Subaru's problems...Prodrive F1 related?

[pentti]

The later one.

Correct but the rules does not allow more than they already have done.

[Nenukknak]

And here we go again. I'm not refuting that engine-position for Subaru is not perfect, I don't know how it is for the other teams. As for the engineering part of the car. The Xsara and the Pug 206, both dominant cars over the last 6 years, both started development on asphalt, yet they ruled on all surfaces. The Subaru always has been a very good car. But somewhere the designers lost the plot, it happens. Maybe the road-going car's engine lay-out of the C4 and new Focus are indeed better for rallying, but there is more to a good rallycar than engine-position.

[cut the b.s.]

but there is more to a good rallycar than engine-position.

indeed there is, but it is one very important factor, and under current rules the road car design really dictates, engineers can do there stuff on the rest of the car but there is only a small amount they can do to the engine position

[smolvar]

the fact that the engine is over the front axel and needs to be moved back towards the centre of the car?

How is this not a problem for the transverse FWD based cars like the C4?
Seems like they would have more weight balance issues with that setup.

[bt52b]

The WRX 2008 engine layout doesn't look a whole lot better?


http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1230198

[janvanvurpa]

How is this not a problem for the transverse FWD based cars like the C4?
Seems like they would have more weight balance issues with that setup.

What he should have said is in the Sub-a-rat design, same as the old ill handling Audis, the ENTIRE engine is placed well forward of the differential in front, which means thecenter of the motor, all 100% of weight of the motor is between 25-50cm in front of the axle in front.

In traverse engines the motor is just half the diameter of the front diff plus a little, and many tilt the engine back so that its weight is above the axle.

At least on some older North/South designs such as the Ford Sapphire and Escort Cosworths, the diff was bolted to the sump about between
about cylinder 3 and 4, so in effect only about 1/2 of the engine weight was ahead of the axle.

No Subaru is locked into their design and have wrapped up too much marketing BS about "their" boxer design to change anything drastically, and even though this makes no difference for 99% of the world driving Subarus, that forward weight may just be finally making differences when the other cars as so optimised.

[MJW]

Might be related comment but both DR and David Lapworth have said that it will take Prodrive 5 years to become truly competitive in F1, and that medium term Aston Martin could feature in the Prodrive F1 arrangement. Seems to me that Prodrive have made their choice?.......