Even bigger aero numbers!

We're back on the er8 project, now targeting WTAC 2023! A lot has changed since the previous update, such as running CFD on a server optimized for it. Over 10x faster, and much easier to manage updates on a shared memory system like this, compared to running our previous distributed system. Computer tech has come a long way!

CFD design is now far enough along that we're running ride height, pitch angle, and yaw angle sweeps on the #er8 CAD models. After well over 100 different designs, the results are now looking extremely good!

Focus is on maximizing downforce, getting front/rear balance correct, and having good stability with regard to height, pitch and yaw. Stability at high yaw angles is especially important, for example in the event of a tire failure. We don't need to care about drag, since the #er8 is powered by our 2000hp #Thor engine. And the circuits the er8 will be racing at don't have extreme top speed needs

The Group C Nissan P35 and Toyota TS010 work as our comparison cases, with CLA values of -8.021 and -8.174 respectively. Our latest numbers put the er8 at CLA -8.614.
Considering our race mass will be comparable to the group C monsters and we will be running over twice the power, there should be some serious lap time potential! Note that we will limit top speed lower than what the group C cars ran, due to us using smaller diameter tires that can't support the extreme levels of downforce that high speeds would produce.

CFD calculation speed: 40m/s
Downforce: 8442N
Drag: 1920N