The world has produced many great racing cars. Every once in a while a car comes along that inspires the world of sports for years to come. The glory of the exploits of these cars and the racers who drove them remains for centuries. They make films about them, write stories, betray historical facts by word of mouth. Behind long history Throughout the history of motoring, there have been race cars that have been innovative, superior, beautiful or iconic.
Formula 1, DTM, Rally - in each different types had their own iconic cars, the ingenious inventions of engineering have no boundaries. We present to the site's readers 10 cars that we believe are the most legendary in the world of racing. We consider rating them a useless exercise; it is impossible to compare them, since their significance is directly related to different disciplines of motorsports.
Let's leave everything as it is, just state the facts and present the Top 10 most legendary of all time in alphabetical order.
Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2
Early 1980 years Audi largely dominates rally racing with its various versions of Quattro race cars, although the A1, A2 and Sport Quattro were formidable cars for their rivals, the crowning glory of Audi's rally efforts was the Sport Quattro S1 E2.
Possessing a 2.1 liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine that produced 470 hp, the S1 E2 was a true monster, an outgrowth of the legendary Group B rally, which managed to extol the art of rallying to new level. As if this were not enough, the madmen “boosted” their charge to 600 hp. Probably a sign from above was the Group B ban, which did not allow this rally heavyweight to enter the competition.
Auto Union Type C/D Hill Climb and Type C Streamliner
In the mid-30s of the XX century, Auto Union(which included) ran a successful Grand Prix program in which Type A, B, C and D racing cars competed. What made these cars unusual for that time was their mid-mounted engine. Cars Type A, B and C came with a 16-cylinder engine, Type D had a more modest 12-cylinder block.
Of the total number of unusual Auto Unions, two special Auto Union Type cars stand out. First of all, it was a fully faired model. Built on the Type C, the Streamliner was designed to receive maximum benefit from 560 strong engine Type C. While testing the car for the Grand Prix on the Autobahn (yes, you read that right, we didn’t bother with safety back then, we set speed records, right on the roads common use), Streamliner reached 400 km/h, and this was in 1937!
IN next year the same crazy engineers decided to build a racing Type D with an engine from a Type C for hill-climbing racing. To make sure all the gigantic power went to the asphalt, the car was equipped with a set of dual tires, which were installed on each side at the rear of the car.
Chaparral 2J
In the wild world of Can-Am racing, Chaparral has redefined the standard approach to gain an advantage over all competitors. On previous models The company's racing cars used massive aerodynamic wings for this, but later the engineers decided to have a lot of fun. Chaparral came up with an ingenious way to obtain optimal downforce, regardless of the speed at which it was moving new car 2J. It “stuck” to the canvas using a vacuum.
Two fans were installed in the rear of the car, they were driven by the snowmobile engine, and sucked air from under the bottom of the car. The skirts along the sides of the car were always located one inch from the ground thanks to the special suspension design. The 2J actually had some decent downforce. In this it beat many of its competitors, but the 2J was terribly unreliable and was subsequently banned from racing for one year.
Ford GT40
The history of racing is constantly evolving, and at every stage of development we can see our superheroes among the cars. Some we will probably never forget. Became one of them. The supercar was conceived after unsuccessful attempt Ford buy Ferrari. The GT40 was built to knock Ferrari out of their own game - endurance racing. By 1966 the goal was achieved, the GT40 finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. The GT40 will win for the next three years.
Four different versions of the GT40 were made: Mark I, II, III and IV. The Mark I used Ford's 4.9-liter V8, while the Mark II, III and IV featured the larger 7.0-liter V8. To this day, appearance The GT40 is one of the most recognizable in motorsport history.
Lancia Stratos HF
In the 1970s, Lancia began a partnership with Bertone to create a new rally car. To get maximum traction to the rear wheels, Lancia decided to use an exotic layout with a centrally mounted engine. At the heart of the Stratos HF was a 2.4-liter V6 borrowed from the Ferrari Dino.
More like a rally car than a rally car, the Stratos HF proved to be very successful in rally racing. He won the championship World Rally 1974, 1975 and 1976. Although another Lancia enjoyed even more rally success ten years later, it did not have the same visual impact that the Stratos HF was able to achieve.
