A Modern Update to Disney's Magic Highways

[Rothman]

One interesting application I've heard for inductive pavement is for race tracks. Imagine how racing would change if drivers never needed to refuel!

The pit road is some of the best stuff in racing, it can changes the course of the entire competition.  Even if the cars didn't need to refuel they would still need to change tires since they have essentially have what would equate a tread wear rating of 1.  There isn't really a way around that kind of thing either as racing tires are designed to lay down as much rubber as possible for maximum grip.

But obviously they would need to pit less frequently.

That depends on the racing series and "may" be true of certain lighter weight open wheel series.  With heavier racing cars (NASCAR spec Stock Cars especially) the tire wear often out paces fuel consumption.  Bottom line is though, fresh tires are going to equate to better grip than worn tires.  So it really won't relegate pitting to a thing of the past even if fuel wasn't a factor.

But if the pavement were conductive then you could have the cars levitate so they wouldn't need tires. 

I suspect that auto racing that has actual drivers in the cars will never go towards something levitated given that would likely exceed current speeds handily and negate pretty much all safety advancements.  Auto racing has pretty much already hit the speeds where G-Forces on the body during crashes can become serious (if not fatal) and most series have made en effort to slow the cars.  NASCAR has long used air intake restriction plates for large super speedways to reduce top speed whereas most open wheel series have reduced engine displacement.

So, now we're considering levitating cars in this thread.

[kernals12]

One interesting application I've heard for inductive pavement is for race tracks. Imagine how racing would change if drivers never needed to refuel!

The pit road is some of the best stuff in racing, it can changes the course of the entire competition.  Even if the cars didn't need to refuel they would still need to change tires since they have essentially have what would equate a tread wear rating of 1.  There isn't really a way around that kind of thing either as racing tires are designed to lay down as much rubber as possible for maximum grip.

But obviously they would need to pit less frequently.

That depends on the racing series and "may" be true of certain lighter weight open wheel series.  With heavier racing cars (NASCAR spec Stock Cars especially) the tire wear often out paces fuel consumption.  Bottom line is though, fresh tires are going to equate to better grip than worn tires.  So it really won't relegate pitting to a thing of the past even if fuel wasn't a factor.

But if the pavement were conductive then you could have the cars levitate so they wouldn't need tires. 

I suspect that auto racing that has actual drivers in the cars will never go towards something levitated given that would likely exceed current speeds handily and negate pretty much all safety advancements.  Auto racing has pretty much already hit the speeds where G-Forces on the body during crashes can become serious (if not fatal) and most series have made en effort to slow the cars.  NASCAR has long used air intake restriction plates for large super speedways to reduce top speed whereas most open wheel series have reduced engine displacement.

Maglevs are inherently self stabilizing, the more you push away from the track, the greater the force pulling you back on. And just imagine a maglev automobile. It would have no moving parts at all. It would be like one of those Landspeeders from Star Wars

[Max Rockatansky]

One interesting application I've heard for inductive pavement is for race tracks. Imagine how racing would change if drivers never needed to refuel!

The pit road is some of the best stuff in racing, it can changes the course of the entire competition.  Even if the cars didn't need to refuel they would still need to change tires since they have essentially have what would equate a tread wear rating of 1.  There isn't really a way around that kind of thing either as racing tires are designed to lay down as much rubber as possible for maximum grip.

But obviously they would need to pit less frequently.

That depends on the racing series and "may" be true of certain lighter weight open wheel series.  With heavier racing cars (NASCAR spec Stock Cars especially) the tire wear often out paces fuel consumption.  Bottom line is though, fresh tires are going to equate to better grip than worn tires.  So it really won't relegate pitting to a thing of the past even if fuel wasn't a factor.

But if the pavement were conductive then you could have the cars levitate so they wouldn't need tires. 

I suspect that auto racing that has actual drivers in the cars will never go towards something levitated given that would likely exceed current speeds handily and negate pretty much all safety advancements.  Auto racing has pretty much already hit the speeds where G-Forces on the body during crashes can become serious (if not fatal) and most series have made en effort to slow the cars.  NASCAR has long used air intake restriction plates for large super speedways to reduce top speed whereas most open wheel series have reduced engine displacement.

So, now we're considering levitating cars in this thread.

I'm just waiting to see the survey of how it ties into the annual turnover rate for Fortune 500 companies. 

[kernals12]

One interesting application I've heard for inductive pavement is for race tracks. Imagine how racing would change if drivers never needed to refuel!

