High Downforce eclipse body kit, gauging interest

[Ghostcrafter]

I'd kill for 1g based version of this...

I'd also love to have one of these for the 2g I'll have someday. I hope that perhaps someday you'll consider doing another run of them, even if they do cost more down the road.

 

[Bigmac88]

Saw you guys out at Super Lap Finals, congrats on the 1:55 (and 1:41.9 in the NSX)! I want whatever aero is on your GST. Seriously, any kind of viable road course support for DSM platforms is very welcomed for those of us who like the twisties. BTW a bit of topic, but are you on TrackHQ as well?

Im sorry but i do not like. The original looked better.

If you could see this thing churn out a few laps I bet you'd change your mind.

 

[nuclearr]

Can you give out any info on that hard top? It looks sick!

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

Im not doubting that is doesnt perform. I just dont like the styling. I think the original looked the best. I still think both rear bumpers looked weird and unfinished, but at least the front looked good. This front doesnt even look that good. Im not sure what it is.

 

[Ghostcrafter]

It's not supposed to look good ... it's does what it's supposed to, keep the car held to the ground under extreme speed. "Styling", comes dead last to "function".

Anyone seriously considering buying this, and spending that much money is looking for function, not styling. If you want styling, you have a bodyshop make a FatF ground-FX kit.

 

[gixxerdrew]

Im not doubting that is doesnt perform. I just dont like the styling. I think the original looked the best. I still think both rear bumpers looked weird and unfinished, but at least the front looked good. This front doesnt even look that good. Im not sure what it is.

Thats odd the front hasn't really changed, but yah it may not be for everyone....

The hard top started life as an autokonexion hard top and the fabricator Bret Collmer used composite and metal work to adapt it to DSM. If we'd had more time it would have been ever cleaner. So hopefully we can make it nice look perfect down the road.

My driver has some in-car, hopefully I can get it at some point! If I do, I'll post it. So far in my entire career I have yet to have anyone send me footage of any kind. The only way i ever got footage was if I took it myself and took it home with me from the track. Everyone says yes, nobody ever sends it...

 

[Ghostcrafter]

I didn't think the front had changed at all. It's just not painted silver...

There is a slight angle change on the canards, and they're slightly higher, that's it. The hood is the same, it looks different due to the color change, that's all i see.

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[VETTE_50_TH]

The hood changed slightly.

 

[Ghostcrafter]

Where?

I see no change to the hood at all, except it's not painted. The vents are still there, and in the exact same place.

 

[asrdave]

its the color the contrast of shadows in the pisture are different but otherwise the same kit, i like it i have always admired the look and functionality of this kit, but just isn't for me -=D

 

[SpawnedX]

Is it wrong that myself and my business partner routinely take vacation days to self pleasure to pictures of Drew's car?

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

Its there. Look closely. Its was more curved along the headlights.

Not trying to clutter up the thread. I like the function. Just dissagree with some of the styling. Best of luck with the panels guys who bought them. I cant wait to see the ebay version in 3 years. JK

 

[Ghostcrafter]

I see the hood being dropped in lower, and a lack of shadow. I don't see a difference.

 

[Lavery]

What happened to the soft top? I thought the soft top had more aerodynamic advantages as opposed to the hard top? Or did you engineer the new hard top to mimic the soft top?

 

[92EagleAWD]

I would buy something like this for a 1g in a heartbeat!!!

 

[RipperXX]

I so hate that this is a one time offer kind of thing. After I get out of Germany and back state side I was hopping to pick up a 2g...oh well.




Product looks awesome though gixxer!

 

[L1v1ng L3g3nd]

I would love to buy that hardtop!

 

[greengoblin]

What happened to the soft top? I thought the soft top had more aerodynamic advantages as opposed to the hard top? Or did you engineer the new hard top to mimic the soft top?

This is from a different forum where Drew addressed this question. Hope you don't mind Drew. Thought it would save you some time.

"The other thing people always ask me is why we built a convertible. The short answer is… rules and it was the car I already had. There are also some mid term aerodynamic advantages until you build the perfect car, I did a big write up about the aerodynamic effects of a soft top and designed this car's body using computational fluid dynamics (computer wind tunnel). While it increases the total drag and total lift of the car, it also shifts the balance forward. The front actually has more down force than a hard top and the rear has a lot more lift which we could overcome for now with a larger rear wing. This was just a shortcut for us to pick up frontal down force until we could complete the development of a custom roof. Custom roof are only allowed for cars that came as Convertible. In the end this will be a huge aerodynamic and weight advantage for us."

The hood changed slightly.

The only changes I see are: No Naca duct, The gurney flaps on the leading edge of the hood vents are now built in and the same color(not black) and "maybe" the hood is a bit lower and not lining up with the fender corners as well. Howerer that might just look that way in the picture.

 

[greengoblin]

Happily waiting for mine.

 

[gixxerdrew]

What happened to the soft top? I thought the soft top had more aerodynamic advantages as opposed to the hard top? Or did you engineer the new hard top to mimic the soft top?

Look closely at some details of the hard top.

We modified the hard top to spoil the lift normally created by a roof. We tested it and it works as well

I thought about producing the roof but it would take a lot more work for it to work for a street car or any other car. For one, we had to cut the trunk lid in half, second we dont run windows at all so we didnt set it up to line up with factory windows, etc. All that stuff would be a lot more work and unless we had a line of people who were wanting to buy that hard top it wouldn't be worth it to spend the money and more importantly, time for that.

It's really tough for me to develop the car since I live overseas.

 

[greengoblin]

This brought me :

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THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Super big thanks to Fes of FXMD out of Vegas. He had to share his bed in his truck(Semi) with my body kit for several days. He even dropped it off at my house at 8:45 at night. You Sir are a rock star!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[99gst_racer]

Hell yeah!!


I'm jealous. It looks awesome.

 

[D_Eclipse9916]

Christ, 4k? Damn thats pretty cheap for what your getting. If I was still road coursing a dsm I would have loved to have this kit. I was hoping someday of building another DSM for PT or TT with NASA, a shame that the kit wont be available then, but your reasons are valid.

Drew, as you obviously know a ton more about aero than many on this board including I, would you be willing to share with us some of your knowledge about wing setups? I am trying to find an optimal wing for courses like VIR, Road Atlanta, Summit. A lot of people have done "cheap" wing setups using custom stanchions, but my main concern is the foil itself. Do you know of any tricks/tips/etc with obviously a no-bar holds approach? My setup right now was temporary for this season and beginning of next season, but I could definitely tell the drag was holding me back on the straights pretty good.

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[Imback]

The kit looks amazing. When do you plan on starting the installation?

 

[gofer]

I can't imagine the time thats been spent in a wind tunnel developing this aero kit to perform/function out on the track, then for you to turn around and manufacture it and put a price on it is even crazier. From what I understand from reading through this thread only 5 FULL kits will be made but is there any chance that in the future pieces of the kit will be produced and sold if theres enough interest from the community? I ask because I'm looking for a fiberglass hood that can effectively pull hot air out of the engine bay and I'm assuming those vents in the hood function as designed.

Once again, great car Drew. I'm hoping one of these days I'm able to catch you at RRE.