I will not talk about the stages, technical requirements, organization rules and other boring things. I'll tell you about the most interesting thing for civilians - about the car. And as the first post, we will again touch on the simplest and most interesting thing - the cockpit. Why and for what there is everything different and incomprehensible piled up.
There is no rally fiesta at hand, there is only a rally eight))
Appearance. On the roof there is an air intake with a hole under it - so that the crew has something to breathe during the race. In photo no. 9, you can see the blowers from the inside. On the hood, an air intake to remove excess heat from exhaust manifold at the bottom. Looking ahead, you can see that the safety cage is welded to the A-pillars through the scarves - this is to reduce the deformation of the A-pillars in the event of an accident.
We open the door of the navigator. And we see the interlacing of pipes. Made specifically to protect the crew from injury, crushing and grinding into minced meat during an accident and coups ("ears"). Also in this photo you can see that the navigator's place is freer than workplace pilot. We notice that the navigator is equipped with a footrest. This is done so that when the crew knocks over 100 km / h over pits and potholes, the navigator's legs do not dangle anywhere, but press his ass into the racing seat ("bucket").
A fire extinguisher is fixed at the navigator's feet.
Let's start with the bucket here. "bucket" is special seat, designed specifically to keep the body of the pilot (driver or navigator) from chaotic chatter through the cabin. Landing in it is cramped and uncomfortable. But once you get there, everything changes. Now you are part of the machine, you are a detail, an integral element. Seat belts pass through the bucket. Two shoulder straps and two waist straps. They fasten just below the navel and press the body to the bucket very tightly - the palm does not enter. A large poker with a white knob is a gear lever. Raised in order to spend less time on switching (so that the hand does not reach far). Changed the kinematics of the mechanism to reduce the amount of moves. Poker side by side and smaller - gidroruchnik. Its function is as simple as a damned egg - to block rear wheels. Therefore, it is hydraulic and without a retainer. Its functions are like parking brake- amputated with roots.
Regulator next to handbrake braking forces(brake balance). Figuratively speaking, a tap that regulates how effectively the rear wheels will brake relative to the front ones. Brake and fuel lines are laid throughout the cabin to prevent them from being damaged by stones flying from under the wheels. By the way, their speed is almost like that of a bullet, and the mass, often, will be more.
We note that the buckets are fixed rigidly and on special brackets that can withstand loads in case of accidents. By the way, the body of the pilot does not hold the bucket. The main load falls on the belts. Therefore, they are attached through special eyebolts.
Dashboard. Everything you need and in an ascetic design. On the main panel: speedometer, oil temperature, oil pressure, amount of fuel in the storerooms. A little to the left is the tachometer.
"Beard". The fuse box is also simplified (secretly - mounting block, as such, is generally cut out of the car, the car is assembled on a simplified sports wiring) and placed in a beard - this is so that the navigator can quickly change the fuses in case of anything. "Emergency" a little to the left. "Ignition" and "starter" below the "emergency gang". "Dimensions" and so clear. A pair of black tumblers is forced inclusion engine cooling fans and turning on the "chandelier". Well, a well with a sign of electrical hazard - the "mass" switch of the entire car.
The tumor on the hood is the same “chandelier”. The pistol has nothing to do with the rally - equipment for purely sports shooting.
The trend to reduce the cost of maintaining WRC class teams makes the technology of the world rally championship more and more affordable. But that doesn't mean WRC cars are getting easier. How far have they gone from production cars and how are they different from combat units of other world series? We tried to figure it out during the Cyprus Rally.
A lot of things are allowed for accredited journalists: you can study cars, follow the work of mechanics... But it quickly became clear that the teams' openness is largely ostentatious - you can't see the true secrets behind the wide backs of mechanics. In addition, the "top" know-how is hidden inside the engines, transmission units and in electronic blocks management - where the path is ordered to an outsider's eye. But during the three days spent in the Cyprus Rally paddock, we managed to sort out something.
The main difference between WRC cars and racing cars of the ring series is an all-metal body and a close relationship of design with serial machines. After all, the "body" cars of the DTM or NASCAR championships are, in fact, prototypes - with composite bodies, only superficially resembling their serial ancestors. But the WRC regulations strictly restrict alterations base machine. For example, the position of the engine can be changed by no more than 20 mm ...
A lot of things are allowed for accredited journalists: you can study cars, follow the work of mechanics ... But it quickly became clear that the teams' openness is largely ostentatious - you can't see the true secrets behind the wide backs of mechanics. In addition, the "top" know-how is hidden inside the engines, transmission units and electronic control units - where the way is ordered to an outsider's eye. But during the three days spent in the Cyprus Rally paddock, we managed to sort out something.
The main difference between the WRC cars and the race cars of the ring series is the all-metal body and the close relationship of the design with serial cars. After all, the “body” cars of the DTM or NASCAR championships are, in fact, prototypes - with composite bodies that only superficially resemble their serial ancestors. But the WRC regulations restrict the modifications of the base car more strictly. For example, the position of the engine can be changed by no more than 20 mm ...
Here, Chris Atkinson's Subaru Impreza WRC 2005 hobbled under the branded blue tents, for which the first racing day ended with a transmission failure. The mechanics covered the car with industrious ants and in twenty minutes they dismantled it almost completely - they removed the gearbox, suspension struts, stabilizers, cardan shaft And rear gear. All these nodes look exactly the same as on ordinary "civilian" cars. Sometimes even easier! But the highlight is that the layout and every single detail is brought to perfection.
Perfection is first of all materials. Lightweight and durable composites are used wherever regulations allow - even for oil pans. wheel bearings are made using ceramics, suspension and transmission parts are made of titanium, and wheel disks- made of magnesium alloy. One can only guess what alloys are used for the manufacture of particularly loaded parts - for example, turbo engine pistons, the boost pressure in which reaches 2-3 bar!
The maximum power of WRC engines is officially limited - no more than 300 hp. But since the technical commission is not able to control it, real indicators 10-20% higher. And this despite the fact that the block and cylinder head are made on the basis of serial ones! The 34 mm air restrictor located at the turbine inlet and dooming the engine to oxygen starvation does not allow to squeeze even more out of the engine. high revs. But the torque of the engines is huge. Two-liter turbo engines develop up to 600 Nm - more than a five-liter BMW M6 engine. By the way, unique to sports cars The “momentary” nature of the motor determines the specific driving tactics - with a minimum number of gear changes. The optimal switching moment is determined by the control electronics, and a light on the instrument panel serves as a hint for the driver: it lights up - switch “up”!
We managed to look into the salon only at the moment when the mechanics added water to the tank for driver's seat. It feeds the water supply system inlet pipeline, now actively used in the world rally. Water is sprayed through a special nozzle under pressure up to 10 bar, reducing the temperature fuel mixture almost to atmospheric. This seemingly simple solution has a striking effect. The heat load of the engine drops, it becomes less prone to detonation, which allows you to raise the boost pressure even higher. True, a five-liter tank is enough for only one section - about 60 km.
Each stage requires special engine tuning. For example, before a mountain race, the boost pressure is increased in order to compensate for the decrease in atmospheric pressure. Gasoline with octane rating 102 all teams are supplied with the same - manufactured by Shell. Combustion products are removed by an exhaust system equipped with one or two catalysts and reliable multi-layer ceramic-aluminum thermal insulation. During the operation of the “anti-lag”, the fuel that spins the turbine burns out right in exhaust system- tongues of flame burst out of the pipe, and the entire tract is red-hot. The exhaust pipes are located so as not to remove them when servicing the main units.
Gearbox - a separate song. On modern WRC cars, six or five-speed boxes, and recently there has been a tendency to reduce the number of gears - such tactics are dictated by "torque" motors. Gears are switched using rings or buttons located on the steering wheel hub, and the movement “away from you” downshifts. Just in case, the driver also has a traditional floor lever at his disposal - in case of electronics failure, it allows you to control sequential box in "emergency" mode. But if everything is in order, and the process is monitored by electronics, then the hydraulic actuators in just 35-50 milliseconds open the carbon three-plate clutch with a diameter of about 150 mm and shift the gear. On the same BMW M6 robotic box works slower - it takes at least 60 milliseconds to switch.
On each car, the gearbox is changed on average twice per race. In the same block with it, a central and front differentials with electro-hydraulic control. Hydraulics regulates the compression force of discs connected to opposite shafts - in the image and likeness Haldex couplings. On all cars, except for the Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 with its ingenious mechanics, electronic “brains” control the differentials, although the driver can force the differentials to work according to specific conditions. For example, before starting, hard block them - for the most efficient overclocking, and later switch to automatic mode.
A modern car of the WRC class accelerates to 100 km / h in four and a half seconds. And here maximum speed not impressive - 210-220 km / h. But more is not needed: on rally special stages, it is not so much the maximum speed that is important, but the perfection and reliability of the chassis. The regulation allows for considerable freedom in the choice of scheme and suspension attachment points. But all teams prefer the simplicity and maintainability of the McPherson scheme to sophisticated multi-link designs. To simplify maintenance, sometimes not only parts of the left and right side, but also the front and rear suspension! On dirt rallies - like here in Cyprus - the suspension travel is adjusted to 220 mm. Any electronic systems are now banned, although last year the teams used controlled stabilizers roll stability. Recently, on asphalt rallies, some teams, in particular Peugeot, are trying suspensions without stabilizers at all - coupled with special shock absorber settings.
I managed to observe how the pilots adjusted the shock absorbers right on the track, before the start of the special stage. On some machines - for example, on Subaru - the number of external adjustments reaches four: you can change the resistance to compression and rebound at low and high speeds stock.
And yet the basis of all foundations is the body. The bodies of the WRC cars are made entirely of metal. Composites are made only aerodynamic kit. Body is based on production model, more precisely, its main elements - the floor, sidewalls, roof racks ... But these parts are also undergoing serious refinement - for example, in order to accommodate non-standard suspension units and all-wheel drive transmission. A safety cage is welded into the body, which becomes a key element power structure. The total length of frame pipes made of alloy steel reaches 50 meters. The framework not only entangles living space crew, but also connects the suspension attachment points.
The reverse side of the amplification of everything and everyone - excess weight. Therefore, in parallel, the designers are constantly searching for extra "fat" and trying to get rid of it. For safety reasons, the FIA has even introduced a minimum weight limit for the body "in metal" - 320 kg, so that its excessive relief does not come at the expense of safety. But it is almost impossible to control the weight of the “bare” body, but the technical commission checks the curb weight of the car before each stage. According to FIA requirements, a WRC car must weigh at least 1230 kg, and all manufacturers have reached this lower threshold a long time ago. But at the same time, the dropping of excess “fat” continues. For example, many cars are equipped with lightweight polycarbonate windows. The kilograms won thanks to this solution can be used as ballast in certain places of the car, achieving optimal weight distribution, which affects not only handling, but also tire wear. By the way, not cast-iron ingots are used as ballast, but spare parts, wrenches and powerful jacks - everything that can be useful at the stage.
Engineers think about weight distribution even when placing the crew, shifting the seats back and down to the limit. A side effect is disgusting visibility from the driver's seat. And the pilot himself is almost invisible: I could not photograph any of the top pilots behind the wheel. But engineers tirelessly take care of the working conditions of the driver and navigator. For example, in “hot” stages like Cyprus and Greece, seat cooling systems (Ford) or even full-fledged air conditioners (Peugeot) appear in cars. In addition, they install additional air intakes on the roof and in the exterior mirror housings, thermal insulation of the engine shield and paste over the glass with a mirror film.
