Future Sports Cars 2030!

[anupam]

Hi every1,
I am Car Designer wanting to know what your visions might be for the future of sportscars. This is to view your opinions with regard to every aspect of sportscar design ranging from their looks to their performance and racing environment.

I am currently working on a future sportscar project consisting of next generation technologies.

I have a few questions to get this thread started. I hope we can bring in a lot more excitement and creativity into the world of sportscar.
Thanks!

A) Would 'Solar Power' ever be able to provide the future sports cars the performance they need on a racing track?

B) Is there a scope for use of 'Polycarbonates' in body shells and other components of the vehicle to improve its performance levels?

C) How would electronics, telemetry and technology change the driver's cockpit/cabin experience in the future?

D) What would be the luxury standards of future sportscar. Would their be a scope for a new material that would suite both performance and looks?

I hope we could discuss such issues taking both feasibilty and creative thinking to have a balanced approach. Science fiction is also welcome!

Lets get started....!!!

[saltysurprise]

Interesting topic..

First off, until technology can severely increase the power of an active solar array without the use of batteries (which are incredibly heavy) for storage, that's a long road to hoe. I have seen some impressively 'fast' (all things being relative) solar powered vehicles designed by various univerisity Engineering students, but so far nothing worth racing. I'm sure you could race them, maybe just not to exciting at 100kmh:wonder: The handling properties of these solar powered vehicles is a little less than stellar for a racing environment. But we're talking 20 some years from nows. The exponential growth of some tech over the past 20 years is staggering mind you.

Aren't polycarbonates already a huge part of design?

Your question is quite heavy. As for electronics, cockpit design etc. When I think of electronic traction control (love it or hate it), fuel management, and little things like 'rain sensing' windscreens. The thought of even more tech, stopping short of a car that hovers, makes my head hurt:confused::lol:

[EIR Loe.307]

I don't think solar (and ONLY solar) will be a solve all until photovoltaic cell tech is vastly improved.

I do think a hybrid technology similar to what is used in road cars today would be good. Think about this today's cars have GAS / Electric Hybrids. Those cars use gas and wall plug-ins (also fossil fuel based at the plant) to get their power. The gas motor helps out the electric under load when needed.

NOW change all that too, biofuel or E85 ethanol instead of the gas, and throw a nice solar panel on the roof to supplement the electrical part of it. Now you have a largley fossil fuel free car with the power and economy we are all after.
(also the E85 should be sugar cane based)

Part of that would also be the need for lighter yet strong components of the car to reduce weight and thus engine strain. Look at a motorcycle. You put a 150hp engine in a small car vs. a bike and the bike is much faster. It's in the power to weight ratio. It also effects fuel economy. 150hp pushing 1500lbs. vs. 3500lbs. is going to have much worse gas mileage.

No, I haven't been thinking about this much at all:lol:

[JoStream]

A) I find it difficult to predict what energy source will be regarded as most efficient in 2030. It's a long way from now, and maybe there will be a rechargeable fuel cell that can last an entire race. As far as I know fuel cells that will give laptops full power for an entire week will be available at reasonable cost at the end of this decade.

B) Aren't polycarbonates already a huge part of design?

Yup, they are :confused:

C) It will simply increase the information available to the driver and provide new ways of manipulating them. There was a lot of talk that BMW was going to include visor information displays, but that didn't go though into the cockpits (rather in the windscreen of the new 6 series :lol:). That would happen soon though, not in 2030 :eek:

D) That's a very good question. You would assume that they would lift into the air by 2030 :lol:. I think the direction luxury sportscars are heading towards is increased refinement, rather than just insane power.

[saltysurprise]

I think the direction luxury sportscars are heading towards is increased refinement, rather than just insane power.

Cigar humidor in your Lexus anyone?:cool:

Nothing could be handier than making a mochafrappacappachino while watching DVD of Al Pachino, in your fabulous new Kia Rio:cool::rolleyes::lol:

[JoStream]

Cigar humidor in your Lexus anyone?:cool:


Absolutely! :lol: :thumbsup:

Anupam, it seems to me that you are talking about production cars rather than cars in 'Sports Car Series'. Am I right?

[anupam]

Hi again Every1,
On a personal note, i am currently on a project towards designing a sportscar for the future that successfully combines the performance and sensation of a competition car with the usability of a road car.
The idea is that it could be driven to the circuit and back and used quite happily in the racing discipline.

So far are talking about high performance production cars that are adapted for motorsports.
Examples include Ferrari Enzo, Porsche, Bugatti Veyron, Aston Martins and so on.
But the discussion might well include a wide spectrum of other sports cars since its still a research phase.

What are your views on the kind of circuits i should be looking at considering both the European, American and other world racing circuits for this type of a car in mind?
Any good benchmarks??

Anupam

[EIR Loe.307]

What are your views on the kind of circuits i should be looking at considering both the European, American and other world racing circuits for this type of a car in mind?
Any good benchmarks??

I would say Road America, Nurburgring, Laguna Seca, The Istanbul F1 track, and maybe Spa-Francorchamps Belgium. There are plenty of tracks but these are some of my favs. Also there is a track that every car needs to run and that's the one on Top Gear.:thumbsup:

[EIR Loe.307]

I think one of the biggest problems you face with a road to race type car is you will almost always have to sacrifice something and/or pay way too much for it. I would love to have a car like the Arieal Atom that I could drive daily. In order to do that though you have to add body panels and enclose it. That and it's not that practical. It starts to get away from what made it the car you wanted to start with. Then cars like the F430 or the CCX are just way too expensive for normal or even upper-middle class people.

[anupam]

Absolutly, i agree!
There certainly needs to be a compromise reflecting the best possible balance.

This raises another question about adaptations that are made to the high performance production cars in order to make them eligible for circuit racing?? Any 1 knows more about it?? Such as the adaptations required and so on..

I have also included Lotus, Sheby and Caterhems in the research to allow myself with more suitable benchmarks.

[JoStream]

I have also included Lotus, Sheby and Caterhems in the research to allow myself with more suitable benchmarks.

I'd like to know some more details about your research. From the questions you have been asking, it seems you are all over the place. What is the precise objective of your research and more importantly, what is your methodology?

I understand that doing interviews or gathering opinions on a community forum like the WRF can be conducive to understanding public opinion, but you still need to have a sound approach with specific data collection plans :stop:

If you just want to discuss general futuristic racing elements, then just open topic-specific threads. Otherwise I'd like to know what exactly it is your are working on, because this thread is becoming a general racing discussion topic rather than one that is supposed to help you in your research :confused:

[EIR Loe.307]

This raises another question about adaptations that are made to the high performance production cars in order to make them eligible for circuit racing?? Any 1 knows more about it?? Such as the adaptations required and so on..

Many require a roll cage, fire ext. system, oil catch, and a seat belt harness system. A roll cage can be integrated and somewhat hidden. The oil catch is an easy fix, the fire ext. system may be a challenge to conceal, and many people aren't going to want a 5-6pt harness when going to the store. it's a pain I'm sure (designing these) I'll stick to designing subdivisions. :lol: