question about downforce on cars

[e mag]

I was watching a show on formula one cars, and it said that at high speeds the downforce is around 4:1, or 4 times the weight of the car right? I also know a few cars like the mclaren f1 and some other supercars have a downforce of about 2:1. My question is, with a downforce of 1:1 or higher, couldn't a car theoretically drive upside down?

[Deep Sixx]

Yes. If the downforce is high enough to overcome gravity's pull on the vehicle, and distributed evenly over the entire body, the car could drive at speed upside down. F1 cars could do this with ease.

sixx

[logamus]

Originally posted by Deep Sixx
Yes. If the downforce is high enough to overcome gravity's pull on the vehicle, and distributed evenly over the entire body, the car could drive at speed upside down. F1 cars could do this with ease.

sixx

[Mango]

Originally posted by Deep Sixx
Yes. If the downforce is high enough to overcome gravity's pull on the vehicle, and distributed evenly over the entire body, the car could drive at speed upside down. F1 cars could do this with ease.

sixx

[beam]

Originally posted by Deep Sixx
Yes. If the downforce is high enough to overcome gravity's pull on the vehicle, and distributed evenly over the entire body, the car could drive at speed upside down. F1 cars could do this with ease.

sixx

[e mag]

alrighty then

[Downfall]

If you were to see the under side of a Ferrari F50, you would notice that it is shaped like an upside down airplane wing, which provides additional downforce. In theory the F50 should be the best street car at driving upside down. Not sure why you would do that.

[gamarada717]

Explain what exactly downforce is and how the numbers work.

[Spray Painter]

downforce is the air pressure pushing down on a car when it is moving, it's almost exactly opposite of what an airplane wing does, so cars(like a maclaren f1) are shaped to create lots of downforce so they can go faster without losing traction and going out of control

[Cha0tic]

the saleen s7 is theoretically supposed to be able to stick to the top of a tunnel doing 160mph. ill grab an article on it if i can.

[Python14]

I'll gladly test that idea out.

[PyRo]

Keep in mind if your wrong you die

[Jack_Dubious]

Im sure this gets more downforce than some cheap F50...


JDub

[PyRo]

lol
That guy needs teh 12in racing exhaust though.

[ProjectMag]

Originally posted by Deep Sixx
Yes. If the downforce is high enough to overcome gravity's pull on the vehicle, and distributed evenly over the entire body, the car could drive at speed upside down. F1 cars could do this with ease.

sixx