Thứ Bảy, 18 tháng 2, 2017

Rally Car Design part 1

olsaltybastard 07-20-2004 03:39 AM

Rally Car Design
I asked this on another forum, but didn't get an answer so here we go.

Why are rally cars built as left hand drives? Is this a rule or something? I just find it strange that, with the exception of Ford, these cars are built in countries which the drivers sit on the right. Not to mention that these races have fans which are usually accustomed to driving on the right.

Enlighten me please.
04RedWRX 07-20-2004 06:44 AM

IIRC folks drive on the left side (in right hand drive cars) in the UK. Everywhere else in Europe it's left hand drive cars on the right side of the road. Same for Japan I think.
Georgethefierce 07-20-2004 07:36 AM

FWIW the Focus RS (Rallyesport) isn't available in America Either ;)
KC 07-20-2004 07:42 AM

04RedWRX: From: [url]http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside[/url]

R Drive on the right-hand side of the road (and mostly the driver sits on the left side of the car).
L Drive on the left-hand side of the road (and mostly the driver sits on the right side of the car).


R Afghanistan
R Albania
R Algeria
R American Samoa
R Andorra
R Angola
L Anguilla
L Antigua and Barbuda
R Argentina
R Armenia
R Aruba
L Australia
R Austria
R Azerbaijan
L Bahamas
R Bahrain
L Bangladesh
L Barbados
R Belarus
R Belgium
R Belize
R Benin
L Bermuda
L Bhutan
R Bolivia
R Bosnia and Herzegovina
L Botswana
R Brazil
R British Indian Ocean Territory (Diego Garcia)
L Brunei
R Bulgaria
R Burkina Faso
R Burundi
R Cambodia
R Cameroon
R Canada
R Cape Verde
L Cayman Islands
R Central African Republic
R Chad
R Chile
R China, People's Republic of (Mainland China)
L Christmas Island (Australia)
L Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australia)
R Colombia
R Comoros
R Congo
L Cook Islands
R Costa Rica
R Croatia
R Cuba
L Cyprus
R Czech Republic
R Denmark
R Djibouti
L Dominica
R Dominican Republic
L East Timor
R Ecuador
R Egypt
R El Salvador
R Equatorial Guinea
R Eritrea
R Estonia
R Ethiopia
L Falkland Islands
R Faroe Islands (Denmark)
L Fiji
R Finland
R France
R French Guiana
R French Polynesia
R Gabon
R Gambia, The
R Gaza Strip
R Georgia
R Germany
R Ghana
R Gibraltar
R Greece
R Greenland
L Grenada
R Guadeloupe (French West Indies)
R Guam
R Guatemala
L Guernsey (Channel Islands)
R Guinea
R Guinea-Bissau
L Guyana
R Haiti
R Honduras
L Hong Kong
R Hungary
R Iceland
L India
L Indonesia
R Iran
R Iraq
L Ireland
R Israel
L Isle of Man
R Italy
R Ivory Coast
L Jamaica
L Japan
L Jersey (Channel Islands)
R Jordan
R Kazakhstan
L Kenya
L Kiribati
R Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea)
R Korea, Republic of (South Korea)
R Kuwait
R Kyrgyzstan
R Laos
R Latvia
R Lebanon
L Lesotho
R Liberia
R Libya
R Liechtenstein
R Lithuania
R Luxembourg
L Macau
R Macedonia
R Madagascar
L Malawi
L Malaysia
L Maldives
R Mali
L Malta
R Marshall Islands
R Martinique (French West Indies)
R Mauritania
L Mauritius
R Mayotte (France)
R Mexico
R Micronesia, Federated States of
R Midway Islands (USA)
R Moldova
R Monaco
R Mongolia
L Montserrat
R Morocco
L Mozambique
R Myanmar (Burma)
L Namibia
L Nauru
L Nepal
R Netherlands
R Netherlands Antilles (Curacao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, Saba)
R New Caledonia
L New Zealand
R Nicaragua
R Niger
R Nigeria
L Niue
L Norfolk Island (Australia)
R Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan)
R Norway
R Oman
L Pakistan
R Palau
R Panama
L Papua New Guinea
R Paraguay
R Peru
R Philippines
L Pitcairn Islands (Britain)
R Poland
R Portugal
R Puerto Rico
R Qatar
R Reunion
R Romania
R Russia
R Rwanda
R Saint Barth�lemy (French West Indies)
L Saint Helena
L Saint Kitts and Nevis
L Saint Lucia
R Saint Martin (French West Indies)
R Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France)
L Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
R Samoa
R San Marino
R Sao Tome e Principe
R Saudi Arabia
R Senegal
L Seychelles
R Sierra Leone
L Singapore
R Slovakia
R Slovenia
L Solomon Islands
R Somalia (a part of Somalia trying to assert independence, Somaliland, drives on the left)
L South Africa
R Spain
L Sri Lanka
R Sudan
L Suriname
R Svalbard (Norway)
L Swaziland
R Sweden
R Switzerland
R Syria
R Taiwan
R Tajikistan
L Tanzania
L Thailand
R Togo
L Tokelau (New Zealand)
L Tonga
L Trinidad and Tobago
R Tunisia
R Turkey
R Turkmenistan
L Turks and Caicos Islands
L Tuvalu
L Uganda
R Ukraine
R United Arab Emirates
L United Kingdom
R United States
R Uruguay
R Uzbekistan
R Vanuatu
R Venezuela
R Vietnam
L Virgin Islands (British)
L Virgin Islands (US)
R Wake Island (USA)
R Wallis and Futuna Islands [Fr.]
R West Bank
R Western Sahara (ex Spanish Sahara)
R Yemen
R Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)
R Zaire
L Zambia
L Zimbabwe