Mazda 787B
Over the years, many cars have achieved Le Mans podium finishes and only a few have been able to do so more than once. So what makes the 787B so special? This is a classic story of an underdog becoming a winner. First of all, the 787B is the only Japanese car ever winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To this day, much more powerful Japanese manufacturers, such as Toyota, Nissan or Honda were never able to repeat this feat.
Secondly, the Mazda 787B is the only car, who won Le Mans. The four-rotor engine turned out to be not only an excellent instrument of victory, but also sounded like a heavenly harp. The 787B was not the fastest car at Le Mans, but it won thanks to its reliability and excellent fuel consumption, it was economical. Yes, I owed my victory to reliability and efficiency; power in racing cars is not the main thing.
McLaren MP4/4
1988 saw the formation of perhaps the best racing duo in Formula 1 history. This was the year that Iron Senna joined Alain Prost in the team. In the same year Honda became an engine supplier for McLaren, installing a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine in the new McLaren MP4/4.
To say that McLaren dominated the 1988 season would be an understatement. Of the 16 races that took place that year, McLaren took 15 pole positions and won 15 races! Senna, Prost and McLaren newcomer Gerhard Berger would continue their winning runs over the next few years. But none of the Marlboro-painted cars that followed the M4/4 would be as dominant in racing.
Porsche 917
Porsche 917 unusual car, after all, he achieved success in two. The 917 was originally designed for endurance racing and competed in many races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 917 continued its success by winning the legendary race in 1970 and 1971, but 1972 was the year for the racing car an unpleasant surprise, the Le Mans rules changed, which automatically made the 917 obsolete.
Instead of throwing the car into the backyard racing history, Porsche is turning its attention to the Can-Am racing series. By adding a turbocharger to its big V12, the 917 produced around 850 hp. and surprisingly won the new championship in 1972. In 1973 the engine was enlarged and the 917 could now produce 1,500 hp. The car completely dominated the next season, but a change in Can-Am rules in 1974 once again marked the Porsche 917's place in racing history.
But in the memory of fans, he did not move to a landfill; on the contrary, he went to the museum of glory. Many consider the 1973 Porsche 917 to be the most powerful racing car ever built.
Suzuki Escudo Dirt Trail
Pike Peak International competition Hill Climb- an amazing thing. There are essentially no holds barred in Pike Peak hill racing, and competitors can compete against each other however they please. The competition allows drivers, engineers and manufacturers to reach the limits automotive technology and technology. From 1992 to 2011, the mountain climb was dominated by Nobuhiro "Monster" Taima, who won the tournament nine times, including six in a row, from 2004 to 2011.
Conceived as an idea in 1995. The car was named Suzuki Escudo Dirt Trail, the car became the owner of two turbocharged 2.5-liter V6 engines - one installed in the front, the other in the rear of the car. Total power - 981 hp. The power went to all four wheels. , created every downforce known to man, the Escudo was a monster made to control a monster. He may not be the fastest car to ever storm the hill, but he is simply one of the craziest stormtroopers.
Cementing the legacy was the inclusion of the Suzuki Escudo Dirt Trail into the Gran Turismo franchise.
Tyrrell P34
How to get more grip while racing? It's very simple to add wheels. Along with the huge size rear wheels, main hallmark Tyrrell P34 steel four small front wheels. This move, strange at first glance, was not only able to reduce drag and increase the front contact patch, but also made it possible to “acquire” additional braking force.
Prepared for the 1976 racing season, the six-wheeled mutant proved its racing competence with 10 podium finishes. He even won the Swedish Grand Prix that year with Tyrrell's impressive 1st and 2nd place finishes. The car went into sharp decline in 1977, and advances in aerodynamics made the six-wheel design redundant from the 1978 season onwards.
The Tyrrell's trademark six wheels made it one of the most recognizable cars in motorsport, but it did not make it the most successful.
Since its inception, car racing has attracted hordes of fans around the world. There are not so many of those who did not limit themselves to contemplation and became professional racing drivers - a thin school notebook with a dozen sheets is enough to list them. They completely quenched their thirst high speeds and strong overloads in competitions, while the rest could only lick their lips. But among them there were also enthusiasts who were ready to spend some of their time, money and effort on creating their own fast car. Thus, the salt lakes of California served as a testing ground for fans of high speeds almost a hundred years ago. As we described in the article, by the middle of the last century this phenomenon had become so widespread that its scale could be compared with professional motorsport. Flights of fancy when building machines were often not limited even common sense, but today we will talk about the other side of this tuning - copies of racing cars or replicas.