On the whole WRC cars much "closer to the people" than FIA GT, DTM, NASCAR or cross-country championship cars, not to mention Formula 1. Main engineering solutions in the rally are simple and understandable, and space technology lies mainly in the materials used. And even then not in all - after all, the basis of the "world rally car", its body, is made of the same stamped metal as our cars.
, while seemingly similar at first glance to their usual road counterparts, at the same time they are seriously different from them. The appearance of cars in some disciplines can indeed be very similar, for example, some rally car and its serial road counterpart are almost identical in appearance. The same goes for the WTCC models - the international championship cars. In appearance - conventional models, but it is worth taking a closer look at what is hidden behind the lining ... it turns out that not everything is so simple.As an example, let's give two interesting ones, which explain the principle of operation of several technologies used in the creation and testing of rally cars.
The first video tells us how manufacturers test a prepared rally car using a treadmill during testing in wind tunnel. It is the use of a combination of two technical means, according to experts, allowed to revolutionize the process of running in the aero body kit and its further tuning in various racing conditions.
Probably for ordinary car this approach is clearly redundant, but for a rally car it makes sense, because on the rally track a sports car moves not only in the plane of the road, but also flies up on springboards, that is, the aerodynamics of flights also need to be taken into account during calculations.
The combination of the "treadmill" and the wind tunnel allows you to create the effect of full presence:
1. can be blown from almost all sides by the incoming air flow.
2. At the same time, the running canvas under the wheels allows you to turn the wheels, creating point zones of blowing moving parts. For example, the same rims. Why is this needed? To optimize wheel design and ultimately stabilize the car in flight.
3. The same applies to attachments. How will the air flow change if you attach an additional lighting unit for night racing to the front of the hood? Experts can easily recognize this in a wind tunnel.
4. But that's not all. With the help of special shock absorbers, by changing the angle of attack of the body, you can literally blow out under the bottom of the car, learning how the aerodynamics of the car will change in flight. What kind additional elements the lower aero body kit is worth adding, what needs to be changed to stabilize the car in flight on the springboard.
The whole set of measures allows you to find out how the car will behave in a real race.
Ford Performance made a video with brief description how the WRC team used the treadmill to further improve their rally Fiesta cars in the beginning of the season.
This is an example of the advanced technology taken into service. But there is also a more standard way to improve the car, without which it is impossible to imagine a real rally car. This method uses more than one generation of rally drivers, and it is associated with a special technique of additional welding of the body, which makes the body safer and more durable.
Do you know how a monster rally is created? Often taken the usual stock car. It is disassembled to a screw, and painstaking work begins on replacing components and assemblies, adding additional parts and finalizing existing ones. The scope of work depends entirely on the level of racing, but in general, the main stages can be divided into seven parts:
1. Suspension upgrade.
2. Replacing the brakes with more durable ones. And for the rally even brake mechanisms designed for complex road conditions in which these machines work.
3. Powertrain changes.
4. Car underbody protection.
5. Full bulkhead interior for the needs of the rider.
6. Installation special wheels: tires and rims.
7. And even overcooking the body.
If we analyzed the first six points in detail in one of our earlier articles, then we will study the seventh point right now. The rally specialists from Team O’Neil Rally School will help us with this.
When the car is built from the ground, the specialists have a great opportunity to make adjustments and the required reinforcements to the standard body. And speech in this case it is not only about installing a so-called safety cage, but also about welding critical parts of the body with additional welding, which makes the body stiffer, stronger and even safer in an accident.
See for yourself, here is a photo of Thierry Neuville:
WRC Argentina 2018
In a moment, the car will land on the left side at a very disadvantageous angle. The suspension on the left side will work to failure. The load will be transferred to the body, and at that moment the body will begin to twist with incredible force. If it was normal factory Hyundai or any other car mass production, after such a hard prize, he would have received serious damage body.
What do the masters do in this case? They take up the welding machine, put on the welding mask and begin to cook ... Moreover, the welding technique is not anyhow, but precisely calculated and technically justified, otherwise at the end of the work you can get not a “candy”, but a fatally ruined body: it can lead, the geometry will change, there will be excessive stress, and instead of prizes, he will go to a landfill.
