Maserati MC-12

[Obi Offiah]

Hello All!

I've been lurking around this forums for a few years and really enjoy visiting Mulsanne's Corner and this forums.

I know there is another Maserati MC-12 thread, but my questions are more of a technical nature.

In the the testing photos of the MC-12, you can see in the rear quarter images, that the MC-12 utilises huge venturi tunnels last seen in the IMSA & Group C era. In comparison, its over twice the height from the flat bottom reference plane, than other contemporary designs!. Such a design would surely yield massive amounts of downforce. I understand that the MC-12 has been refused authorisation to race thus far, however I haven't read that this is due solely to the underbody design, (There may have been a reference to front overhang).
I would have thought that such a design from the outset would be deemed as illegal?.

Thanks
Obi

[Cynic]

I don't know the technical regs for GT cars, but I would have thought that venturi's in themselves are not illegal. The TVR Tuscan and (I think) the Saleen both have venturi's incorporated into their design. Unless anyone can enlighten me further, the MC-12 (As far as I know) has been refused homologation purely because it's "outside the spirit of the regs". This I believe is FIA speak for "All the other manufacturers threatened to throw thier toys out of the pram if we let it in".

[gi_gav]

i don't think they're illegal either, although i don't know the tech side too well.

32 posts in 5 years probably constitutes lurking! welcome back!

[JAG]

Cars built to FIA Supercar regs are allowed less mods and must have standard, road car floors.

However as the Maserati was purpose built, they took advantage of this rule and built the road car with a high downforce floor.

This is one of the areas were the GTS teams had concerns over the performance advantage the MC12 would have.

[marcush.]

the supercar homologation stipulates a minimumrideheight of 60mm
whereas the Gt cars are allowed to run considerably lower.The problem is : how do you policy this regulation on track?

[paul-collins]

FWIW, the Modena 360 has venturis undercar, and is required to run flat bottom in GT. Don't know for sure how this will translate to GTS, but I'd bet the rules are similar.

[Try Hard]

Also with the bigger overhangs (and I beieve this is a primary concern of other teams), is that you have more area to create the downforce.
With a longer overhang you have a longer floor, hence a greater potential level of downforce. The venturis would be incorporated into this.
Also I believe the flat floor is only required between the wheel axle line (althoug I may be wrong), and so if you have a longer tail, you can fit in a larger (and more effective) diffuser/venturi.

To be honest (and quickly going o/t) the MC12 reminds me very much of GT1 cars of the late nineties, with long and low bodywork. In my eyes it certainly isn't a GTS, but that really is for another thread.

Regards
Ed

[JAG]

Originally posted by paul-collins
FWIW, the Modena 360 has venturis undercar, and is required to run flat bottom in GT. Don't know for sure how this will translate to GTS, but I'd bet the rules are similar.

If the GTS car in question was a mass produced road car like a DB9 or 575, they have to run a standard flat floor.

If it is a supercar like the MC12 or Saleen they have to run the standard road car floor. Maserati took advantage of this reg. and built the road car with a high downforce floor.

This was a concern of the manufactuers so maybe now this reg has/will be changed.

[Dani Filth]

does the Saleen have a high downforce floor ?

[JAG]

http://www.lmsr.net/masnewbod.html

Pictures of the 'new' Maserati testing?

Looks slightly different.

[Try Hard]

that nose is deffiently shorter, the rear doesn't look much different, although it is difficult to tell from thoose pics, so it could be shorter too.

Ed

[gttouring]

this maserati is more gtp than gts...
from the start, its okay, but teh ACO and FIA better reel it in, it is clearly built to limits and not towards any real flashy use around town or between towns like Pagani, Lamborghini, Saleen, Ferrari...
this thing was built to win the class and chalenge outright, it is scary if it would run before the road models were to be sold, it would signal the huge rise in cost for GTS, and specials and the death or the rewriting of the class-aagaiin and again and ....

[paul-collins]

I'm not sure I see the difference in the car from those pics. Dailysportscar has some other pics from June 9 (Go to the FIA-GT News archive to see them) which have different angles, but the Pirelli stickers on the nose look the same, and the tail is in the same scale.

I hope they are working on it, though.

[JAG]

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/pic.m...num=5&num=1856

Spot the difference?

[jhansen]

The front overhang definitely seems shorter. But it's not the same angle in the pics, so not a good view. However, the rear overhang doesn't look much different.

[paul-collins]

Not really. The rest of the photos from the ultimatecarpage are very similar.

edit: the real problem is photographing a black car, and particularly on a very sunny day. Too much contrast means too little detail.