Why is this necessary?
There are several reasons for the appearance of replica racing cars. The main one is the desire to touch motorsport and keep for yourself the most important part of it - the car. For example, among football fans, the ball and the uniform of the players who played their triumphant match are valuable; in hockey, such attributes are sticks and helmets. But if there are serious battles for equipment at auctions, then buy real car almost impossible. At least for reasonable money. But creating a copy of such a car is possible even in your own garage.
Such machines are also prepared for participation in exhibitions and filming. In this case, budgets sometimes allow the use of genuine copies, but difficulties in finding them push customers to make copies. Finally, this type of tuning is less common than others, thanks to which replicas attract much more attention than their counterparts in “regular” tuning.
Who are we copying?
We are, of course, not talking about recreating Formula cars or sports prototypes, since serial models they have practically nothing in common. Consequently, the production of such a replica will require many times larger budgets and labor costs.
The “mainstream” of this tuning is the “body” classes of circuit and rally disciplines - WRC, WTCC and the like, as well as “charged” versions and limited editions popular models. The most common example is making the BMW 520i look and drive like an M5, and Subaru WRX modified in the manner of Petter Solberg's rally car. If you're a fan of the 9,000 rpm redline and your Honda Civic devoid of red badges, you'll probably want to turn it into a Type R. As with any style of tuning, there are no clear regulations here, but we will only consider those typical examples when the final project resembles its prototype as a whole, and not in individual elements.
Where do they meet?
Final view and specifications replicas primarily depend on the goals that are set for them. If the project is destined to attend exhibitions, there is no need to interfere with technical aspects, keeping the main units in their original specifications with corresponding changes in the exterior and interior. Urban operation of the “artificial race” will require maintaining the functionality of the interior and the presence of comfort elements in it. In this case, the equipment is modified in accordance with the wishes and budgets of the owner. Finally, the replica can “punch” on the tracks, in no way inferior to the original cars, attacking apexes and soaring into the air on the crest of springboards. But the preparation of such a machine affects almost every element, with an eye to the regulations of the sports discipline in which it is being prepared to participate. Below we will take a closer look at the main techniques used to create such machines.
Technical side of the issue
As we said above, the “technical equipment” is completely dictated by the scope of use of the car. In the case of rally and racing cars, everything is decided by the class regulations, which allow very specific changes not only to the engine and transmission, but also to all other components - from brake pads and tires to the thickness of the stabilizers lateral stability. There can be no talk of complete coincidence with the prototype here, since technical requirements change annually. One thing is constant: the car is also focused on the minimum time to cover a given distance with maximum safety for the pilot. For this reason, all such cars are equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system, and under the hood there is an automatic fire extinguishing system on duty.
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It follows that a city or exhibition replica can be even faster and more powerful than the real thing - there are no restrictions! But even “vegetable” copies, with full external correspondence to the original, must have “adult” brakes, suspension adjusted to the required ground clearance and sports tires. Otherwise, the replacement can be recognized without even lifting the hood.
Outside
Unlike, the concept of which requires complete preservation of the standard appearance, a modified exterior is a mandatory attribute of any racing replica. Depending on which car and with what accuracy it is necessary to copy, the scope of changes also differs. The most simple circuit– when the “race” body differs only in a couple of elements: for example, air intakes and spoilers. In this case, you can limit yourself to changing the existing external parts without having to replace them.
It's a different matter when body expansion is required. So, to turn the BMW E30 Coupe into an M3 Evo version, you need to redraw the entire back body, replace almost all the elements at the front and install hubs with five-bolt wheel fastenings instead of the standard “four to one hundred”. Fortunately, some companies have already launched the production of appropriate fiberglass parts, thanks to which tuners are spared the search for rare lots and save considerable sums.
It's even more difficult when it comes to building a replica racing car. Indeed, on many of them, the wheels are secured with a central nut, the windows are replaced with lightweight polycarbonate ones without the possibility of lowering, and it is difficult to make copies of some parts. Thus, the exterior, being the “cover” of the replica, is often the most difficult stage of construction.
