[SGVLUG] [OT] Especially for Tom & his Prius.... [my rebuttal, then I'll shut up]

[Dustin Laurence]

On Tue, Jul 11, 2006 at 10:30:30AM -0700, Michael Proctor-Smith wrote:
> 
> I love that I actually know someone else that reads that web site.

I don't--I found it while researching TDI diesels to see if I really
wanted to own one.  However, Le Mans has always been my favorite race,
and if I'd grown up in a sporting family I'd probably follow it
religiously.  I like the GT classes more than prototypes--I prefer cars
that have some vague resemblance to road cars.  I'd probably like
Paris-Dakar if I got into it too.

Too bad we didn't think of this earlier--we could have had an SGVLUG
party at someone's house to watch on cable (I assume it was televised on
cable).  Oh, wait, it's the TWENTY-FOUR HOURS of Le Mans.... :-)

> ...But
> that problem with the CLR1 would not have happened if the designers
> were not having to work within Le Mans regulations for the time, the

My point was just that wing-in-ground is a tricky thing and isn't so
predictable even when you've done your wind-tunnel work.  Notice the
article's mention of upper body panels flying off from the lift being
generated.

> ... Just as a comeback to Davids diesels
> are not that much more efficient.

That isn't a position he can seriously defend from evidence anyway,
because it's quite wrong.  Diesels have *really* developed since the
'80s.  Stunningly so.  There seems to be more untapped development
potential there than in spark ignition.

> ...The Audi TDI achieved approximately
> 20% better fuel economy then its gas competitor

The main reason it won was in fact fewer pit stops, right?

In a race as brutal as Le Mans I guess the greater durability of diesel
might also help, but I'm not sure they're still more durable under that
particular type of abuse.  Maybe.  I know the race eats engines, and a
big factor in Porche's domination of GT racing there is their
indestructable engines.

> Back to real life cars you will notice that sport/turbo versions of
> the new beetle have a wings or spoilers. Beond the looks/cool factor
> they probable cover the engineers ass and disrupt the laminar flow
> just enough to prevent liftoff.

Yeah.  I'd want a wing on any car that looks like that too.  Same goes
for 911's.  Just the shape scares me, because all I see is airfoil.
That's a bit unfair because almost any shape generates lift close to the
ground--cats are airfoils in ground effect. :-)

> >It's the fastest freeway in the country AFAIK; we drive slower in
> >Montana with no speed limits (besides, over 80 in Montana is actually an
> >automatic careless driving ticket).
> 
> I thought it was 100 if it is only 80 I have know reason to go to Montana!

You're *supposed* to think it's 100.  It's part of the state-sponsored
disinformation campaign.  We keep state taxes low by writing hefty
tickets to out of staters driving >80mph. :-)

Dustin

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