09 February,2011 09:18 AM IST | | Kunal Shah
A comparison of the newly launched VJM04 Formula one car with an average four-wheeler...
Force India Formula One Team launched its 2011 car yesterday. The VJM04 sports a new livery design and is expected to propel the Indian F1 team forward in their fourth full season.
Here are a few characteristics of the new F1 car vis-a-vis your favourite four-wheeler.
Force India's 2011 VJM04
Length & Height
>> The VJM04 is 5.1 metres long as compared to an average sedan in India whose length ranges from 3.8 to 4.2 metres.
>>The VJM04 stands at just about a metre in height whereas the sedan is roughly about 1.5 to 1.7 metres high.
>> So, if the VJM04 lines up behind you at a signal, chances are that you won't be able to spot it in your rear-view mirror.
Engine
>> The Force India VJM04, powered by Mercedes Benz High Performance Engines, has V8 engine with a cubic capacity of 2.4 litres. (F1 teams are only allowed eight engines per season.)
>> The most interesting part of the engine is the power output which is around 700 bhp (brake horse power) at a maximum of 18,000 rpm (revolutions per minute).
>> Comparatively, an average road car engine is usually a 1.4 litre engine revving in the range of 5,000 to 7,000 rpm to produce about 85-100 bhp.
>> VJM04's engine will propel the car from 0 to 100 in less than four seconds, whereas a road car engine would take about 12-16 or even 18 seconds.
Gearbox
>> Force India's technical partnership with McLaren gives them access to a seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox.
>> The interesting part here is that the VJM04 has seven forward gears but no reverse gear.
lSo, if you're thinking of getting a McLaren gearbox for your car, do so only if you can park it without a reverse gear.
lAn F1 gearbox must approximately last 1,500 kms as compared to your road car gearboxes that last for a few lakh kms.
Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS)
>> The KERS system in the VJM04 will be from the Mercedes Benz High Performance division.
>> KERS is a system which saves the car's braking energy and converts that energy into more power for the car thereby offering drivers a power boost while racing.
>> You wouldn't mind a KERS in your car especially while over-taking one of those errant rickshawallahs across the city's narrow and crowded streets.
Brakes
>> AP Racing will be providing the 'carbon fibre' disc brakes for the VJM04.
>> Braking power in F1 is extremely high. The Force India car will be able to brake from a speed of around 100kmph to stop in about 17 metres.
>> Road cars would take about 3-4 times more distance.
>> The intriguing part here is the operating temperature for the brakes, which is around 1200 to 1400 degree celsius.
>> Road cars usually have a mix of brakes ufffd disc (in the front) and drum brakes (in the rear).
>> The braking power of your car maybe incomparable to that of a F1 car, but there is one advantage you enjoy. Your car could have theu00a0 ABS (anti-lock braking system), which is banned in Formula1.
Tyres
>> Pirelli is the single-tyre supplier in F1 and the VJM04 will also be using the Pirelli 'Zero' tyres.
>> F1 tyres are extremely different from normal car tyres not just in terms of compounds and construction, but also usage patterns and shelf life.u00a0
>> u00a0set of Pirelli tyres (1 set = 4 tyres) are expected to last about 45-60 kms this year (about 12-14 laps on the circuit), whereas a set of road tyres won't need a change for at least 50,000 kms!
>> The F1 tyre is made of softer rubber and offers more grip, hence higher degradation.
>> Also, it's interesting to note that while F1 cars use different tyres for dry and wet weather, your road car uses the same tyres for all seasons. In fact, the road car tyre is an intermediate tyre suited for dry and wet weather surfaces.
Weight
>> The VJM04 will weigh a minimum of 640 kgs (along with the driver) as compared to an average road car that weighs between 1,100 to 1,400 kgs!
And finally...
>> There's one thing that your car has but the VJM04 doesn't ufffd a starter motor. To reduce the weight F1 cars don't use a starter motor saving about 25-odd kgs of motor weight.