Speed has long attracted people and forced them not to stop there. A little over a hundred years ago, racing at a speed of 30 km/h was called madness by racers, but today's racing cars easily reach 10 times higher speeds and even reach the mark of 400 km/h! Of course, such cars are quite difficult to acquire - most racing equipment is only available richest people peace. Some cars were created in single quantities, which is a reason for special pride for their owners. Which racing cars of our time are considered the best? We will try to answer this question by compiling a rating based on speed.
The Swedish hypercar is a representative of the old school, so there is no smell of electric motors here. Its main advantage is an eight-cylinder turbocharged five-liter power unit, running on E85 bioethanol and capable of developing a fantastic 1360 “horses”. If we compare this figure with the weight of the car (1390 kg), we get approximately 1 d.s. per kilogram. This figure was achieved by maximizing the weight reduction of the car - even the wheel rims were made of carbon fiber.
The car is a record holder in various disciplines. For example, in exercise 0-400-0, which is available to a very small number of vehicles, because for this you first need to join the “400 club”. Nevertheless, Agera managed to show 36.45 seconds in this discipline, improving Bugatti Chiron by more than 5 seconds – an outstanding achievement!
Further more. In tests carried out on US Highway 160, the hypercar first showed 437 km/h in two runs, and 457 on the way back. According to the rules, the resulting value is the arithmetic average of these runs (carried out to level out the influence of the wind), so now current official speed record for serial sports car is 447 km/h. The Scandinavian hypercar accelerates to hundreds in 2.8 seconds, and its cost is 1.5 million dollars.
- Lamborghini Miura;
- Mercedes 300SL;
- Ferrari Testarossa;
- Jaguar XK 200.
Each of the named racing cars of previous years has a historical value that modern supercars will only have in a few decades. In addition, it is also impossible to call them the fastest, since there are faster ones in the world. vehicles, on which official speed records were set. Therefore, while modern racing cars are expensive toys, intended for rare trips to the track.
Sports cars in photos and in reality
Sports cars whose photos we see in magazines, on calendars, on the Internet are beautiful, bright and super powerful cars. Every self-respecting man has dreamed of buying such a car someday since childhood. But over time, most people understand that such cars are clearly not for our roads.
It is worth distinguishing between sports and racing cars. The former, unlike the latter, can ride on city roads. Racing cars are highly specialized cars.
Sports cars, photos of which tickle our nerves, are beauty, sophistication of design, comfortable interior and enviable power under the hood. It cannot be said that sports cars are in great demand today. This product has always been and will always be very specific. Not everyone can afford to buy a Hennessey Venom GTV, McLaren P1, GTA Spano, Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach or Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. As for further maintenance, there is no need to say anything. This machine is not intended for transporting goods or family trip with kids. This car was created for those who like to take risks and emphasize everything possible ways your status. Sports car- for active, bright and self-confident people.
Racing cars and their bright photos There is no person who does not know what Formula 1 is. But true fans of this competition also know each pilot by name, the characteristics of their cars and even the names of the technicians who folded the cars. The racing cars in the photo from the new race are super-powerful and super-fast cars that are intended purely for competition.
The racing cars in the photos and videos amaze with their acceleration speed. They are capable of reaching a speed of 100 km/h in 2 seconds. Do you want to push even more, 300 km/h on the track? This is possible with the KTM X-Bow, Caterham 7 Superlicht R500, Radical SR3 SL. These are examples of the best cars that showed the highest results in races in maneuverability, speed, reliability, lightness and at the same time the inability to fly off the track. Racing cars are always very bright and beautiful in appearance. They differ not only in quantity Horse power under the hood, but also endurance and, of course, market price. The most extreme racing car made in England is called the Caparo T1. It has 575 horses under the hood, hits a hundred in 2.5 seconds, weighs 550 kg and costs $480 thousand today.
