Road and Track blurb on mid-engine corvette

[NativeAz]

Another article on the mid-engine.

 

Click here to read R&T article

 

[Desertdawg]

Quote .....

“In 2004, it was decided that the Corvette had reached the limit of grip with the traditional front engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.”

 

i dont get why a 50-50 weight distribution isn’t optimal, I thought in racing or autoX it was about as good as it gets. 

A mid-engine isn’t going to achieve 50-50 weight distribution....

[HOXXOH]

17 hours ago, Desertdawg said:

Quote .....

“In 2004, it was decided that the Corvette had reached the limit of grip with the traditional front engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.”

 

i dont get why a 50-50 weight distribution isn’t optimal, I thought in racing or autoX it was about as good as it gets. 

A mid-engine isn’t going to achieve 50-50 weight distribution....

In 2005 it was decided that the 2004 report was wrong, so that's why we still have front engine Vettes.

[German]

First - I hope whatever mid-engine car they come up with doesn't replace the traditional and very practical front engine layout. Corvettes are 40% of the total sports car market for a darn good reason - people like it more than the alternatives!

 

Now, as to weight distribution, there is also the issue of polar moment of inertia which very roughly can be thought of as resistance to turning. The closer you get the weight to the center of the car, the more responsive it is to turning inputs. Here's an easy demonstration with an egg carton and four eggs.

1. Put the eggs at the corners, close the lid. While holding the carton in the middle from below, rotate it side to side like a car turning. You'll feel the weight out on the ends resisting the turn.

2. Move the eggs to the center spots in the carton and repeat the turning motion. You'll feel how much more easily the carton rotates. 

3. In both cases, weight was the same and  was distributed 50/50, but the more centered layout, which has lower polar moment of inertia, turns more readily. That's why, for instance, the brake calipers on performance cars are toward the center, not toward the ends - small details add up when you're trying to move weight to the middle.

 

But, a Corvette is a first class sports car that gets raced, not a race car that gets street driven (like a Ford GT). As such, the many comfort, convenience, serviceability and other issues that go with a mid-engine layout are best avoided.  We have the best setup now for what a Corvette is. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it!

[scottcolbath]

On 9/30/2017 at 2:45 PM, German said:

First - I hope whatever mid-engine car they come up with doesn't replace the traditional and very practical front engine layout. Corvettes are 40% of the total sports car market for a darn good reason - people like it more than the alternatives!

 

Now, as to weight distribution, there is also the issue of polar moment of inertia which very roughly can be thought of as resistance to turning. The closer you get the weight to the center of the car, the more responsive it is to turning inputs. Here's an easy demonstration with an egg carton and four eggs.

1. Put the eggs at the corners, close the lid. While holding the carton in the middle from below, rotate it side to side like a car turning. You'll feel the weight out on the ends resisting the turn.

2. Move the eggs to the center spots in the carton and repeat the turning motion. You'll feel how much more easily the carton rotates. 

3. In both cases, weight was the same and  was distributed 50/50, but the more centered layout, which has lower polar moment of inertia, turns more readily. That's why, for instance, the brake calipers on performance cars are toward the center, not toward the ends - small details add up when you're trying to move weight to the middle.

to it!

 

This example above may make sense, if the Corvette pivoted on a center axis beneath the center of the car.  But it doesn't. While in theory, what you say is correct, I think the impact to an automobile is far less of an issue than illustrated.

 

But it is an issue with motorcycles, and an important one. The wheels create a good deal of MOI. This is where carbon wheels are a big benefit in assisting with turn-in. And the best way to illustrate that is to spin a bicycle wheel while holding it by the axle, and try to lean it over perpendicular to the direction the wheel is pointing. You will feel the resistance. A lighter wheel will offer less resistance, due to a lower MOI.

 

S.C.

[Desertdawg]

Well, it’s out on the public roads now.

This is at a fast food drive thru off somewhere back east.