming the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goodyear Tire And Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturer headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear manufactures tires for passenger vehicles, aviation, commercial trucks, military and police vehicles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, race cars, and heavy off-road machinery. It also licenses the Goodyear brand to bicycle tire manufacturers, returning from a break in production between 1976 and 2015. As of 2017, Goodyear is one of the top five tire manufacturers along with Bridgestone (Japan), Michelin (France), Pirelli (Italian) and Continental AG, Continental (Germany). Founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling, the company was named after American Charles Goodyear (1800–1860), inventor of Vulcanization, vulcanized rubber. The first Goodyear tires became popular because they were easily detachable and required little maintenance. Though Goodyear had been manufacturing airships and balloons since the early 1900s, the first Goodyear Blimp, Goodyear advertising ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michelin
Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and larger than both Goodyear and Continental. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the Kléber tyres company, Uniroyal-Goodrich Tire Company, SASCAR, Bookatable and Camso brands. Michelin is also notable for its Red and Green travel guides, its roadmaps, the Michelin stars that the Red Guide awards to restaurants for their cooking, and for its company mascot Bibendum, colloquially known as the Michelin Man, who is a humanoid consisting of tyres. Michelin's numerous inventions include the removable tyre, the pneurail (a tyre for rubber-tyred metros) and the radial tyre. Michelin manufactures tyres for Space Shuttles, aircraft, automobiles, heavy equipment, motorcycles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valvoline
Valvoline Inc. ( ) is an American retail automotive services company based in Lexington, Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. It licenses the name for a number of Valvoline-labeled Motor oil, automotive oil, Oil additive, additives, and lubricants. It also owns the Valvoline Instant Oil Change, Great Canadian Oil Change and Valvoline Express Care car repair chains. , it is the second largest oil change service provider in the United States with 10% market share and over 1,650 locations. History Dr. John Ellis, the inventor of a petroleum lubricant for steam engines, founded Valvoline in 1866, in Binghamton, New York, as the "Continuous Oil Refining Company". In 1868, Ellis renamed his Binghamton Cylinder Oil to the more memorable Valvoline. The next year, he moved the Continuous Oil Refining Company to Brooklyn. With his son and son-in-law, Ellis renamed the company to "Ellis & Leonard" and relocated to Edgewater, New Jersey, Shadyside, New Jersey. Valvoline received commendations by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
