i need more power before I get more downforce
Downforce - eat some more pies!!!
i need more power before I get more downforce
Downforce - eat some more pies!!!
it already looks like I have eaten too many
As Steven says, the downforce going under the Dunlop bridge was very noticable.
You recon?
anyone got a nice cheap vhpd engine they want to sell, just until I can afford to get my honda engine
Yup.
Every other car I have been in at Donno [including a hard driven 964 RS] just floats over that part and settles back down onto the suspension.
The Skoda physically drops over that, it’s very noticealbe.
Yup.
Every other car I have been in at Donno [including a hard driven 964 RS] just floats over that part and settles back down onto the suspension.
The Skoda physically drops over that, it’s very noticealbe.
Thats because every other car creates lift. The Exige has a very very very very small amount of -ve lift but mostly just lots of drag which makes it feel stable. Not what I would describe as proper downforce.
You recon?
Well yes, otherwise I wouldn’t have said it.
The wing on the back of my car isn’t like that on an Exige.
But I am impressed by your psychic powers
Chris… the wing on the back of Davids car is a massive carbon jobbie from somewhere. Seems to have a very decent profile + end plates. It’s on the motorsport wing mounts too 
You recon?
Well yes, otherwise I wouldn’t have said it.
The wing on the back of my car isn’t like that on an Exige.
But I am impressed by your psychic powers
We are talking very small amounts of downforce here, bigger wing or not. The standard Exige wing is a pretty useless thing and I’m sure a better profiled one will help but it won’t get over the fact that the car is a brick. I’ve never been flat down the craners in any Elise/Exige which is pathetic really. I could do craners flat in my 800KG, 615BHP Spice and that had less than 2000lb od dowforce at 200mhp. If the Exige had any half decent amount of dowforce craners would be flat - no question.
How does having a car with the aero of a brick have any relevance if the car is still generating downforce ?
Not sure why you’re talking about Craners, I was talking about the Dunlop bridge.
Hello there
I have reg’d to just say thank you to Mr admin and also a big thanks to Mr Maddog.
Kindly taking me for a few laps in his wilely Elise. Yes I am the blonde lump Very entertaining ride and I really enjoyed it. Nice car control.
Secondly Mr admin’s car is very very stunningly quick.
Pics can be found at Donnie 05 I know of Mr admin and Mr Drought (and that strange leather jacket antisociable abortion) through another forum.
As for Mr Drought, I can not understand why you have taken your seats and stickers off
Once again to anyone I bumped into Cheers and nice meeting you all.
How does having a car with the aero of a brick have any relevance if the car is still generating downforce ?
Not sure why you’re talking about Craners, I was talking about the Dunlop bridge.
Drag has every relevance when talking about aero. Lift/drag ratio is all important here and the Exige scores very badly I’m afraid (your wing will help to a degree). Yes it produces a small amount of downforce which is noticable if you have only driven cars with lift but if you have driven cars which have a decent amount of downforce you will realise how little the Exige has. The craners are the sort of corners where downforce really counts - hence the reference, a bump in the straight is neither here nor there. For example my Nissan can touch 150mph down there and it weights a hefty 980Kg. An Exige will get nowhere near that, even on slicks because it doesn’t have the downforce, even though it has lot less weight.
Anyway… sounds like you all had a cracking day, would have loved to join you - Donington is a great track for our little Loti .
“I would just like to add that an XJR makes a terribly relaxing track car. The poor bloke in the stripped, track spec Golf VR6 gave us a funny look as we wafted past heading towards 130 on the last straight before the pits…”
Mega - was it you at croft about a month ago?
Love XJR’s
More observations…
I also wanted to spend more time chatting, but spent so much time on track
I also had a good feeling under the dunlop bridge, but no special wing. I am running pretty low, and perhaps the amazing Edwards Diffuser (extra long) had something to do with it??
