Quote:
Originally Posted by MWS
Question, and please do not take offense...I am asking because I do not race, I am just curious. I know that some people who race are on a quest to lighten their cars as much as possible, and I can understand that with that mindset that it would become easy to obsess over every ounce of "car weight". My question is, given what you were asking about, does 5 pounds really make any noticeable difference? For example, how would that amount of weight influence a 1/4 mile time? In my mind, in would be in the billionths of a second. Additionally, if a couple of pounds does matter, wouldn't every driver go on a diet to drop every pound of unnecessary body weight? From the professional drivers I've seen, this doesn't appear to be the case...they seem "fit", but not emaciated, and could easily drop a couple more ounces (or pounds) if they were really serious about gaining an edge.
I guess my question really is...do a few pound really matter, or is it more a case of obsession and removal because "it can be removed/can be lightened" but offers no measurable improvement in doing so?
Again, no offense meant, just my curious mind is, well...curious.  |
no offence, and i think, at least to me, the answer is - both. rule of thumb - 10 lbs = 1 hp. and reducing weight is not a matter of one or two big changes, but rather a bunch of small changes that add up - you lose 100 lb by losing 10 pounds ten times (similar to making power - its a bunch of small improvements that add up, vs just strapping a turbo on). drilling holes in door handles, porsche race cars have a decal instead of an actual hood crest, 'R' spec cars have thinner glass in the windshield, the old 550 spyders were silver because they didn't paint them to save weight, the 987 spyder has aluminum doors, etc. 10 lbs (5 lbs per side) is actually one of the bigger wins in the weight reduction game. esp if the replacement mirror also provides some aero benefits. and, a lighter car is easier on tires and brakes. colin chapman - "simplify and add lightness' - i don't need heated, electrically adjustable mirrors.
and at the track, realise you can often run 20 minutes and not make or lose time on the other guys - races are won by fractions of a second and not big blowouts like in the movies, so every edge counts.
now, will lighter mirrors make me faster? no, the car is already faster than me, and it is only a matter of time before one of the boxster spec guys chime in about putting the energy into driver training instead. however, i like tinkering, and i like improving the machine to the maximum of it's capacity, even if that capacity outstrips my talent. and the spec guys hate this because, by definition, they can't tinker with spec cars, so to them the only way to get faster is to get better. i believe in both. and if i can find a $100 solution to a $600 problem then that is cool too.
sorry spec guys, i think you're great, and would eat my lunch at the track.