1/4 scale model feedback

[Best of the best]

oops...I meant I will run to the other direction.

[bbjones121]

I think the models will look pretty nice when they get some details to the other three. If they can make Nouphones design similar to the original submitted drawings as shown below, I think it will look very sleek and exotic as I think that Shawn's design is.

nouphone2.jpgnouphone3.jpg

[Grantourer]

I think the models will look pretty nice when they get some details to the other three. If they can make Nouphones design similar to the original submitted drawings as shown below, I think it will look very sleek and exotic as I think that Shawn's design is.

nouphone2.jpgnouphone3.jpg

Agreed, and a lighter color to better show the lines of Nouphones' design. I think its concept car hot, very svelte and modern.

[Best of the best]

I don't get this....Jim's design get a full sized scaled model AND! a 1/4 scaled! Yet, they still managed to make times to put details on his 1/4scaled model? They should of used that time & engery on the other three model for details so its fair. I think they are trying to push Jim's design and it's back firing. When I saw Nouphoone's design I was like...Yeeeeeaaah!! I'm opening up my wallet for this car! Now with the direction they are going...not feeling it and not going to get my money. My friends around the world was also excited about the winner(s) design!

[adesilva]

It has also been stated that we will more than likely be getting multiple bodies (for different purposes) so the fact that Jims design appears to be getting a bit more attention should not be a big deal in the long run.

Dave has also stated that he will not release anything if it does not have the HOF feeling for him. He has stated that it is not close to being done and he could start all over for all we know.

He has also stated that after sema it would appear that the other three models will get this sort of detail added to them so that we can really compare them. I am personally really looking forward to seeing some major detail added to the first place design because I feel it was extremely hard to see anything in the 1/4 scale model because it was black.

[05xtsy]

I don't think these models did any of these designs justice. For me, there is just too much going on with these models that makes them look too unrealistic and difficult to fall in love with. It's definitely not an easy job taking this from paper to pedal, so bravo to everyone for all the hard work, but at this point, none of these are designs that I would take apart my wrx to build... but that could change when we see the final product. Im still working on my own designs and have finished 3 of them that I already showed. I figure if factory five owns them, I can still, with more time, complete the project in a similar way with 3d and clay modeling, I don't want to post my progress where it doesn't belong, so if anyone is interested, pm me for more info.

[PHATsuby]

Personally I think those speedster and targa models are 100x better in terms of creating the reaction desired than what is currently offered. I would consider redesigning the chassis dimensions/gas tank placement if it will help create the emotion wanted. I understand that is likely a huge financial undertaking but I think it could be necessary to really get what you are after.

Ben

[kach22i]

I don't think these models did any of these designs justice. For me, there is just too much going on with these models that makes them look too unrealistic and difficult to fall in love with. It's definitely not an easy job taking this from paper to pedal, so bravo to everyone for all the hard work, but at this point, none of these are designs that I would take apart my wrx to build... but that could change when we see the final product. Im still working on my own designs and have finished 3 of them that I already showed. I figure if factory five owns them, I can still, with more time, complete the project in a similar way with 3d and clay modeling, I don't want to post my progress where it doesn't belong, so if anyone is interested, pm me for more info.

I understand your grief on this one. However recall some of the very first model images released. I'm thinking of the rear 3/4 view (two cars side by side) which fooled many of us into thinking they were fabricated full scale. Everyone, and I mean everyone went wild over these at first.

Better photos at angles people would see the real cars at are important, more important than even I want to admit to.

Be patient, I think your mood may change a little for the better.

[BipDBo]

One of the things that I was planning on doing was fill any open area between the body shell and cockpit with expanding foam. I figure that if I get caught in a crash that the foam may help absorb some of the energy. Other than that I was hoping that it would quiet the cockpit. ...

