Different Cage Design

[RichardNew]

This is from this morning at Sebring. I don't think I've seen this type of side impact bar used before. It's most likely an FIA requirement.

Richard Newton
The Tech Blog

[Jnikic]

Looks like a gussetted x bar that extends out slightly into a gutted door. Its often used on the driver's side to provide more distance between the drive and the cage. The bar running vertically from the floor to the upright is what's called an FIA bar, helps enormously in rollovers (started in rally, I believe).


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[JohnJL]

I don't see the x-piece as new, my old car has that.

I do find the A pillar area unusual and interesting.

[RichardNew]

What seems to be new is how they extended the X-piece out into the door cavity.

Richard Newton

[bkreigsr]

Is that one of the factory team cars?
Bill K

[KTL]

Makes sense to "expand" the X into the door cavity for a couple of reasons

1. Obviously provides more clearance from the roof line for the driver to exit. For those who don't know, most regs require the driver to be able to exit from driver AND passenger side of the car.

2. In an impact, the bowed X frame is stronger than the flat X frame.

I'm guessing that extra bar along the A-pillar is to make up for the lack of the typical crossbar that joins the uprights across the dashboard, often called a "kneebreaker bar?"

[OffCamber00]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

Is that one of the factory team cars?
Bill K

Yep. Porsche North America (Core Autosport)

[Cory M]

They started doing that on the driver side of the 996 cups, been like that for years. The vertical bar is a new addition but has been used by many other manufacturers for a while (especially in rally). As the windshields get leaned back for better aero they need more support in case of a rollover.

[Cory M]

Originally Posted by OffCamber00

Yep. Porsche North America (Core Autosport)

That's not Core. Core is running the RSR's and the cars and livery's are very different. That looks like a 991 "GT America" cup.

[Cory M]

Here's the standard cup "GT America" on the left, and the Core factory RSR on the right. Note that the RSR is significantly wider, has different aero, through hood cooling, quarter panel vents, etc.

[aston@ultrasw.c]

The clever part is the straight tubes and two triangulated halves.

[JohnJL]

interesting differences between the splitters. i am guessing the rsr is what you do with fewer or no aero restrictions?