German Car Zone

Bah, big deal.




Well too much of the so called active suspensions are semi active really.
Active dampers, active anti roll, and so on.
Full active suspensions should eliminate dampers and spring all together.
And be and do something like this:








Basicaly, this fully active suspension system with the car made around it controled/influenced/modified ride height (low ride height = more downforce and high ride height less drag), rake angle, castor, center of gravity, center of pressure, aero and mass balance/distribution, eliminated squat, roll and dive alltogether, eliminated understeer (front down) and oversteer (rear down + anti wheel spin) ... etc




So movable stuff, but where ?!

They couldn't have done that for the price point they were aiming for.

Hell, they were able to make a bad ass car without some of those things, I'm sure they would've done even better with all those.

This might be getting a bit off topic, but I was just thinking how can the active suspension system change the castor angle?

Depending on whether the front or rear of the vehicle is low, a certain amount of caster will be added to the front wheels (unless both ends are equally high or low, in which case there is no net change). If the nose is low, negative caster is added to the front wheels. If the rear end is low, positive caster is added to the front wheels (because there a change in the angle of the steering axis when uneven ride height modifications are done by the active suspension system).

Also changes in front or rear ride height can alter front camber alignment (and rear camber on vehicles with independent rear suspensions) especially when there's a difference in ride height side-to-side. How much the camber readings change will depend on the amount of sag and suspension geometry.


And ofcourse the active suspension system on the Williams did all this.

Therefor both the mechanical grip, aerodynamics and weight balance and movement issues were handled by the active suspension system.
About 5 computers controlled all this permanently making adjustments.


The Williams F1 racers were in fact the most advanced racing machines ever build and, some say that will ever be build.
In the mentioned areas they were far more advanced that todays cars (witch could downright be described as stone age technology).
Such cars represented the absolute technological peak of the Grand Prix car.


The closest machine to the active ride F1 cars like the Williams FW15C is the Eurofighter Typhoon. As both gave up natural stability/control for the sakes extreme agility under the control of multiple computers who permanently make adjustments to make it controllable.

LOS ANGELES — Nissan announced today that its 2009 Nissan GT-R will be priced at $69,850 for the base model, and $71,900 for the Premium trim. Both prices include delivery charges.

Nissan intends to build just 1,500 GT-Rs per year during this model's lifecycle, and will announce dealer allocation plans later this week.

Pre-orders begin January 1, 2008, and the 2009 GT-R will officially go on sale in June.

What this means to you: If you haven't already made friends with your local Nissan dealer, better get on the stick. — Kelly Toepke, News Editor


Priced: 2009 Nissan GT-R


M

LA 2007: U.S.-spec Nissan GT-R huge performance bargain at $69,850





Not only did we finally get to see the new U.S.-spec Nissan GT-R for the first time on these shores, but we also found out how much it will cost when it goes on sale next June in the States. Starting at $69,850 or slightly more for the premium package, this 7:38 Ring lapper represents a true performance bargain. In fact, with its twin-turbo 3.8L V6 churning out a healthy 480 HP and 430 ft-lbs of torque, this AWD supercar may bump the Z06 as the best bang-for-your buck when you factor in the practicality of its design. Fans of the new GT-R are well-versed in what they get for that money and can now see the undisguised face and tail in American trim. Carlos Ghosn himself revealed the car after we were teased with a quick animated trailer in which the GT-R led a certain German Turbo around various tracks and roads, seemingly without working up a sweat. That aforementioned Ring time certainly seems to back up the performance claims. Look for the GT-R in a select group of Nissan dealers that meet specific and stringent certification standards by early summer. Pre-orders will start in January, but we suggest you buy a tent and start camping out now.


Gallery: US Spec 2009 Nissan GT-R

Press Release

LOS ANGELES – Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO, Nissan Motor Co., today unveiled the Nissan GT-R at a press conference at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Nissan GT-R, which will be available for the first time ever in the United States beginning in June 2008, makes its North American debut at the L.A. Auto Show, following its global introduction at the Tokyo Motor Show last October.

One of the most anticipated vehicles ever created by Nissan is coming to the U.S. in June 2008 – the 2009 Nissan GT-R. No longer the unobtainable object of desire on a video game or in the movies, the GT-R will be available on sale for the first time in North American in June 2008.

GT-R is a multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the concept of “the ultimate supercar that can be driven by anyone, anytime, anywhere” and achieved a lap time of 7:38 around the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife, one of the fastest times achieved by a production-spec vehicle to date.

Under the hood, the Nissan GT-R features an all-new 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 producing 480 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque (estimated), while meeting ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) standards. The engine is backed by an all-new, paddle-shifted GR6 sequential 6-speed dual clutch rear transaxle.

The new Nissan GT-R is built on an exclusive all-new Premium Midship platform. This new platform enables the use of a world’s first independent rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system, which places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle, optimizing weight distribution and maximizing handling capability.

Suspension is a special multi-link Bilstein DampTronic system, and the braking system is made up of Brembo full-floating drilled rotors, low steel high stiffness brake pads and Brembo mono block six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. Tires are nitrogen-filled Bridgestone high-performance run flat or optional Dunlop high-performance all-season tires, on exclusive GT-R 20-inch wheels.

The Nissan GT-R’s functional styling utilizes advanced aerodynamics, evoking the lines of a well-trained athlete. GT-R’s hybrid body construction combines steel, carbon fiber and die-cast aluminum, and features a low coefficient of drag of 0.27, while achieving high front and rear downforce.

GT-R’s interior balances functionality with a sense of ease and comfort. It features sculpted performance bucket seats for an optimal driving position, a cockpit-style instrument panel with a large center-mounted tachometer and multi-function display – which includes mechanical and driving information, as well as an on-board driving recorder.

Total vehicle adjustability is provided by a “set-up switch” located in the center of the instrument panel, enabling the driver to adjust transmission shifts, shock absorbers and the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC-R) in three settings – Normal, Comfort or “R,” for ultimate handling. Available is a specially designed 11-speaker Bose® sound system, with speakers mounted in rigid aluminum die cast panels, which provides sound quality suitable for a supercar.

Pricing of the 2009 Nissan GT-R was also announced – $69,850 for the Base model and $71,900 for the Premium model, which adds a standard Bose® audio system, heated seats and side air bags.

[Source: Nissan via WCF]

2000 dollar less than a Z06

FAAARRRRRKKKKK!

WCF Pics: