Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead
With the Cobra Daytona Coupe,they've angled the truncation which allows a torque moment to be produced from the low base pressure riding under and forward of the rear spoiler location,enhancing downforce at the sake of drag.
http://www.conceptcarz.com/images/Sh...-12-AI-a09.jpg |
I read an article about the Cobra Daytona. There were restrictions on what they could do as far as modifying a stock car went. They could either alter the drivetrain, or alter the body. Altering the drivetrain was out, since a more powerful engine would have meant needing a more beefy frame. They took a chance on a guy who said he could make it fast enough to keep up with the Ferraris (which were the big competition of the day). They lowered the driver, and gave it a fastback. All of the metal work was done at the go-to metal working shop, where the sheet metal was pounded into shape. The original Daytona did not have a spoiler (though they had wanted to install a driver-adjustable spoiler they just didn't have time). The first real test was once they got a completed car to the test track. They didn't have a working speedometer, but they knew the gear ratio, so using the RPMs they back-calculated the top speed on a straight away. They blew away the stock Cobra's top speed on the first lap. I don't remember speed numbers, or Cd numbers offhand, but Cd was dropped dramatically. The only complaint from the driver was that the back end was a bit squirrelly in the corners. They slapped a spoiler on (non adjustable), the driver took it for a lap, blew away the previous laps top RPM (speed), and returned saying it handled perfectly, and to not touch the spoiler. I'll have to see if I can find that article, so I can properly quote from it. Definitely a worthwhile read.