I have had the same thought. Polystyrene (styrofoam) is used often in bumpers. It has very low density and has a high modulus of toughness, meaning that it can absorb a lot of energy before it fails. It's also very cheap. If Factory 5 manufactured certain panels of the car with polystyrene under the fiberglass skin, they could potentially use less fiberglass for the skin and use less supporting structure. This would make the car safer, but it may actually make it a little bit lighter. It could also make the body panels a more consistent shape if they use the right method. In manufacturing windsurfing boards, they first machine a foam core from a solid, extruded blank. Then they layout the skins of the top and bottom of the board in carbon fiber and fiberglass into two female molds. While the resin is still wet in the molds, they sandwich the foam core between the two molds with a vacuum. The foam core holds the carbon fiber into the right shape while it finishes curing. Without a foam core, fiberglass tend to warp slightly after it is taken form the mold because it continues to cure for a week or more. In the application of car body panels, you would not have a 3 layer sandwich, but rather just one single layer of glass sealed to the foam. The obvious disadvantage to this process is that it has more steps and would be more labor intensive and therefore more costly. This process wouldn't be used for the entire body, though just the front and rear bumper panels, and possibly the doors, since they have no windows that roll into them. Beyond my hobby of backyard windsurf board building, this is not my area of expertise, but allow me to speculate on possible modifications to make this process cheaper. The machined foam core may be replace by a molded core if they can find a way to get a consistent enough foam molding process. An alternative method would be to lay out the fiberglass panel in a female mold as they always do, and before removing the panel from the mold, inject the panel with foam. If the foam can cure faster than the glass, than the panel can be removed from the mold sooner with less worry of deformation.

[BipDBo]

I don't get this....Jim's design get a full sized scaled model AND! a 1/4 scaled! Yet, they still managed to make times to put details on his 1/4scaled model? They should of used that time & engery on the other three model for details so its fair. I think they are trying to push Jim's design and it's back firing. When I saw Nouphoone's design I was like...Yeeeeeaaah!! I'm opening up my wallet for this car! Now with the direction they are going...not feeling it and not going to get my money. My friends around the world was also excited about the winner(s) design!

We now know that many of the entries don't exactly adhere to the contest guidelines. The Olmos car , for example, is 12" wider than it should be. Jim's car was designed to take some cues from the popular entries (mostly Xabiers) and meld them into one, while making sure that it would fit into constraints not just of the guidelines and the template, but of considerations that we are not privy to like the panel molding process. For example, someone suggested that the gap between the front fender and the door on Jim's car is there so that you only need to line up one edge of the door. It also has some aerodynamic improvements over the designs from which it was inspired. For example, it has improved air flow around the front of car and through the radiator and engine bay and a lower, sloped hood, all aspects that give it less aerodynamic resistance and more down force. While many people don't seem to like the style of Jim's car, it may be the best design from a technical standpoint. This may be one avenue of "crowd source" design that Factory 5 is exploring, to have a contest, and then create their own unique design, in house taking cues from many different contest entries. It's no surprise that the result has illicited many people to say that it looks like a mismatched mash-up. I hope that instead, they go a different route, and take a winning style, and make tweeks as needed.

[Dave Smith]

As I said, we explored THREE paths concurrently to get to where we are here with these four body shapes. We had a 5th one and after SEMA I may make another few bodies that fit some of the criteria. Still I need to say it again for clarity. The in-house FFR car (Jim's silver car) was done as a hand made full size mock-up then scanned and shrunk down. The students from Rhode Island School of Design took yet another path in making Xabiers car, as they did a 1/4 scale HAND MADE clay model (one of the reasons I didnt add detail to that model is because it's clay and very delicate). The other two cars, the blue one of Rodneys and the dark silver/charcoal car of Nuophones were basically milled from CAD files to 1/4 scale.

I will be at SEMA for the week (tues-fri) and will use the time to consider the next steps on the body carefully. I have made a decsion that the first MODEL we will launch will be the affordable roadster, with a Hi MPG Coupe and the track version coming later (with likely diff body shapes on same shared platform-chassis).

Guys, The process has been terrifically fun so far and quite disciplined. I will hope to be at the customer dinner on Wed PM at SEMA (I have another dinner I am scheduled to go to with Road & Track but would rather go to the FFR customer one) where I can talk more in depth about the path forward on the 818.

Rest assured that I and the team here have read carefully all of these comments and we wont dissapoint!

for clarity: Model means an affordable roadster, not the exact body shape. Shape will be figured out shortly, but when we get back from SEMA we will be hitting this very hard with a dedicated path or two.

[Don]

Just my 2cents...the black car is the only one that looks clean and refined like a production car. All the others look...well...sort of like a 70's kit car. No offense to anyone, just my initial reaction.

