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I like the second iteration much better. The nose looks more supercar-ish to me, and the back looks less like a tonneau cover.

As for the "spine", I'm not sure how you figured a Miata has that, but it does work. Lotus Europa and TVR Chimera are a couple cars that used that design, I'm sure there's lots of others.

http://www.banks-europa.co.uk/customers ... age011.jpg

http://faimg1.forum-auto.com/mesimages/ ... ouglas.jpg


Although to me, it makes more sense to make a full tube frame than to constrain yourself to a narrow center tunnel. You can still keep the body separate with a full tube frame.

Even so, separate body and chassis is redundant and extra weight. If you're able to design a monocoque shell/chassis in one piece, that's the best design. Not within the realm of most homebuilders though.

I have the same idea of using an existing platform to build a mid engined supercar. V8 ford with porsche transaxle and the pontiac g6 coupe for the body. There are several cars out there that look like they should have been mid engined. The use of an existing body is quite helpful whe the wipers heat and ac as well as all the controls allready exist. My last car was the test idea, the next one will be insane.

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Firebat, thanks for the pics, and Egoman, I can't wait to see your next build. Since you started the last one, I have been trying to get my friend to chop up his Eagle Vision, but living in the ghetto in Philly, nobody has any damn imagination.

Thus far, I have been drawing the car trying to get a certain asthetic. I am normally a function before form kind of guy, but starting with a frame before, and trying to draw a body on it, I end up with crap. This time I wanted to make something beautiful, and then make it work. I suspect that Ferarri (modern, not Enzo era) works the same way. I could be wrong and just underestimate their ability to make some that functions look beautiful, or maybe underestimating the beauty of function.

That said, I am looking at how this will all work now now that I have a body I like. I think my front wheels are too far back, they collide with the firewall. In fairness I dont actually know how acurate the model I started with was, but I dont think the firewall was square in my old FC. The Aerodynamic advice given on the last page is fantastic. I really need to learn more about Aero, any advice on what book to get? Thus far its all frame and suspension books on my bookshelf (some would call it a toilet tank). What if all the air in the front of the car were channeled down the center tunnel with a flat bottom, and then forced to exit in the overhang area behind the cockpit? Would that balance the pressure? I had give thought to spoilers, I just cant think of what would look good on the shape I have now.

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Save gas, date smaller women.

The book I started with for aero is "Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed" by Joseph Katz. Its fairly accessible and easy to understand as a primer. It does include some of the basic math (if you're interested), but there's plenty of good background information that doesn't require the formulas to get a basic understanding of the principles.

For actual aero modeling, I'd look to a deeper book for advanced topics and an automated tool for experimentation.

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.. in the world

I put that on my Amazon wish list, It will be the next one I read. Thanks again erioshi.

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Save gas, date smaller women.