As far as rally cars.... dunno. :) Since they don't spend much time in one specific side of the road, there might be an advantage to left drive over right drive.
codemunky 07-20-2004 10:25 AM

that list is wrong...
Howl 07-20-2004 10:47 AM

With a few exceptions, most countries that drive on the left are islands: Great Britian, Japan, Australia (big island), New Zealand. Just about every country where you can drive to another country is right hand drive. From a saftey/convenience point-of-view it makes sense if all countries drive on the same side. Island nations just don't have the same insentive to switch, because historically the number of cars coming across the border has been low.
MattDell 07-20-2004 10:47 AM

They're left-hand drive because the FIA is French, and they drive on the left.



Plus, I think most drivers prefer LHD.

-Matt
RRR-K2 07-20-2004 01:17 PM

I seem to remember hearing that the reason they drive on the left in the UK is out of spite :huh:

Apparently, when "transportation systems" began to develop, the British decided that they didn't want to be like 'merica, and since we had already established driving on the right, they went with driving on the left. :p

I don't know if that's really true or not, but it makes for a good story.

Matt Kennedy
[URL=http://www.RockyRoadRacing.com][COLOR=DarkRed][U]www.RockyRoadRacing.com[/U][/COLOR][/URL]
crashandburn 07-20-2004 02:02 PM

I think it started because of horse drawn carriages, drivers would pass with their "whip" hand away from the other carriage.
WRXMaster 07-20-2004 03:27 PM

I heard they did it becaues most countrys drive witht he steering wheel on the left. Rally cars drive on normally roads and need to follow with traffic.
akuhner 07-21-2004 09:13 AM

[QUOTE=Cobreth]They're left-hand drive because the FIA is French, and they drive on the left.
[/QUOTE]

:lol: If you drive on the left side of the road you sit on the right side of the car. The French drive on the left, so they sit on the right! Besides, I don't think the FIA has rules about the driver position.

I think you were closer to the truth in saying that most drivers just prefer LHD (as in sitting on the left!).

