Karlo
01-11-2009, 09:03 PM
What:
Midlana is a two-seat open-top car utilizing a FWD drivetrain mounted mid-engine. The reasons to go mid-engine are many, with the obvious one being that small front front-engine rear-drive drivetrains are going away, at least in the U.S. Other advantages are that:
• You aren’t forced to pick from a dwindling list of rear-drive engines.
• The exhaust doesn’t cook your feet, melt brake master cylinders, or foul the steering shaft.
• You won’t go deaf with the exhaust next to your ear.
• You won’t have ugly mufflers on the sides of the car. (A quiet car is becoming a requirement as more and more tracks impose strict sound limits.) Often, the nice looking Cobra-type side mufflers are too loud.
• A rearward weight bias helps acceleration and braking by increasing rear traction.
• You will have actual leg room! No tiny hot narrow foot wells and having to drive barefoot.
• You and your passenger won’t burn the back of your legs on the exhaust while getting out.
• Independent rear suspension gives a smooth ride on the street and excellent camber control on-track.
• No driveshaft between the seats means the center tunnel is much narrower, allowing more seat room without building a wider chassis which saves weight.
• There are no worries about a whirling driveshaft right next to your legs.
• You aren't having to back-engineer a FWD engine into a rear-wheel drive arrangement.
• With less weight on the front tires, steering effort is lighter than a front-engine layout.
• Many builders are already familiar with FWD drivetrains; using one allows that familiarity to crossover instead of starting over.
• Without the engine up front the area is properly triangulated, greatly increasing torsional rigidity.
• The oil pan does not hang down below the frame rails and is instead protected by the chassis.
• With no engine up front, a lockable storage space is created.
• With the engine placed behind the driver, engine torque does not twist the chassis.
• Superior drivetrain choices due to overwhelming availability of FWD drivetrains today.
• Minimum composite; inexpensive off-the-shelf parts are used instead of making them yourself or spending $$$$ to buy a shell.
• Miata suspension uprights are used that avoid machining and fabrication, saving time and avoiding lathe work.
• Large diameter tubing helps keep tube count low and speeds assembly.
• Due to the greater chassis cross-section, the chassis is much stiffer than a Locost.
• It is safer than a Locost due to the driver and passenger being fully surrounded by a integral roll-cage, not a bolted-on afterthought.
• Side sills are higher than on a Locost which provides much improved side-impact protection.
• Not having doors save weight, money, lots of time and frustration.
• Two seats — because these things must be shared.
• A Miata steering rack is used unmodified, avoiding modifications that many builders dread.
• Rocks kicked up by the front tires cannot bounce off a tube and hit you in the nuts! (A true story related by an unhappy owner of a popular open-frame sports car.)
• Rocks and autocross cones cannot damage the rear fenders thanks to the side inlets doubling as bumper bars and rear fender protection.
• No center-mounted plenum over the engine blocking rear visibility.
• The gas tank is located in the safest area of the car, ahead of the drivetrain and behind the seats.
• Because the gas tank is at the CG, handling is unaffected by fuel load.
• A locking storage area.
• A free foot heater which uses radiator exhaust air.
• Options for side curtains and roof.
• Light weight, 1300 pounds.
• Your choice of nearly any four-cylinder or small V6 FWD drivetrain.
Why:
Okay, what's with the name, MidLana? "Mid" because it's mid-engine, and "Lana" is our granddaughter's name. It sounds a bit like "Katana", a Japanese sword, and since both this car and Lana are part Japanese, it fits. I like the sound of it and it's unique on the Interweb so there you go.
Designing and building Kimini (http://www.kimini.com/index.html) taught me a lot... no, I take that back - it taught me A LOT! Kimini is very good at what she does, as nearly a "real car" as I'll probably ever build; a coupe, fairly quiet inside, keeping out the wind, dust, and rain, but it came at a high price in terms of work, weight, time, and money. I learned the importance of keeping things simple and easy to maintain. However, THE main thing I want to avoid in the next project is the composite work. Uh! So much work, hundreds of hours, and very expensive, messy, and hazardous. And that wasn't the worst of it. It was the surprising realization that now Kimini is done, I'm afraid to expose her to the harsh environment of the race track.
Yes, that's right, I can't help but hold back, scared to damage the oh-so-expensive composite, worried about the time and money it takes to fix it. I thought, if I did it again, it would be simpler, easier and faster to build, easier to maintain, and cheaper and lighter. This car is to be a second attempt at what I wanted in the first place, a low-cost trackday car - one that I don't have to worry about. Kimini is almost too good at what she does, but it's due to the expensive composite body shell. Yes it keeps out the dust, wind, and rain, but I worry too much about damaging it. I know people will say, "Eh, get over it and just go out there and drive it hard." Yeah well I don't see them around offering money and their time when it breaks! Then there's the hot Southern California summers, where having a car with sliding windows and no air conditioning means it gets very uncomfortable, enough that I don't drive it. That wasn't the intent at all.
Round two means building something more "sturdy" for the track, where it'll be designed such that if a rock get's kicked up and hits it, I can honestly shrug my shoulders and most importantly, it'll require little to no repair if it does happen. I want it dead-reliable like Kimini, where I pull off the track and go get a drink, rather than lifting the hood to see "what's wrong now?" like many other car owners do.
So this means the next car will minimize composite use and have no roof or doors. Not as refined, more elemental, and even simpler. In other words, easier and faster to build and not as expensive. Sound like something you'd be interested in?
