DP-1 finally running, Track specific toy car

[titaniumdave]

Thought folks might find this interesting:

http://www.dpcars.net/dp1.htm

A friend of mine here in Portland has been working on this 'Track Toy' car for 4 1/2 years in his spare time. I have built some parts for it and watched him get closer and closer to a drivable car. He finally started it and drove it up and down the street, YAHOO!!!! Check out the video...He plans on putting a Hayabusa V8 in the final car:
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2005/02/09/hayabusa-v8-engine/
I am helping him drop a Hayabusa V8 into his new Atom right now...:wink:

What it think people will find the most interesting is to drill back through the web log and get an idea of what it takes for a mortal to make something as complex as a race car. Really helps keep thing in perspective about what R&D is all about, and how amazing a company like Honda is roll out a car like the NSX back in 1990-1 and have it so close to perfect that it was built almost unchanged for 14 years!

 

[NSXDreamer2]

are those carbon body pieces....... yummmy :drool

question, how come he kept mention the body piece is 2000 lbs? That's a lot of weight for Carbon fiber body piece!!

Very nice link, and he seems to be a very good driver too, his lap time on mini is identical to the fastest exiege of the day? Amazing! I better go check out the site more when I have time tonight.

I agreeed that nsx is amazing too, but I wondered how many more years we could say about the same thing??

 

[titaniumdave]

are those carbon body pieces....... yummmy :drool

question, how come he kept mention the body piece is 2000 lbs? That's a lot of weight for Carbon fiber body piece!!

QUOTE]
The plug the body is pulled off is 2000 lb. The whole body is about 40 lb!!!!! Easy for one person to lift!

Dennis is a good river and good guy. He has done tons of data logging at PIR and can drive most cars around about as fast as anyone. Interesting bit of info is the lateral acceleration of street cars is almost only dependent on tire compound! He can swap tires/wheels between his Mini and a Scion Xb box and pull the same cornering loads! Pretty amazing, the Scion will have the inside wheel off the ground though...