Vodafone McLaren MP4-27 Mercedes

[bonjon1979]

Here the rear cooling is quite visible and quite low.

Rear packaging looks quite efficient (single point), though not quite FW34esque with ultra low gearbox and acutely angled drive shafts.

sAx

Wow compare with last years rear at release and you see how massively different it is. Look how much lower the air fed through the sidepods is, it's like it's on top of the diffuser, do you think they're trying to use hot air from there to power the diffuser?

[myurr]

Something odd about that exhaust. It doesn't look legal.

So if that is their secret weapon, why not use a conventional exhaust pipe popping of smooth bodywork and then only show the secret one with bulges at the test?

Unless that's been put there as a distraction? I just hope for their sake that its not a repeat of the octopus.

Yeah i guess this is what Ross Brawn meant that under the current rules it is still not impossible to blow the difuser .. I would agree as the exhaust pipe on the mclaren could be directed towards the diffuser or for that matter any team could place their exhaust somewhere close to where mclaren have placed theirs and point it in the direction of the diffuser.. It may not give you the optimum downforce levels of last year but its better than blowing the rear wing

I wonder if this is also why McLaren haven't bent over backwards to slavishly copy the really tight Red Bull packaging. Could it be that the entire rear of the car is very carefully shaped so that the airflow from the exhaust finds its way to exactly the right point? They certainly have a very smooth curve from the front to the back of the sidepods, rather than the more abrupt tightening favoured by Red Bull.

Edit: Could also be shaped for under body airflow so that they can put an energised stream of hot air out the back over the top of the diffuser.

Interesting that they've been able to raise the crash structure off the floor and still bend the beam wing over the top. Best of both worlds?

[CHT]

the nose joint section has been push back quite alot, which mean the "275" red marking is now further back.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Here the rear cooling is quite visible and quite low.

Rear packaging looks quite efficient (single point), though not quite FW34esque with ultra low gearbox and acutely angled drive shafts.

sAx

Wow compare with last years rear at release and you see how massively different it is. Look how much lower the air fed through the sidepods is, it's like it's on top of the diffuser, do you think they're trying to use hot air from there to power the diffuser?

Yes they're definitely trying to use the air to help recover some of the lost downforce. I suspect most of the cars will have a similar almost exact solution.

[horse]

Yes they're definitely trying to use the air to help recover some of the lost downforce. I suspect most of the cars will have a similar almost exact solution

Things is, though, it will be so low powered and turbulent that it is hard to believe it will be better for the diffuser than a clean external air flow. Perhaps the idea is to clear a nice path to the beam wing?

[Gaara]

If you've missed the event, there's a video here.

[wesley123]

Okay my first view;

The car looks really fat, although the bodywork suggest they put a lot of work in internal aerodynamics the car body seems to fat and can be tightened a lot over the season, possibly to extend development life? The MP4-25 had a decent life, the 26 had a really short life, barely any new parts.

I honestly doubt, as a mclaren fan, that this car is going to give them a title, and I doubt they'd come close to having a chance.

The diffuser though gives me the idea they are hiding something there, looking forward to see what.

[WhiteBlue]

Good looking car. I agree that the exhausts may need some changes. The last 100 mm should be straight. It is not clear if that was respected.

[ell66]

Okay my first view;

The car looks really fat, although the bodywork suggest they put a lot of work in internal aerodynamics the car body seems to fat and can be tightened a lot over the season, possibly to extend development life? The MP4-25 had a decent life, the 26 had a really short life, barely any new parts.

I honestly doubt, as a mclaren fan, that this car is going to give them a title, and I doubt they'd come close to having a chance.

The diffuser though gives me the idea they are hiding something there, looking forward to see what.

That makes no sense what so ever, there not gonna make a "fat" car just so they can extend there developments, for all we know it may change drastically before the races start, even if it doesn't i think its packaged very well in general.
And the 26 was developed very well actually, probably better than the 25, just because we dont see or notice updates on the surface doesnt mean there's not a lot going on.

[sAx]

Okay my first view;

The car looks really fat, although the bodywork suggest they put a lot of work in internal aerodynamics the car body seems to fat and can be tightened a lot over the season, possibly to extend development life? The MP4-25 had a decent life, the 26 had a really short life, barely any new parts.

I honestly doubt, as a mclaren fan, that this car is going to give them a title, and I doubt they'd come close to having a chance.

The diffuser though gives me the idea they are hiding something there, looking forward to see what.

Early days. Sure Tim Goss and the design team have confidence in their approach and level of analysis. For sure it will not look too good if the Caterham crocodile appears quicker off the mark than the McLaren shark!

sAx

[Richard]

Judging by the gain in performance of the 26 against RB7, it would seem that the 26 gained a lot during the season. That development race to the end of season would normally indicate the team thought the development was worthwhile because it could run over into the next car. There's not really much evidence of that is there?

However, our attention is focussed on the lack of U pod on the 27. It is likely the 26 developments occurred under the skin, and also the floor - we've no way of telling if those developments have been carried over to the 27.

[KeiKo403]

Why is everyone saying about the 1 air intake. There is another below it and further back. Looks like the driver will sit lower so there helmets won't block it either. Look at the launch picks and you can see a wire mesh covering another inlet.

Look at the photo on page 2 and you'll see what I mean.

[AbbaleRacing77]

It looks like the mp4-27 has tons of inherent rake and the exhausts are intended to seal the sides of the diffusor.

[myurr]

Why is everyone saying about the 1 air intake. There is another below it and further back. Looks like the driver will sit lower so there helmets won't block it either. Look at the launch picks and you can see a wire mesh covering another inlet.

Look at the photo on page 2 and you'll see what I mean.

That small inlet above the head rest / under the snorkel was there last year as well, but there was also another one for the oil cooler on top of the snorkel. That one has been removed.

[mclaren777]

The MP4-27 definitely has tighter rear bodywork.

http://www.maximum-attack.com/MP4rear.gif