Alex
akuhner 07-21-2004 09:17 AM

[QUOTE=WRXMaster]I heard they did it becaues most countrys drive witht he steering wheel on the left. Rally cars drive on normally roads and need to follow with traffic.[/QUOTE]
I've driven RHD in the US, it does not affect your ability to go with the flow of traffic. It takes a little more concentration, but most of that goes into shifting, not car position on the road.

I really don't think the FIA has rules on RHD vs. LHD, there are plenty of Group N. cars with either side drive positions. There has to be some other reason that centers around the manufacturer or driver...

Alex
Calamity Jesus 07-21-2004 09:52 AM

[QUOTE=Car #187]I really don't think the FIA has rules on RHD vs. LHD, there are plenty of Group N. cars with either side drive positions. There has to be some other reason that centers around the manufacturer or driver...

Alex[/QUOTE]
Yeah.. like putting the master cylinders and steering linkage on the opposite side of the engine bay from the turbo (at least in Subaru's case). I can see how RHD would lead to serious repair access problems in service.

I think Cobreth was saying that the French drive on the left side [b]of their cars[/b] (and the right side of the road), which is true.
MattDell 07-21-2004 11:27 AM

[QUOTE=Beaverboy]I think Cobreth was saying that the French drive on the left side [b]of their cars[/b] (and the right side of the road), which is true.[/QUOTE]


This is true. I didn't think that one all the way through. :lol:
turboICE 07-21-2004 02:29 PM

[QUOTE=04RedWRX]IIRC folks drive on the left side (in right hand drive cars) in the UK. Everywhere else in Europe it's left hand drive cars on the right side of the road. Same for Japan I think.[/QUOTE]

Definitely not in Japan - I learned to drive on Okinawa what a pain coming back to learn again in VA.

[QUOTE=KC]04RedWRX: From: [url]http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside[/url]

R Drive on the right-hand side of the road (and mostly the driver sits on the left side of the car).
L Drive on the left-hand side of the road (and mostly the driver sits on the right side of the car).


L Japan
L Jersey (Channel Islands)
[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately sometimes they are even L in New Jersey... :lol:

I heard once that some of the feudal areas drive on the left because of custom whereby you always passed with your sword arm towards on coming traffic... At least that was the explanation I got for Japan.
akuhner 07-21-2004 03:21 PM

Didn't Mao at one point decide that China should drive on the left, and go at red lights, to be more communist (i.e. leftist & red)? I remember that from my history books, and they said it caused havoc when he tried to implement it, so they went back to driving on the right and stopping at red lights!

I studied in Japan a bunch of times, but the programs I was in always forbid driving, so I've only gotten to ride a moped on the left in Bermuda.

As for LHD keeping the steering and brake components away from the turbo, do JDM Imprezas have the turbo on the left or right side of the car?

Alex
Fusionpnoy 07-22-2004 12:13 AM

[QUOTE=crashandburn]I think it started because of horse drawn carriages, drivers would pass with their "whip" hand away from the other carriage.[/QUOTE]

I'd like to bring back this tradition. I'll keep my whip and my window down and use it on Jay walkers and bad drivers. :D
psoper 07-22-2004 05:20 PM

[QUOTE=Car #187]Didn't Mao at one point decide that China should drive on the left, and go at red lights, .... so they went back to driving on the right and stopping at red lights!

Alex[/QUOTE]

From my experience driving in mainland China, they drive on either side of the road and don't pay much attention to any lights......
Calamity Jesus 07-22-2004 05:37 PM

[QUOTE=psoper]From my experience driving in mainland China, they drive on either side of the road and don't pay much attention to any lights......[/QUOTE]
Well.. that might be why.
dwx 07-22-2004 06:06 PM

[QUOTE=Car #187]Didn't Mao at one point decide that China should drive on the left, and go at red lights, to be more communist (i.e. leftist & red)? I remember that from my history books, and they said it caused havoc when he tried to implement it, so they went back to driving on the right and stopping at red lights!

