Vodafone McLaren MP4-27 Mercedes

[Pup]

Being able to see the cars evolve from scratch is almost worth the hideous proportions under the current formula.

Almost.

[RB7ate9]

[Comparison image]

Being able to see the cars evolve from scratch is almost worth the hideous proportions under the current formula.

Question: perhaps you can present some guess as to the point of the extension behind the snow-plow?

To me, the philosophy of this design is reminiscent of the noses found on the 2009-2010 Renaults. If that's the case, it's essentially a front-end diffuser.

It would be really nice to get the full comparison of the current evolution of cars from 2009 to 2013/14 fro all the teams, particularly the midfield, as they try to find different ideas to gain speed (i.e. Brawn - MGP).

As for the "ride height sensor" I figured as much. Future photos should better illuminate that area, as right now it's hard to tell if the snow-plow has a duct or appears like a large splitter down the center at the start of it.

[bhall]

Oh. I didn't realize you were referring to that extension, which I agree is likely a ride height sensor. My response was based on the parallel elements under the nose, directly behind the "snow plow."

[RB7ate9]

Oh. I didn't realize you were referring to that extension, which I agree is likely a ride height sensor. My response was based on the parallel elements under the nose, directly behind the "snow plow."

After looking around at the other cars from previous years, I concede the ride height sensor.

[ParanoiD]

just my $0.02

This car is so reflective and shiny that it scramble vision from certain angle for bad quality photo, for high quality photo, it is much better define.

[FrukostScones]

What? No jump jet? Now I'm grumpy. But it looks nice, for a Red Bull it would look bulky, but for a McLaren it looks pretty sleek. The illegal tech must be under the skin. It will be fast! Maybe not as fast as the Ferrari jump jet, but we will see.
And to all the F1 cars are fugly guys, go away or open the ugly F1 cars yong yang thread. F1 is not about menacingly looking supercars.

[bhall]

[...]I concede the ride height sensor.

Rather a ride height and/or wheel slip sensor. They've been discussed at length around here, but I my memory is fuzzy.

[Tamburello]

What's the reasoning for the regulations which make for narrow stance cars?

[Gridlock]

Seems very strange to me to have such a piece of equipment fitted on the car that you are using for official photos, surely it must unbolt fairly easily and I doubt they're short of spanners at the MTC. Was the car photographed by the press the same one on the stand at the unveiling? As per scarbs on twitter the photos were taken first, under embargo.

Its just a very un-McLaren thing to do, to get your car all lined up beautifully inside Woking but leave on a sensor package because, what, the launch is an inconvenience to the engineers?

[Earnard Beccelstone]

I fail to see why some people are getting so negative and worked up over the car, particularly as its never turned a wheel in anger.

I firmly believe that A) its very hard to judge the features on the car from the initial roll-out, B) like a good strip tease, its what you don't show that's the most important and, C) McLaren will inevitably evolve the car over the 50-odd days between now and the first race.

As for the looks, which I believe is really the only thing that we can judge at the moment, well, I quite like them. It wont go down as one of the most beautiful F1 cars of all time - with the current rules that's almost a physical impossibility - but its on par with the MP-22 and MP-23 and better than their last few efforts.

At the cursory, surface level examination, the car has lost the 'moose antler' sidepods and the more tightly packaged and resculpted rear has lost that lumpy, bumpy muscularity that the previous car had, particularly around the drivers head protection and underneath the air intake.

Sidepods appear more heavily undercut than efforts over the last few years as well.

The shots from the rear appear to show an incredibly smooth engine cover area trailing back to a moderately proportioned tail bone.

Despite the assertion that the car is an all-new, back-to-the drawing board design, I see elements of the -25 in the design, as well as some hold-overs from the -26, particularly in the rear-wing design.

All in all, at least it doesn't have the Caterham's nose.

[wunderkind]

All in all, at least it doesn't have the Caterham's nose.

Yup! That's good enough for me. I think many people genuinely expected something truly innovative and never-seen-before on the MP4-27. But there was none of it.

[bhall]

Racing cars shouldn't have big ratio between width and length, and some of the modern F1 cars like recent Mclarens and Ferraris are simply fugly.

What's so bad about a race car with a wheelbase longer than that of a Chevy Tahoe?

[cliffgamerz]

Where are the exhausts in this model created by mclaren? i cant find one.

http://www.mclaren.com/page/see-the-mp4 ... personal-1

[jamsbong]

Where are the exhausts in this model created by mclaren? i cant find one.

http://www.mclaren.com/page/see-the-mp4 ... personal-1

I think they have not included the exhaust exit on the 3D model (from the website). The photos do show exhaust exit in front of the rear suspension.

Looks like the McL have revert back to the 'normal' radiator duct setup with lots of room for airflow below the duct openings. This extra airflow helps with enhancing the diffuser to generate more ground effect downforce. It is what RedBull has been doing for a few years now.

Seems like CG is not the most important thing these days. instead, the focus is design for max downforce.

[jamsbong]

http://en.espnf1.com/mclaren/motorsport ... 69035.html

The images from ESPN gallery (#3) shows a section that sticks out for the exhaust. It looks as though they wanted to put the exhaust as for away from the body as possible. probably not worth using the exhaust gas for aero purpose with the new rules. Thus, get rid of it and have clean pure aero.