It is impossible to just take and weld all the joints of the body solid line. Such a seam will make the body extremely rigid, which will quickly disable it after a couple of racing sessions. On the contrary, as they say and show in Team O'Neil Rally School, you need to act according to factory technology, using spot welding, with which it strengthens the joints of sheet metal joints.
Please note that although an example of spot welding is visible on the body, it does not resemble factory work. "Points" after the intervention of the guys who prepared the car for participation in the rally, turned into, rather, a "dash". This technology also adds rigidity to the body.
And, of course, do not forget about the safety cage. All together makes a rally car a rally projectile that can be flown and landed very hard.
These two seemingly “simple” technologies allow modern architects to create real rally cars. Did you know about it?
10 best rally cars in history
Rally racing is one of the most interesting types of motorsport, requiring filigree aerobatics from pilots in overcoming treacherous turns. But even great athletes don't succeed without a good car. the site names and shows the 10 best rally cars - from the angular "Lanci Stratos" to Sebastian Loeb, merciless to the rivals of the "Citroen" C4.
Renault Alpin A110 (since 1963)
Assembled from parts various models Renault, Alpin A110 burst into the world of rally like a meteor. The first victories came already at the very beginning of the car's "career" - in 1963, but more resounding successes followed later: A110 cars took three first places at Rally Monte Carlo'71, and also won the very first World Rally Championship held in 1973 year. Elegant Design, rear drive with the engine located behind, as well as relatively low weight, the car was very docile. However, after a sharp jump in the development of rally cars, this project has exhausted its full potential and could no longer compete with the giants. Nevertheless, it was this car that became the impetus for Renault's further participation in rally racing.
Ford Escort RS1600/RS1800 (late 60s - 1998)
Born as a small family car, "Escort" a little later became the first rally car Ford brand. Debuting on racing tracks in the late 60s, already in 1970, Escort won the London-Mexico marathon with an overwhelming advantage: out of more than a hundred declared crews, only 23 of them covered 26,000 kilometers to the finish line, a quarter of which performed on this car. In 1979, the Escort with a 1.8-liter engine brought Ford its first titles in the World Rally Championship, and two years later Ari Vatanen won his first championship, winning the Acropolis Rally and the Rally Finland. In subsequent years, Escort gained fame as one of the most successful cars in the history of the rally, and also served as the basis for other rally cars of the American brand.
Lancia Stratos (1972-1974)
Built from scratch specifically for racing, the Stratos looked a little crooked compared to other rally cars - the angular design, implemented in fiberglass, with huge spoilers looked very extravagant. but appearance faded into the background after a resounding four consecutive victories in the world championship and three triumphs in the European championship. This car has significantly raised the prestige Italian company on the racetracks, but was forced to retreat due to the advent of Group B cars - Lancia focused on the development of other models.
Audi Quattro (since 1981)
"Audi Quattro" for his bright history became one of those cars that indicated the direction of development for all rally technology. Four-wheel drive and a 600-horsepower turbocharged engine turned this car into a rocket with wheels - an advantage German cars over competitors cannot be described in the usual terms. On the Quattro, Michèle Mouton became the first woman to win a World Rally Championship round and the fastest woman in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb event. Weak point german car there was reliability, but if the Audi Quattro reached the finish line, then it was the fastest. However, this car has won two individual world championship titles and two manufacturers' titles.
Mitsubishi Pajero (since 1983)
"Pajero" never took part in the World Rally Championship races, but became a true legend of the "Dakar". Built on the basis of the Mitsubishi Jeep, a copy of the famous Jeep CJ3A, the Pajero started the world's main rally raid 26 times and finished first 12 times, including seven times in a row from 2001 to 2007. Behind the wheel Japanese car such riders and racers as Stefan Peterhansel and Jutta Kleinschmidt became the victors of the Dakar. Up to the recent successes of the Tuareg, it was the Pajero that was the dominant force in the off-road category.