At that point I was pulling around 135, and the braking was easy enough - the braking point was about halfway down the dip - how does that compare to yours, David???
I know what you mean about ‘Brick’, Chris - is there anything we can do about it? (clever turning vanes, dive planes, raised front wing on top of bonnet etc etc ??)
Yes it produces a small amount of downforce which is noticable if you have only driven cars with lift but if you have driven cars which have a decent amount of downforce you will realise how little the Exige has.
So let me get this right, you originally challenged whether I could feel the downforce my car was generating, but now you’re saying that people who have only driven cars without much downforce CAN detect it, but less noticable to those who haven’t…
The craners are the sort of corners where downforce really counts
But this topic hasn’t perpetuated because on the subject of cornering downforce (which was only brought up by you), it was because you challenged my belief that I could feel the downforce compared to a standard Exige.
Chris… the wing on the back of Davids car is a massive carbon jobbie from somewhere. Seems to have a very decent profile + end plates. It’s on the motorsport wing mounts too >
Interesting piece on the effect of endplates is HERE - they got a 7% increase in liftt by adding them.
I take it by “lift” they mean good lift - as in the wing is upside down and actually provides 7% more downforce?
Drag has every relevance when talking about aero. Lift/drag ratio is all important here and the Exige scores very badly I’m afraid (your wing will help to a degree). Yes it produces a small amount of downforce which is noticable if you have only driven cars with lift but if you have driven cars which have a decent amount of downforce you will realise how little the Exige has. The craners are the sort of corners where downforce really counts - hence the reference, a bump in the straight is neither here nor there. For example my Nissan can touch 150mph down there and it weights a hefty 980Kg. An Exige will get nowhere near that, even on slicks because it doesn’t have the downforce, even though it has lot less weight.
Randy - not sure what model you Nissan is but figs on net suggest that a 1992 Nissan R92CP, as an example:
High downforce configuration:
Max downforce:
3693 lbs. @ 150 mph, with 806 lbs. of drag
5318 lbs. @ 180 mph, with 1160 lbs. of drag
6565 lbs. @ 200 mph, with 1432 lbs. of drag
Aero. Balance @ 200 mph:
F: 2943 lbs. (45%)
R: 3622 lbs.
Lift-to-drag ratio: 4.59:1
Exige was quoted in the original sales literature as having “balanced aerodynamic characteristics of 35kg (front) and 45kg (rear) at 100mph whilst retaining the same drag coefficient as the standard Elise”.
Whilst not allowing you to run the car upsidedown (why has nobody ever done this?) like some racecars are theoretically capable of, I think that this has a significant effect upon the handling of the car.
Whilst not allowing you to run the car upsidedown (why has nobody ever done this?)
If you recall, Keenan did in 2002
Yes it produces a small amount of downforce which is noticable if you have only driven cars with lift but if you have driven cars which have a decent amount of downforce you will realise how little the Exige has.
So let me get this right, you originally challenged whether I could feel the downforce my car was generating, but now you’re saying that people who have only driven cars without much downforce CAN detect it, but less noticable to those who haven’t…
The craners are the sort of corners where downforce really counts
But this topic hasn’t perpetuated because on the subject of cornering downforce (which was only brought up by you), it was because you challenged my belief that I could feel the downforce compared to a standard Exige.
WTF is cornering downforce when it’s at home? Downforce is downforce whether in a straight line of not. What I am saying is that the Exige has naff all downforce so I find it a bit comical when people always carry on like it does. Aerodynamics are not the Exiges strong point even though Lotus like to waffle on like they are - its just marketing gabble and obviously people lap it up.
Russ - downforce is usually reffered to as -ve lift by the aero guys.
Steve - Close, mine is actually this one Mulsanne's Corner Race Car Aerodynamics Database: 1992 Nissan NPT-91 GTP
I wouldn’t believe those downforce figures from Lotus for a minute. As far as I’m aware the Exige has never been in the wind tunnel.