Kurts Design is growing on me.
www.midlana.com (http://www.midlana.com)
Midlana is a two-seat open-top car utilizing a FWD drivetrain mounted mid-engine. The reasons to go mid-engine are many, with the obvious one being that small front front-engine rear-drive drivetrains are going away, at least in the U.S. Other advantages are that:
• You aren’t forced to pick from a dwindling list of rear-drive engines.
• The exhaust doesn’t cook your feet, melt brake master cylinders, or foul the steering shaft.
• You won’t go deaf with the exhaust next to your ear.
• You won’t have ugly mufflers on the sides of the car. (A quiet car is becoming a requirement as more and more tracks impose strict sound limits.) Often, the nice looking Cobra-type side mufflers are too loud.
• A rearward weight bias helps acceleration and braking by increasing rear traction.
• You will have actual leg room! No tiny hot narrow foot wells and having to drive barefoot.
• You and your passenger won’t burn the back of your legs on the exhaust while getting out.
• Independent rear suspension gives a smooth ride on the street and excellent camber control on-track.
• No driveshaft between the seats means the center tunnel is much narrower, allowing more seat room without building a wider chassis which saves weight.
• There are no worries about a whirling driveshaft right next to your legs.
• You aren't having to back-engineer a FWD engine into a rear-wheel drive arrangement.
• With less weight on the front tires, steering effort is lighter than a front-engine layout.
• Many builders are already familiar with FWD drivetrains; using one allows that familiarity to crossover instead of starting over.
• Without the engine up front the area is properly triangulated, greatly increasing torsional rigidity.
• The oil pan does not hang down below the frame rails and is instead protected by the chassis.
• With no engine up front, a lockable storage space is created.
• With the engine placed behind the driver, engine torque does not twist the chassis.
• Superior drivetrain choices due to overwhelming availability of FWD drivetrains today.
• Minimum composite; inexpensive off-the-shelf parts are used instead of making them yourself or spending $$$$ to buy a shell.
• Miata suspension uprights are used that avoid machining and fabrication, saving time and avoiding lathe work.
• Large diameter tubing helps keep tube count low and speeds assembly.
• Due to the greater chassis cross-section, the chassis is much stiffer than a Locost.
• It is safer than a Locost due to the driver and passenger being fully surrounded by a integral roll-cage, not a bolted-on afterthought.
• Side sills are higher than on a Locost which provides much improved side-impact protection.
• Not having doors save weight, money, lots of time and frustration.
• Two seats — because these things must be shared.
• A Miata steering rack is used unmodified, avoiding modifications that many builders dread.
• Rocks kicked up by the front tires cannot bounce off a tube and hit you in the nuts! (A true story related by an unhappy owner of a popular open-frame sports car.)
• Rocks and autocross cones cannot damage the rear fenders thanks to the side inlets doubling as bumper bars and rear fender protection.
• No center-mounted plenum over the engine blocking rear visibility.
• The gas tank is located in the safest area of the car, ahead of the drivetrain and behind the seats.
• Because the gas tank is at the CG, handling is unaffected by fuel load.
• A locking storage area.
• A free foot heater which uses radiator exhaust air.
• Options for side curtains and roof.
• Light weight, 1300 pounds.
• Your choice of nearly any four-cylinder or small V6 FWD drivetrain.
Why:
Okay, what's with the name, MidLana? "Mid" because it's mid-engine, and "Lana" is our granddaughter's name. It sounds a bit like "Katana", a Japanese sword, and since both this car and Lana are part Japanese, it fits. I like the sound of it and it's unique on the Interweb so there you go.
Designing and building Kimini (http://www.kimini.com/index.html) taught me a lot... no, I take that back - it taught me A LOT! Kimini is very good at what she does, as nearly a "real car" as I'll probably ever build; a coupe, fairly quiet inside, keeping out the wind, dust, and rain, but it came at a high price in terms of work, weight, time, and money. I learned the importance of keeping things simple and easy to maintain. However, THE main thing I want to avoid in the next project is the composite work. Uh! So much work, hundreds of hours, and very expensive, messy, and hazardous. And that wasn't the worst of it. It was the surprising realization that now Kimini is done, I'm afraid to expose her to the harsh environment of the race track.
Yes, that's right, I can't help but hold back, scared to damage the oh-so-expensive composite, worried about the time and money it takes to fix it. I thought, if I did it again, it would be simpler, easier and faster to build, easier to maintain, and cheaper and lighter. This car is to be a second attempt at what I wanted in the first place, a low-cost trackday car - one that I don't have to worry about. Kimini is almost too good at what she does, but it's due to the expensive composite body shell. Yes it keeps out the dust, wind, and rain, but I worry too much about damaging it. I know people will say, "Eh, get over it and just go out there and drive it hard." Yeah well I don't see them around offering money and their time when it breaks! Then there's the hot Southern California summers, where having a car with sliding windows and no air conditioning means it gets very uncomfortable, enough that I don't drive it. That wasn't the intent at all.
Round two means building something more "sturdy" for the track, where it'll be designed such that if a rock get's kicked up and hits it, I can honestly shrug my shoulders and most importantly, it'll require little to no repair if it does happen. I want it dead-reliable like Kimini, where I pull off the track and go get a drink, rather than lifting the hood to see "what's wrong now?" like many other car owners do.
So this means the next car will minimize composite use and have no roof or doors. Not as refined, more elemental, and even simpler. In other words, easier and faster to build and not as expensive. Sound like something you'd be interested in?
Kurts Design is growing on me.
www.midlana.com (http://www.midlana.com)