The pit road is some of the best stuff in racing, it can changes the course of the entire competition.  Even if the cars didn't need to refuel they would still need to change tires since they have essentially have what would equate a tread wear rating of 1.  There isn't really a way around that kind of thing either as racing tires are designed to lay down as much rubber as possible for maximum grip.

But obviously they would need to pit less frequently.

That depends on the racing series and "may" be true of certain lighter weight open wheel series.  With heavier racing cars (NASCAR spec Stock Cars especially) the tire wear often out paces fuel consumption.  Bottom line is though, fresh tires are going to equate to better grip than worn tires.  So it really won't relegate pitting to a thing of the past even if fuel wasn't a factor.

But if the pavement were conductive then you could have the cars levitate so they wouldn't need tires. 

I suspect that auto racing that has actual drivers in the cars will never go towards something levitated given that would likely exceed current speeds handily and negate pretty much all safety advancements.  Auto racing has pretty much already hit the speeds where G-Forces on the body during crashes can become serious (if not fatal) and most series have made en effort to slow the cars.  NASCAR has long used air intake restriction plates for large super speedways to reduce top speed whereas most open wheel series have reduced engine displacement.

So, now we're considering levitating cars in this thread.

It's a futurist thread, and the original Magic Highways had those "sun powered electro-suspension cars". I don't think wheelless cars will happen, because you're going to have to traverse dirt and gravel at some point. But racing cars aren't going to go off road.

[Max Rockatansky]

One interesting application I've heard for inductive pavement is for race tracks. Imagine how racing would change if drivers never needed to refuel!

The pit road is some of the best stuff in racing, it can changes the course of the entire competition.  Even if the cars didn't need to refuel they would still need to change tires since they have essentially have what would equate a tread wear rating of 1.  There isn't really a way around that kind of thing either as racing tires are designed to lay down as much rubber as possible for maximum grip.

But obviously they would need to pit less frequently.

That depends on the racing series and "may" be true of certain lighter weight open wheel series.  With heavier racing cars (NASCAR spec Stock Cars especially) the tire wear often out paces fuel consumption.  Bottom line is though, fresh tires are going to equate to better grip than worn tires.  So it really won't relegate pitting to a thing of the past even if fuel wasn't a factor.

But if the pavement were conductive then you could have the cars levitate so they wouldn't need tires. 

I suspect that auto racing that has actual drivers in the cars will never go towards something levitated given that would likely exceed current speeds handily and negate pretty much all safety advancements.  Auto racing has pretty much already hit the speeds where G-Forces on the body during crashes can become serious (if not fatal) and most series have made en effort to slow the cars.  NASCAR has long used air intake restriction plates for large super speedways to reduce top speed whereas most open wheel series have reduced engine displacement.

Maglevs are inherently self stabilizing, the more you push away from the track, the greater the force pulling you back on. And just imagine a maglev automobile. It would have no moving parts at all. It would be like one of those Landspeeders from Star Wars

Stable and racing generally don't mix.  Essentially the idea is to push the limits to the furthest extent possible as part of a competition, that by it's nature doesn't lend for stability.  Racing by it's very nature is inherently wreck prone. 

Either way, not a lot of good things are going to happen to a race car driver crashing into a wall at 400-500 MPH regardless of how stable the vehicle was beforehand.

[Scott5114]

One interesting application I've heard for inductive pavement is for race tracks.

Haven't they suffered enough at Santa Anita?

[Max Rockatansky]

One interesting application I've heard for inductive pavement is for race tracks. Imagine how racing would change if drivers never needed to refuel!

The pit road is some of the best stuff in racing, it can changes the course of the entire competition.  Even if the cars didn't need to refuel they would still need to change tires since they have essentially have what would equate a tread wear rating of 1.  There isn't really a way around that kind of thing either as racing tires are designed to lay down as much rubber as possible for maximum grip.

But obviously they would need to pit less frequently.

That depends on the racing series and "may" be true of certain lighter weight open wheel series.  With heavier racing cars (NASCAR spec Stock Cars especially) the tire wear often out paces fuel consumption.  Bottom line is though, fresh tires are going to equate to better grip than worn tires.  So it really won't relegate pitting to a thing of the past even if fuel wasn't a factor.

But if the pavement were conductive then you could have the cars levitate so they wouldn't need tires. 