I studied in Japan a bunch of times, but the programs I was in always forbid driving, so I've only gotten to ride a moped on the left in Bermuda.

As for LHD keeping the steering and brake components away from the turbo, do JDM Imprezas have the turbo on the left or right side of the car?

Alex[/QUOTE]

Turbo layout is the same as ours.

There have been threads about this before, but I don't think any conclusion was reached. I think they are LHD because the majority of the countries they drive in are LHD.
RRR-K2 07-23-2004 10:50 AM

Timing is everything! Flipping through the AutoWeek I got yesterday there was [URL=http://www.autoweek.com/columnists/cat_content_columnists.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=columnists&loc_code=index&content_code=03106935][B][U]THIS[/U][/B][/URL] column.

Matt Kennedy
[URL=http://www.RockyRoadRacing.com][COLOR=DarkRed][U]www.RockyRoadRacing.com[/U][/COLOR][/URL]
Ryouga 07-23-2004 12:48 PM

[QUOTE=RRR-K2]Timing is everything! Flipping through the AutoWeek I got yesterday there was [URL=http://www.autoweek.com/columnists/cat_content_columnists.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=columnists&loc_code=index&content_code=03106935][B][U]THIS[/U][/B][/URL] column.

Matt Kennedy
[URL=http://www.RockyRoadRacing.com][COLOR=DarkRed][U]www.RockyRoadRacing.com[/U][/COLOR][/URL][/QUOTE]

Great find. It's always neat reading about history and why things are the way they are now. :)

As for the thread topic, I always thought that most rally cars are LHD because most of the rally drivers are used to LHD. In fact, most of the RHD footage I've seen comes from the local championships (like the British Rally Championship) held in countries that have RHD cars.

It'll be interesting, though, to see how many privateer entries in the upcoming WRC of Japan are LHD/RHD.
RRR-K2 07-23-2004 01:07 PM

[QUOTE=Ryouga]
<SNIP>It'll be interesting, though, to see how many privateer entries in the upcoming WRC of Japan are LHD/RHD.
[/QUOTE]

Possum Bourne used to "switch hit." He (obviously) started out in RHD RX's and the such. When he started running WRC spec cars (like the GC8 Impreza 555 in the APRC), they were LHD. However, whenever he was running a Group N car (like the 2002 Rally NZ), it was RHD. :)

Matt Kennedy
[URL=http://www.RockyRoadRacing.com][COLOR=DarkRed][U]www.RockyRoadRacing.com[/U][/COLOR][/URL]

[SIZE=1]edit for CG8/GC8 typo. Stupid fingers ahead my brain[/SIZE] :rolleyes:
Chaste Automotive 07-23-2004 02:13 PM

Well I have gotten a more practical explanaion. The Human brain is divided into two halves right and left, the left which controls the right side is more of logical while the right brain which controls your left hand is more creative. In a LHD rally car your right hand shifts (logical operation) while your Left hand steers (creative) so when you look at it from a biomechanical view LHD makes more sense. They also told me that in tests regardless of what a driver was used to they were almost always quicker in a LHD car. Hope that helps.
Chaste Automotive 07-23-2004 02:18 PM

Well I have gotten a more practical explanaion. The Human brain is divided into two halves right and left, the left which controls the right side is more of logical while the right brain which controls your left hand is more creative. In a LHD rally car your right hand shifts (logical operation) while your Left hand steers (creative) so when you look at it from a biomechanical view LHD makes more sense. They also told me that in tests regardless of what a driver was used to they were almost always quicker in a LHD car. Hope that helps.
kotaro 07-23-2004 02:29 PM

for your viewing pleasure:

RHD Gr.N Evo in WRC mexico :O (nice looking car)...

[URL=http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/motorsports/e/04wrc/mex/photo/sd_6.jpg]HUGE pic (ala swrt.com)[/URL]

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