Wind tunnel models and so forth ...

[murraydeschot]

Has anyone seen any of the wind tunnel models or indeed the scale mock ups that McLaren would spray, at not inconsiderable expense, to demonstrate the client's colour choice appearing for sale? Additionally, does anyone know what scale these were made in?

[mls]

The Autocar article says the models are 1/10th scale.

[Peloton25]

I never seen any of the above mentioned for sale anywhere. Even if I did, they'd likely be far out of my price range and just leave me a bit disappointed. Ebay doesn't even seem like it would be a wise place for an item like that. You'd really expect to find it at a specialized motoring auction of some sort, assuming they were ever sold.

Nothing I have read really claims that the owners got to keep those 1/10 scale models showcasing the color chosen for their car, and I suspect that they were reused. They appear to have been made out of a solid chunk of foam anyway - nothing too fancy or expensive.

As for the wind tunnel model - it appears from Driving Ambition that a clay model/s were used to refine the initial shape.

I also found this ad in an old Race Car Engineering magazine about a company in the UK called Activa. Their facility had a 1/3rd scale wind tunnel designed by Gordon Murray which was used to test the shape of the longtail GTRs, if not other McLaren products. The company was a composites shop too and may have provided some of the molds for the F1s/GTRs as well. It appears from this ad that there was an actual carbon fiber scale model of the longtail GTR used for wind tunnel testing. I'd love to see more photos of this thing:



I had put Activa on my list of places to go when I visited the UK as they also had a hand in the stillborn Yamaha OX99-11 prototype supercar during the early '90s, and even had two of them in storage in their facility. Recently I learned that Activa is no longer in business though - bummer that.

>8^)
ER

[ArchangelGTR]

Defunct business? Someone has that carbon fiber model in their garage then.

[Mr. Bernoulli]

Activa was relaunched as a composites company about a year ago with some big plans. Unfortunately they didn't have such a good business plan and so are, once again, no longer trading.

[Peloton25]

Kind of Off Topic for our forum - but Mr B. would you have any idea what happened to the two Yamaha supercar prototypes they were hanging onto? I'm guessing the answer is no, but as I have learned over the years it almost never hurts to ask.

>8^)
ER

[Mr. Bernoulli]

I don't, but I know a man that might. Let me get back to you on that one.