|
I think that the best wheel layout is four wheels with the rear track narrowed so that they fit inside the aerodynamic envelope; but they provide much better Cg stability than a reverse (tadpole) trike.
Another subtle but critical piece of engineering that can help a lot is 4 wheel steering. Case in point is the Illuminati Motor Works 'Seven' - it has a long wheelbase and it used the rear suspension from a Honda Prelude that has active rear wheel steering. The 'Seven' was the quickest of all the cars tested at the X-Prize through the double lane change test (aka the moose avoidance test). That speaks volumes, I think.
Four wheel steering might also be more efficient, because it might possibly have better coasting?
|