[crackedcornish]

I will be at SEMA for the week (tues-fri) and will use the time to consider the next steps on the body carefully. I have made a decsion that the first MODEL we will launch will be the affordable roadster, with a Hi MPG Coupe and the track version coming later (with likely diff body shapes on same shared platform-chassis).

Dave, remember the old saying that goes......race on Sunday, sell on Monday

I think it would be a mistake to make a track car that doesn't look like whatever body you decide should be on the street car. That's one of the things that NASCAR is finding out with the CoT concept. With every manufacturer's car starting to look nearly identical, they didn't feel as though they' were getting the brand recognition they should.

You need to race the body that you want to sell on the street to get that brand loyalty flowing. I know I love it when I see the same model of car I'm driving on the street, racing around a track (especially when it wins!).

A very strong design (with some alterations for each application) could feasibly cover all 3 tasks of roadsters, racers, and high mpg's.

[Dave Smith]

Good points my crackedcornish friend. I've run thru a thousand scenarios and the affordable roadster-track version is pretty easy to bridge but the hi mpg body requires some substantial changes for flow and even appearances that look like body shape #3 cannot share #1 and #2 purposing. Still lots to consider. I am torn because I am, by nature, impatient and unreasonable, setting impossible goals on overly aggresive timelines (according to the FFR crew)... but this project has been text book discipline since we know how good the car will be and we think the only risk of failure is if we deviate from our development path too much. I am torn because I want to do all designs concurrently and that's just not the most wise use of resources. Back to your point though, the street and track versions are closest in my mind. I've been looking at Xabiers design closely as I think it can do both but needs some body tweaks as I dont like the fly-bridge as it sits.

[BipDBo]

[QUOTE=Dave Smith;38912]...I am torn because I am, by nature, impatient and unreasonable, setting impossible goals on overly aggresive timelines (according to the FFR crew)...QUOTE]

LOL. I'm sure the demands from the forum haven't made the job for your crew any easier. If you have any mechanical engineers walk out on you, let me know. I'll shot over my resume'.

[picaman]

I am so sorry that I offended your delicate sensibilities.

[BipDBo]

Here is a photo of the Nuophone model at ground level that factory 5 recently posted on facebook. It is from Grassroots motorsports magazine. I was a big fan of this design, but now looking at it from this angle, I'm not so sure. It doesn't sound like Dave wants to build it anyway. I look forward to seeing what they are cooking up right now.
FFR.jpg

[kach22i]

Thanks for posting it.

I agree a terrible photo and angle of it.

It would help if they used a professional camera, taken the shot much further away, but zoomed in on it.

It looks terribly fish-eyed to me. Like a convex fun house mirror. My cell phone takes better pictures.

[mekeys]

Funny Nouphone's picture looks O.K. on my screen.Just not crazy about the design tho..

Mel

[kach22i]

Really?

You don't think the lens is doing one of these?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-t...pics-2017.html
1731326221582.jpg

[mekeys]

Interesting link.I liked the concept car at the top..I don't see Nouphone's picture as quite that distorted..I would say that for a 3/4 front view that close up it looks pretty normal..

Mel Keys

[WonderDude]

7660625b.jpg

This is one design that lights my hair on fire. I cannot understand why this is not a runaway favorite. It's the love child of the Porsche 550 Spyder and the Porsche 918.

EDIT...I guess Kachi kind of mentioned why above. Does the elimination of the fuel tank below the seats and the fact that FFR never reuses stock seats bring it any closer to being buildable?

Sorry I'm so late to the party. Anyway, I gotta say this is beatiful! I know it's probably not gonna work. But I can still look at this design!

[LS1RX7owen]

Sorry I'm so late to the party. Anyway, I gotta say this is beatiful! I know it's probably not gonna work. But I can still look at this design!

I agree with yuo, that design is sexy enough to have some classic lines but is unique enough to know from a mile away just exactly what it is and not mistake it for something else.

I'd be all over that if it was up for grabs.

[slopoke]

I agree with yuo, that design is sexy enough to have some classic lines but is unique enough to know from a mile away just exactly what it is and not mistake it for something else.

I'd be all over that if it was up for grabs.

Just so you know, there is also a coupe version of the roadster...818%20CARRERA%20-%20Racing%20(Left).jpg I had it as my desktop background for months ... (sigh)

[Nelff]

yeah, zactly...