Rody

Body looks awesome. Nice work Dale.

p.s. TPhalen, I just picked up my 1:1 MazdaSpeed 3 (in Australia Mazda 3 MPS) this week too!! Same engine as the 6 with less weight!!!

daleepp

Wow - can't believe all the posts from Australia. Owsyergoingmates? Olroit?

I just love your country! My daughter lives in Noosa, so I've got this great excuse to get down there every year or two. It's always tough to come back home from Australia.

Incidentally, because of my fondness toward the good folks from Oz, (rc racers in particular) I'm going to start a project in the new year that I'm sincerely hoping you'll really like. It'll have a definite Aussie flavour to it. Can't give you any details yet other than the fact it will be released in the first quarter of 07. Oh, there are actually two details I can share with you guys: it's not going to be a Ute, and it won't have a molded in roo bar. He He !
http://www.v8utes.com.au/index.php?p...categoryId=273
http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/...3002&bitmask=1

Hooroo mates! - Dale - Protoform

dr_hfuhuhurr

iTrader: (91)

I looked at those as well...car is totally pimp! If the wife would have let me do a manual I would have done it in a heartbeat.

Body looks awesome too!

rollover

Holes in the wing??? If I read correctly, you have slats cut in the rear wing to increase efficeincy. Do they reduce drag or increase downforce? Would they help in Stratus or DNA wings?

Bigger Brother

Dale

Looks amazing!! Is this a "replacement" for the current Mazda6? If not, what are (essentially) the differences in handelling of the 6 and the Speed 6? What instances have either found to be better?

Many thanks

Oli
UK

TENCHO

Hey Dale,
love the new 6! looks more like the real car.
Can i get a Mazda CX-7 body for my Monster Truck?
then all my race chassis would have Mazda lids.

ford_racing

iTrader: (6)

I'm hoping for a cheaper alternative to a V8 Supercar, currently only one manufacturer and they suprisingly handle very well in mod

Rody

Looking forward to the Aussie project It was good to meet you in person in Queensland at the 200mm Nitro Worlds and talk bodies. Hope to see you downunder again soon!

Nick

Giuseppe d.

@dale

I think that with the new 1350g/cells Rule the LW bodies will soon become very popular in Europe...

Dale, have you experienced any change in performance using a LW body instead of a Normal weght? (same shape of course), I'm wondering if the more flexible LW body might flex at high speed and loose aerodinamic efficency, thank for yuou answer

Birky

iTrader: (1)

G'Day Dale, you definately have the Aussie Slang right. Can't wait for the Aussie shell and love the new Mazda 6.

Ben

Skiddins

I like the details of the shell, but I don't like the 'hump' in the roofline, presumably that it to make it meet minimum height's etc.

Skiddins

moonman

I think the same, this is something that should be corrected in the GBS body rules asap.

Anders Myrberg

This is a issue first of all for IFMAR, EFRA, Roar, Etc ( I asume Ifmar will adapt to the GBS as soon as possible, so for sure, we are close to the first world wide bodyrules "All in" hopefully in a near future), if the licence-fees to "the real car manufacturer jepordize our hobby with to much cost = higher prices for our buyers/hobbyists.
This guidelines secure that all manufacturers are playing within the same rules, even if the create something on there own. Detalis and stuff need to be there so it "looks sedan & Touring". It´s all about proportions. The GBS defends the proportion of a sedan touring car, and will not let it into the NHRA´s Funny Car section like some others...

GBS for 1/10 IC 200mm will take this year I guess. Hopefully we can manage 1/12 in the same timeframe.

daleepp

rollover:
The slats in the wing have nothing to do with decreasing drag. They do however allow the boundry layer of air to "escape" thus bringing the "laminar flow" air to a lower level and better able to contact more of the surface area on the kicked-up part of the wing. The term Wing is a poorly chosen name that we all use. "Air deflector" describes it more accurately.

Bigger Brother:
As I stated in post #25 the MazdaSpeed 6 is not a replacement for the older Mazda 6. It's so new that it's hard for me to accurately answer you questions regarding its performance - when compared to the older Mazda. Two world-class racers, one in the USA and one in Holland were the first to report back that it steered better and was smooth, forgiving, and generally easier to drive. Lap time differences were not discussed.

Giuseppe d.;
Thanks for the tip regarding the new 1350g/cell rule. I hadn't thought of that.
Regarding LW vs RW - the lite bodies definitely work superior with foam/carpet combination. To a lesser degree with rubber tires from what I've been told. (if someone out there has found a huge improvement on rubber tires - correct me if I'm wrong) Body distortion has not been a negative issue. It is worth the effort to add a body support that just touches the body at the hood rear/cowl area, and if the sides are tucking in or vibrating, a couple strands of fiberglass tape applied vertically will solve that quite simply.

Skiddens;
Good eye. You're so right about the crown in the roof. "Necessary evil" these days to do that. It's one of the few areas that I tend to let function outweigh form - but I find it a difficult decision. If a body works well it takes on a kind of beauty - especially to those that find success with it. The photo on our web site combined with the paint scheme do make this part of the car particularly unflattering - I agree. It actually is within the GBS allowance for the roof crown dimensions.

Dale - Protoform

TomB

iTrader: (10)

i like how you work with the rules to make the body maximully efficent and rule abidding.

just a note though on cosmetic features Dale. i know the protoform bodies for tourers have always been "flowy" in their design, but have you thought about, or tested with making the front end headlight designs more angular, or making the front lips look more "aggressive"? would they have a effect on performance?

for example, the japanese excel/ride Honda accord has a nice "V" going from the tips of the headlights to the centre grill. i know that this is a real accord car design feature but you could maybe create a tourer or a slightly moded mazda 6 (if it is in the allowable rules) to have some of these features. personally i think it looks good when you airbrush the bodies, and are able to accentuate these design features.

also, i noticed how the Parma type "M" has the body lines going fron the top tip of the headlight, and it continues around the sides of the hood and becomes part of the wheel arch then moulds into the windsheild. i recon this is another cool element.

yeah i know, i gave two examples that are either design specific to a real car or are specific to a body which is not based on any real car in particular, but i hope you know what i am trying to get at.

bodies with design features i am hinting at liking are things like the Active racing Atenza SP-R 200mm.