Models of racing cars that conquered Formula 1
You will not find so many millions of American dollars that alternately cut circles on the Formula 1 tracks anywhere else. The cars that went down in the history of the competition are today worth a fortune even after they have left the track. And all because some models of racing cars turned out to be so successful that it is impossible to come up with anything better. For example, the legendary McLaren M23, which became the champion of this race 16 times, Lotus 72 - 20 victories, Ferrari 500 - 14 victories, Williams FW11/FW11B - 18 victories and, of course, Red Bull RB6” which won 9 victories in 2011, 12 in 2012, and took first place 13 times in 2013. The pilots of these cars never knew what defeat or running off the track meant; they confidently marched towards their victory. Such models of racing cars have gone down in history forever, simply because they have become an example of absolutely perfect automobile manufacturing throughout the history of not only Formula 1, but also the automobile industry in general. Today, these model racing cars are passed from auction to auction, each time with a more outrageous price tag. Some of them sold like expensive antiques this year for $2-2.5 million.
Racing cars are not cars for weak-willed drivers.
Racing cars are an absolutely unique class of the automotive industry, which is prohibited from being used for public purposes, in the flow of regular traffic. Racing cars are initially designed and then built for a specific type of competition, taking into account the characteristics of the track and the rules of the competition.
Racing cars should not be confused with sports cars, as their construction methods differ significantly. Road racing cars are assembled using individual parts different manufacturers, and the emphasis is on power and agility. Sports cars, for the most part, are made from start to finish under one brand.
The racing cars used in Formula 1 are called race cars. They represent the original type of cars that engineers assemble for a specific driver and for the upcoming track. Fireballs annually represent a complex of the most advanced and innovative developments in the automotive industry. Racing cars very often become examples for introducing innovations into the production of ordinary passenger cars.
Racing car
a single-seater (monoposto) car intended for participation in automobile racing, including for setting speed records (record racing and super-fast cars - “bolides”).
Foreign companies began to build gas stations. after 1900. Classification and technical requirements for gas a. are regulated by the rules of the International Sports Code, adopted in 1962, and its annexes developed by the sports commission of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
By engine displacement (l) and dead weight (kg) G. a. are divided into groups ≈ racing formulas: 1 (up to 3 l, not less than 500 kg), 2 (up to 1.6 l, not less than 450 kg), 3 (up to 1 l, not less than 400 kg). Formula 4 is also used (motorcycle engine up to 250 cm3), which is not officially approved by the FIA. Record-G. A. With gas turbine engines allocated to a separate class. Best engines G. a. Formula 1 engines have a liter power of up to 110 kW/l (150 hp/l) at 12,000 rpm and a compression ratio of 11≈12 and a 4-valve design that ensures engine speed with better cylinder filling. On all G. a. formulas 1 and 2 use direct fuel injection devices. As a rule, G. a. have multi-stage (five-speed) transmissions. Clutches are usually double-disc. Disc brakes, ventilated; the width of the wheel rims and tires is wider than conventional ones passenger cars(more than 400 mm). G. a. are produced in the USSR. formula 4 of the Tallinn Automobile Repair Plant, sports cars ZIL-112S, record racing cars “Kharkov-7” and gas turbine cars “Pioneer”.
The most famous for the construction of hydrocarbons. are foreign companies Lotus (Great Britain), Porsche (Germany), Ford, Italian. Ferrari plant, etc.
The absolute world speed record on land was set on October 23, 1970 by G. Gabelich (USA) at rocket car"Blue Flame" ≈1014, 294 km/h. The absolute world speed record for a car belongs to R. Summers (USA) ≈ 658.5 km/h (1965).
Lit.: Bekman V.V., Racing cars, 2nd ed., Leningrad, 1967.
V. I. Martyuk.
Wikipedia
Racing car
Racing car- cars designed and built specifically for automobile competitions - both for mass racing and for setting speed records. Unlike serial road cars sports cars, racing ones have the most lightweight body, which lacks many important nodes management and security. These vehicles are generally not allowed on public roads.
Racing cars, unlike ordinary production passenger cars, are not created for transporting passengers, but for competitions, to find out technical capabilities car and its driving.
Participation in racing requires such cars to have high speed and aerodynamic characteristics. Racing cars have more power engine, light weight, respectively, they can quickly accelerate and reach high speeds, as well as confidently take turns.
Racing cars are produced as sports departments large auto manufacturing concerns (such as AMG Daimler-Benz concern), and small private companies created to build a single model. As a rule, such companies design only the car body and some of its components, and the most important and difficult to produce part - the engine - is supplied to them by large auto manufacturing companies.
