Race car characteristics
Race cars are very different than the road cars. They are especially built or modified to fit a specific criteria according to a car club, competition or organization the driver joined.
Each motorsport has its own car admission rules, and depending on the competition the car participates in, the cars will look a lot different. For example, the Formula 1 cars look very different compared to the cars competing in NASCAR.
Each car is unique in its own way and the modifications are sometimes based on the taste of the driver, but most of the times the modifications will need to be made in order to participate in certain competitions. There are some common modifications being made to one’s car in order to comply with the competition or the car club regulations. The purpose of any modification is to make the car look or perform better, or both.
The cars competing in some racing events are required to have a minimum weight and thus have their interior taken out to respect the strict set of regulations. The very minimum is kept, like the driver’s seat, the steering wheel, the gauges on the dashboard, the transmission and the accelerator. There is no audio system, no air conditioning, no luxury, just the strictly necessary plus safety which is paramount. To fix the weight, heavy bags of ballast are added and this has a particular advantage because the owner has full control over the weight distribution.
Other characteristics of the race cars include the engine performance which is greatly improved. For example, the engine modification consists of making changes either in the software or the hardware. Also, suspension tuning is a common practice. The springs, the shock absorbers, the swaybars and other suspension related parts of the car are modified.
The tires are very important for the car’s performance, therefore they are being replaced periodically, and to match the weather conditions. One difference of the tires between a race car and a road car is that the tires last a lot less in the race cars, being designed to have a life of about 120 km and are made of a polymer compound that contains a dual layer of carbon, while road cars tires are made of natural and/or synthetic rubber.
Safety measures are an obligated standard in any competition and are different from class to class. Depending on the competition, the cars are required to have roll cages installed, seat harnesses or even fire extinguishers.
Race Cars Design and Appearance
Race cars have their body changed by having added or modified the spoilers and other body parts to improve the aerodynamic performance and the look. The aesthetic modifications are often made to improve the appearance, but very often the added body parts add weight to the car and its performance is lowered.
Other look modifications include reducing the height of the car only to change the appearance, and replacing the mirrors with plastic made mirrors which are lighter than the normal ones.
The body of the car may be painted in any color and style the driver or the team likes, but sometimes this aspect is not as important as the performance of the car.
Top 10 Most Beautiful and Strong cars In The World
1. Ferrari 250 GTO
Officially, the most expensive car in the world with a $52M price tag, the Ferrari 250 GTO is owned by Paul Pappalardo. Its specs are: top speed 280 kph, 0-100 kph is 6.1 sec, engine power 302 bhp and torque 294Nm at 5500 rpm.
2. Porche 919 Hybrid
The most complex racing car Porche has ever developed won the LMP1 competitions in 2015. It has a maximum horsepower of 900 hp and its 0-100 kph is 2.2 sec.
3. Ford Shelby GT350R-C Mustang Race Car
This race car made its debut in 2015 IMSA’s qualifying sessions. The car’s results were an impressive 2 minute lap time. The cost of the car is $110 000 and its specifications are: top speed is 285 kph, 0-100 kph is 3.9 sec, the engine power is 533 bhp and torque 582 Nm at 4750 rpm.
4. Abarth 124 Rally
The $50000 race car looks very nice and will compete in the 124 Rally in 2017. Its top speed is 230 kph, 0-100 kph is 6.8 sec, the engine power is 172 bhp and torque 250 Nm.
5. Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R
Built in 2015 to comply with all FIA rules, it has a superb design and a powerful V-8 engine. It reaches 200 mph with a 0-100 kph time of 3.5 sec and an engine power of 600 hp.
6. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
Bugatti Veyron’s price is $ 2.8M and it is owned by Cristiano Ronaldo and other high profile people like Flo Rida and Lil’Wayne. Its top speed reaches 431 kph, with a 0-100 kph of 2.5 seconds, the engine power of 1200 bhp and torque 1500 Nm at 2200 rpm.
7. Acura NSX GT3 Race Car
Its price is expected to be somewhere around $168,400. It has an engine power of 500 hp and torque 406 lb-feet of torque.
8. Ferrari Enzo
The beautiful rare Ferrari Enzo is owned by high profile people like Pharrell Williams and Nicholas Cage, and it has a $1M price tag. Its top speed reaches 350 kph, 0-100 kph in 3.65 sec, power 650 bhp and 657 Nm torque at 5500 rpm.
9. Lamborghini Murcielago
The $500K price tag car is owned by 50 Cent, and its specs are: top speed 340 kph with a 0-100 kph of 3.4 sec, the engine power is 640 bhp and torque 660 Nm at 6000 rpm.
10. Maybach Exelero
This rare car is owned by Jay Z and it is sold for $8M. The top speed is 351 kph, 0-100 kph is 4.4 sec, with an engine power of 700 bhp and 1022 Nm torque.