i found myself watching nascar tonight, dunno why, i must be bored as hell...

how come the cars have insignas for cars like impala and camry, when the cars all look the same in shape?

Quote from bunder9999 :

i found myself watching nascar tonight, dunno why, i must be bored as hell...

how come the cars have insignas for cars like impala and camry, when the cars all look the same in shape?

The manufacturers are, to a large extent, sponsors. They pay the teams to put the decals on the car. I know it's more involved than that, but it's an easy way to look at it.

Technically, they aren't the same bodies. They just have to fit a template, they do have different bodies, the differences are subtle, but they are there.

TOYOTA
http://www.theautochannel.com/ ... 007/10/16/067440.1-lg.jpg

CHEVY
http://www.jayski.com/schemes/ ... cup/48lowes-COT-front.jpg

DODGE
http://assets.speedtv.com/imag ... scs_kasey_kahne_car_m.jpg

FORD
http://www.mattkenseth.com/pho ... ristol/17Arby'sCOT700.jpg

If you look in the front of the nose, you can definitely see they are very different. They also have different engines(in relation to your question about the decals)

Yeh, the main difference is the nose.

I remember when Pontiac use to have models in NASCAR. Man that their Grand Prix has a massive nose compared to the Fords and Chevys. Some say the nose was the difference to get Ricky Craven his win back in 2003 Darlington lol.



But yeh, with the CoT, they are much more similar then the previous stock car models. But each manufacture still have a different car (again the main difference is in the nose and rear)

Doesn't matter. It will be Toyotacar before too long.

Quote from Falcon140 :

Doesn't matter. It will be Toyotacar before too long.

NASCAR's thinking about going fuel injectors...

If this happens Honda and Volkswagen has already expressed interest as entering as a constructor in NASCAR so...it's not just Toyota

I also dislike the anti-toyota sentiment...NASCAR is going to be American regardless of what happens...I mean look at V8 SuperCar. They have Ford as a major constructor and they go to Bahrain and yet they still maintain their Australian flavor. Same as Stock Car Brazil/Turismo Carterra for Latin America and DTM for Germany.

I wish some of the Americans I know would stop being so xenophobic. International interest (whether it may be drivers, circuits, or constructors) will only be a plus the way I see it

For years the cars looked like the street vehicles it represented. Teams that were in certain manufacturers found that one manufacturer was stronger at some tracks, while maybe another manufacturer was stronger at another. NASCAR wanted to keep them as equal as possible when the COT was released, while showing a small hint (almost nothing) of difference between the manufacturers.

/goes back to 1988.

The car shapes is half of why i'm not a NASCAR fan. I like some variety...

...the other half is the shapes of the tracks.

Quote from PMD9409 :

For years the cars looked like the street vehicles it represented. Teams that were in certain manufacturers found that one manufacturer was stronger at some tracks, while maybe another manufacturer was stronger at another. NASCAR wanted to keep them as equal as possible when the COT was released, while showing a small hint (almost nothing) of difference between the manufacturers.

/goes back to 1988.

Man....back then you can really see the difference between a Buick, a Chevy, a Ford, an Oldsmobile, and a Pontiac!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v ... Nh0yg&feature=related

I still wonder why they dont though?

look at V8 supercars, the wheelbases/dementions are all completely wrong but the car it self reflects truely on the car they represent and there cars are equal as **** and on circuits too.

Im sure theres a way to make them have the same aero/drag whilst keeping some kind of simularity to the car they represent.

I say go back to using each manufacturer's top of the line full-size car. Strip it, stick a roll cage in and be done with it.

Quote from Forbin :

I say go back to using each manufacturer's top of the line full-size car. Strip it, stick a roll cage in and be done with it.

Exactly. Just don't forget the V8.

Quote from PMD9409 :

Exactly. Just don't forget the V8.

of obsolete technology.

Quote from Forbin :

I say go back to using each manufacturer's top of the line full-size car. Strip it, stick a roll cage in and be done with it.

+1

Quote from heson :

of obsolete technology.

Know what else is obsolete tech? Classic GT Racing and Legends Racing. What's your point?

Quote from heson :

of obsolete technology.

Well duh, we are going back to 1988.

Quote from Forbin :

I say go back to using each manufacturer's top of the line full-size car. Strip it, stick a roll cage in and be done with it.

then if everyone hit the wall at high speed they would die.

So don't hit the wall?

Kidding aside, that'd be the responsibility of the manufacturers to make a safe car and would certainly be a powerful marketing tool.

"Our cars are fast."

[cut to a shot of the car taking the checkers]

"Our cars are even fuel-efficient."

[cut to a shot of the car passing the pit lane as a couple dozen others dive in]

"But even more importantly, our cars are so safe, <well-known driver> survived this."

[cut to a shot of the car slamming into a wall and rolling, then the driver getting out]

"Imagine what it could do for you on the road."

Quote from Forbin :

So don't hit the wall?

Kidding aside, that'd be the responsibility of the manufacturers to make a safe car and would certainly be a powerful marketing tool.

"Our cars are fast. *cut to car crossing the finish line* Our cars are even fuel-efficient. *cut to car passing pit lane as a couple dozen others dive in* Even more importantly, our cars are so safe, <well-known driver> survived this. *cut to a shot of a car slamming into a wall and rolling it* Imagine what it could do for you on the road."

And of course the dumb Americans will believe that their cars will survive a 160mph smash into a wall

"Our car handles so bad, even professional racing drivers crash with it".

Reasonable point, stock cars consist of a pretty heavy metal frame with sheet metal over the top, which is why they're so safe, if road car shells were to be used, they would have to have some serious reinforcing other than just a roll caage, things like side impact bars et cetera.

But using production car bodies could work, it worked well enough with the BTCC in the 90s.

Quote from zeugnimod :

"Our car handles so bad, even professional racing drivers crash with it".

So then they have an excuse. What's the excuse in other series?

Quote from PMD9409 :

So then they have an excuse. What's the excuse in other series?

good man, good man

All jokin aside, I wonder why NASCAR needs to enforce a "single" template body for each manufacture? Just because it's stock car doesnt mean each car has to be exactly the same.

Look at Turismo Carretera. Pretty awesome series imho:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turismo_Carretera

Quote from lizardfolk :

NASCAR's thinking about going fuel injectors...

Really?

Quote from deggis :

Really?

It's a rumor and it's confirmed that NASCAR's "THINKING" about it. They've said that there will not be any timeline or deadline to implementing it. But they are seriously considering it as Honda and Volkswagen are interested in joining the NASCAR constructors if fuel injectors are introduced