Sneak Peak: 2012 IndyCar Chassis from Dallara
Posted 1 month ago.
Posted by: Paul
Planet-IRL has obtained the first images of designs submitted to the Indy Racing League for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Chassis. The three possible “evolutionary” designs are shown below. Planet-IRL expects more details from Dallara to be announced tomorrow regarding technical specifications on this chassis. Stay tuned to Planet-IRL for more details.
UPDATE – NEW IMAGES OF THE 2012 DALLARA CONCEPTS CARS ARE NOW AVAILABLE HERE: http://planet-irl.com/2010/02/05/more-images-of-2012-designs-from-dallara/
In all of these submissions, it appears that Dallara has made an effort to move the driver further back in the car. We saw a major push in the mid-90s to move the driver away from the front of the car and it seems these designs continue with that train of thought. What is slightly concerning is that most accidents in the IndyCar Series today are rearward impacts. Perhaps these new cars will allow a car that has lost control to continue to rotate beyond 90° and lessen the number of direct impacts with the rear of the car. Also note that none of these cars have air intakes that currently direct air into the normal-aspirated engines. This is the most direct confirmation yet that the IZOD IndyCar Series will use turbocharged engines in 2012.
The first submission is clearly a direct evolution from the Dallara IR-0x that we have seen from 2003-2009. With the exception of lower sidepods and the removal of the air intake for the normally-aspirated engine, this car is nearly identical to what exists now. Personally, I like it. It’s amazing what a change of the engine cowling can do to the aesthetics, along with the modification of the nosecone back to the “vertical plane” configuration introduced in 2003 (and subsequently removed in 2004 and beyond). Notice that the “fin” is back on the engine cowling as well. It’s going to take a LOT of $$$$$$ to remove IZOD’s logo from that location!!
The second submission is actually quite similar to the models that has been floated around by Honda for the past year with the sloping sidepods. The difference is that car did not have adjustable front or rear wings in the “traditional” sense as we’ve seen since the early ’70s. Interesting how the nose of this car is reminiscent of the 1st generation IRL cars produced by Dallara and G-force with a very boxy look to them.
The most revolutionary design of the three, this design looks like someone at Dallara put AJ Foyt’s 1977 Coyote through the computer aging simulation and this was the output. Everything about this car is reminiscent of that car except for the rear wing, which sports a dual exterior posting scheme, such as that seen on the 1980 Pennzoil Chapperal. In my modest opinion, this doesn’t have the pizazz that the other two designs have. Submissions #1 and #2 both look fast while sitting still. Submission #3 just looks chubby and not very sleek.
Don’t like the nose on the second one, and the third seems retro – like Foyt’s ‘77 winner. And Indy shouldn’t be retro. Too bad the first isn’t a major departure from the current design, but it’s still my favorite.
I thought this newfound car was supposed to look better than the current car? Looks too similar for my liking.
An American built car and its associated products made in America should be top priority given the jos loss statistics in this country!!
I’m not real impressed by these prototype designs. The first car looks too much like the current car, needle nose, overall profile still too high. The second car looks like it was designed by a little kid who’s in love with transformers. The third car has some interesting styling cues, definitly more modern, probably Dallara’s attempt to counter the DeltaWing. The second and third cars look like rush jobs much like Dallara all of the sudden releasing these photos, this seems to be a preemptive strike against the DeltaWing group.
Let’s put engines in them and let them race.
I like the first one, it still looks like an Indycar but no where near as ugly. The 2nd one looks too fat and the 3rd looks like a matchbox car
Yepper Red,
Can’t get any of the designs completed without an engine spec, let alone build ptototypes. Dallara’s designer Mr. Toso said that himself in an article published yesterday.
Andy Bernstein
I like all the designs. However, it would be fair to point out that, unless any of us are mechanical engineers-I’m not-that it really doesn’t matter what we “like”. What matters is what is the chassis that fits the criteria that the IndyCar series has laid out for the new car. It’s also fair to point out that all of these designs have to be tested before they reach the teams and drivers, who of course are the ones that have to work with and drive the cars.
I like the first two. The third is more a evolution away from open wheel. It looks more like Can-Am 2012.
Maybe local legend Oscar Koveleski could run that car. lol
Oscar brought me to my first ever SCCA event as a teen. After that I added Cart & F1 to my racing diet.
Growing up in the Poconos since I was 10 ONLY asscar has big events there. Oscar always worked to bring teens into SCCA (when I was the editor of the regions newsletter Oscar would send me items he wrote pushing for the Club to bring more youth to events, not just old men.)
That brings me to my biggest point, of these three which will bring the ‘Gran Turismo’ youth to the TV and track? Obviously we all want it to race better than the current car. (Maybe even make passes again at Richmond if they ever went back)
But that’s the biggest key–What car would be the best video game friendly, which will make IndyCar sexy again to a new generation?
Oh and the 1st one made me thing right away “Donna, donna, donna, BATMAN!!!”
LOL
Shoud I say “congrats and thanks, Planet-IRL”? Sorry, but I’m not sure. It’s hard to explain.
Cars are three-dimensional, so judging them by one picture and one body colour isn’t totally fair. That said, I expect an interesting mixture of edgy and soft shapes.
The first car’s nose is rather boring, although the lack of that blob before the cockpit makes it better than the current Dallara (but not by much). The rest is too F3-ish.
The second car is my favourite. Perfect roll hoop / air box, nice nose, perfect rear wing (side plates are awsome). The side pods are too strange, though, and the front wing itself (not the plate) shouldn’t be totally flat.
The third car is pretty ugly. The wheel faux-covers, rear wing and sidepods are awful indeed, it’s a wrong revolution path.
That third one kinda reminds of me of the Pro1000 thing that’s launching in the UK, and that’s basically a regular car with its wheels opened up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ItfHiZOD0
The first of those designs looks like the regular car, but painted by someone who usually does pictures of unicorns and starry skies. The second is very funky, but I’m not sure there are enough flat spaces for sponsor logos.
Is Dallara incapable of producing a car that doesn’t look ridiculous? Any one of those pig-ugly heaps will signal the death knell of open wheel racing in NA. What few fans that are left have been putting up with awful cars for too long as it is, foisting either one of these on them should send many of them over the edge.
Putting the cart (chassis) before the horse (engine)… How perfectly “IRL”.
Please, no stupid Hot Wheels Delta Wing car! A Hot Wheels Delta Wing has NOTHING to do with the history of Open Wheel (CART/Champ Car/IndyCar) in North America.
Here’s the most cost effective idea. Bring back the Panoz DP01, get the manufacturers interested in producing a Twin Turbo V6 and get back to real (exciting) racing again. Adjust the boost for 700 -750 HP on ovals, and 900 HP for road courses. Make the cars fast on road courses and make the drivers LIFT on ovals.
“Make the cars fast on road courses and make the drivers LIFT on ovals.”
Ditto that.
The main objective i have with the full on delta wing car concept is the rear fin and the dimentions of the front end of the car, I do like the mixture of old and new in one design ive seen on a manufacturer’s website for a concept for the 2012 car design.
In that design it kept the delta rear end design with the partially enclosed rear suspension/tire and a spoiler instead of the fin and the front of the car was similar to the current open wheel car design with the exeption of a new style front wing.