914Racer

pic?

jdm_AE86

descartesfool

It's instructive to look at the current cage design on the latest incarnation of the world's most popular race car: the new 2014 Porsche GT3 Cup car, run the world over. Interesting to see how they do it, as Cup cars in various guises run in the USA in IMSA GT3 Cup, ALMS, Grand-AM, World Challenge, etc, and multiple series around the planet, from LeMans to club racing. Porsche is the world's largest manufacturer of race cars. So you might assume they have built more roll cages than anyone else.

miamirice

2 things call my attention:

1. Does the rear end plates bolt down?

2. It's a little disturbing that beside the driver, the cage is at the level of your hips and next to your body theirs nothing above? I find that really odd. There are so many scenarios you can imagine where there is nothing between object and driver torso except door.

Ev

Funny how in picture 7, the upper door bar has that infamous S bend before it connects to the main hoop...

914Racer

That is a different cage than Porsche has typically used. All of the original GT3 race cars had the cage installed at the factory before the roof was welded on, this cage looks like something different.

2006 Cup Car


2009 Cup Car

http://www.cartype.com/pages/4062/po...up_coupe__2009



I think they are taking the street car roll bar and adding on the front cage portion. It would be interesting to research it some more. Porsche engineers may have decided there is enough side protection in the factory doors and a-pillars that they could get away with the Sbend. The Porsche 997 is designed to a much higher standard than our rice boxes. So the chassis stiffness, the modern crash structure, etc is all much better than on a mid 90s Integra or Civic. The GT3 Cup car is produced on the same line as the regular street 997 so there isn't a huge difference in the chassis structure. Its a good way for Porsche to produce a race car that they can sell ready to compete.

SHG_EasyE

The cup cars have hollow fiberglass/carbon doors, doubt there's much protection there. Like I said before I don't take a design as being the best or safest just because its homogolated or used by a manufacturer. Like the FIA rules, there are certain aspects that I just don't agree with, and I feel the same way about those cup car door bars. Looking at a 2005 spec cup car up close I wasn't impressed with the design or quality of fabrication in the cage.

miamirice

No doubt on the build difference. When I got my civic I could not believe how I could feel the floor flex when I climb in. I would think in the interest of weight the cup car doors would be flimsy shells, but I am speculating, those cars are way over my pay grade.

Billy Elliot

Plenty of the FIA homoligated cages are all built to the bare minimums for force applied to the cages.

I've seen pictures of plenty of FIA spec cages that the bars straight up crack in half because the walls are so thin. It's actually some scary stuff!

descartesfool