Development
Announced in late 2006, the B08/60 had been developed following not only Peugeot's introduction of their closed-cockpit coupe, the 908 HDi FAP, but also the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's (ACO) announcement of rule changes in 2010 that would have allowed only closed-cockpit LMP1s at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Lola set out to build a car that could compete with the aerodynamic advantages of the 908 and other planned coupes, while preparing for the 2010 rule changes beforehand.
The design of the B08/60 shares many elements with its predecessor, the B06/10, with notable exception of the closed versus open cockpits. The nose and sidepods feature similar cooling and venting structures as the B06/10, while a slightly larger nose is based on the 2007-spec designs offered by Lola. Phil Tiller was in charge of the B08/60's aerodynamics, and developed the narrow cockpit. Integrated in the cockpit design are a roof-mounted air intake for the engine. The shoulders of the cockpit are also designed in a stepped fashion.
The B08/60's design has also been aided by a partnership between Lola, Fluent, Inc., and AMD. The two firms provide engineering software and hardware respectively. Wind tunnel testing of scale models had been carried out since early 2007, with multiple shapes being analysed before the first car was completed in December.
During the development of the B08/60, Lola also approved the development of an LMP2 variant of the design. This car, known as B08/80, shares many elements from the B08/60, but better adapted to the LMP2 regulations which saw smaller engines, lower speeds, and generally smaller teams competing.
Read more about this topic: Lola B08/60
Famous quotes containing the word development:
“Creativity seems to emerge from multiple experiences, coupled with a well-supported development of personal resources, including a sense of freedom to venture beyond the known.”
—Loris Malaguzzi (20th century)
“To be sure, we have inherited abilities, but our development we owe to thousands of influences coming from the world around us from which we appropriate what we can and what is suitable to us.”
—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749–1832)
“The experience of a sense of guilt for wrong-doing is necessary for the development of self-control. The guilt feelings will later serve as a warning signal which the child can produce himself when an impulse to repeat the naughty act comes over him. When the child can produce his on warning signals, independent of the actual presence of the adult, he is on the way to developing a conscience.”
—Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)