I suspect that auto racing that has actual drivers in the cars will never go towards something levitated given that would likely exceed current speeds handily and negate pretty much all safety advancements.  Auto racing has pretty much already hit the speeds where G-Forces on the body during crashes can become serious (if not fatal) and most series have made en effort to slow the cars.  NASCAR has long used air intake restriction plates for large super speedways to reduce top speed whereas most open wheel series have reduced engine displacement.

So, now we're considering levitating cars in this thread.

It's a futurist thread, and the original Magic Highways had those "sun powered electro-suspension cars". I don't think wheelless cars will happen, because you're going to have to traverse dirt and gravel at some point. But racing cars aren't going to go off road.

World Rally much...

[kernals12]

I think the car of tomorrow will use these:

It's an idea devised by startup Protean. What you have here is a car's motor, brakes, suspension, and steering all in one modular unit. Unsprung weight is currently an issue, one that those room temperature superconductors are needed to fix, but just imagine all of the savings in weight, complexity, and cost, that would result from this sort of design.

[skluth]

One interesting application I've heard for inductive pavement is for race tracks. Imagine how racing would change if drivers never needed to refuel!

The pit road is some of the best stuff in racing, it can changes the course of the entire competition.  Even if the cars didn't need to refuel they would still need to change tires since they have essentially have what would equate a tread wear rating of 1.  There isn't really a way around that kind of thing either as racing tires are designed to lay down as much rubber as possible for maximum grip.

But obviously they would need to pit less frequently.

That depends on the racing series and "may" be true of certain lighter weight open wheel series.  With heavier racing cars (NASCAR spec Stock Cars especially) the tire wear often out paces fuel consumption.  Bottom line is though, fresh tires are going to equate to better grip than worn tires.  So it really won't relegate pitting to a thing of the past even if fuel wasn't a factor.

But if the pavement were conductive then you could have the cars levitate so they wouldn't need tires. 

I suspect that auto racing that has actual drivers in the cars will never go towards something levitated given that would likely exceed current speeds handily and negate pretty much all safety advancements.  Auto racing has pretty much already hit the speeds where G-Forces on the body during crashes can become serious (if not fatal) and most series have made en effort to slow the cars.  NASCAR has long used air intake restriction plates for large super speedways to reduce top speed whereas most open wheel series have reduced engine displacement.

Maglevs are inherently self stabilizing, the more you push away from the track, the greater the force pulling you back on. And just imagine a maglev automobile. It would have no moving parts at all. It would be like one of those Landspeeders from Star Wars

Great. So racing will be dominated by nine-year-olds who are supposed to bring balance to the Force. I've seen that future and want to avoid it.

[Max Rockatansky]

One interesting application I've heard for inductive pavement is for race tracks. Imagine how racing would change if drivers never needed to refuel!

The pit road is some of the best stuff in racing, it can changes the course of the entire competition.  Even if the cars didn't need to refuel they would still need to change tires since they have essentially have what would equate a tread wear rating of 1.  There isn't really a way around that kind of thing either as racing tires are designed to lay down as much rubber as possible for maximum grip.

But obviously they would need to pit less frequently.

That depends on the racing series and "may" be true of certain lighter weight open wheel series.  With heavier racing cars (NASCAR spec Stock Cars especially) the tire wear often out paces fuel consumption.  Bottom line is though, fresh tires are going to equate to better grip than worn tires.  So it really won't relegate pitting to a thing of the past even if fuel wasn't a factor.

But if the pavement were conductive then you could have the cars levitate so they wouldn't need tires. 

I suspect that auto racing that has actual drivers in the cars will never go towards something levitated given that would likely exceed current speeds handily and negate pretty much all safety advancements.  Auto racing has pretty much already hit the speeds where G-Forces on the body during crashes can become serious (if not fatal) and most series have made en effort to slow the cars.  NASCAR has long used air intake restriction plates for large super speedways to reduce top speed whereas most open wheel series have reduced engine displacement.

Maglevs are inherently self stabilizing, the more you push away from the track, the greater the force pulling you back on. And just imagine a maglev automobile. It would have no moving parts at all. It would be like one of those Landspeeders from Star Wars

Great. So racing will be dominated by nine-year-olds who are supposed to bring balance to the Force. I've seen that future and want to avoid it.

Don't you mean a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away?  That doesn't sound very wizard to me and makes me want to tell my wife how much I hate sand. 

[1995hoo]

I've got a very bad feeling about this discussion.