Racing Car Honda Indy project Concept Car by Yutian Li, the vehicle's designer.

Honda Indy Racing Car

Racing Car Honda Indy project concept has been designed to offer superior aerodynamic performance.
The Honda and the Indy Racing League was sponsored by Honda Indy Racing Car project. Yutian Li,the vehicle's designer, is a graduate of the Transportation Design course at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. Yutian also holds a bachelors degree in vehicle engineering and a masters in industrial design from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
The overall shape of the Honda Indy Racing Car was inspired by modern architecture - but more specifically Zaha Hadid's work which is greatly influenced by topological patterns found in nature and has a high degree of fluidity and continuity. Yutian applied this theme to vehicle design by using a combination of blended surfaces, and crossing/overlapping shapes in order to bring a whole new look to the future Indy Car Series.

Honda Indy Racing Car


Aside from bringing completely new forms to the racing world, the Honda Indy Racing Car has also been designed to offer superior aerodynamic performance. The large integrated rear wing located above the engine creates downforce over the rear axle. This downforce is increased once the engine is up at operating temperature because of the pressure difference between hot and cold air. The side panel directs the air to go around the wheels so that rotating drag is reduced. The air box on either side of the driver and the large air intakes in the front ensure sufficient airflow to the engine.
As with all racing vehicles, driver safety in the event of a crash is the utmost priority. The driver of the Honda Indy Racing Car concept is protected by a structure which was inspired by the shape of leaves. This unit is designed to diffuse the energy of the collision, and at the same time keep the interior cockpit structure intact.
Aside from keeping the rear tires firmly in contact with the track surface, the expansive rear spoiler also acts as a prominent billboard which could make the Indy series more attractive to sponsors. The stripe which divides this spoiler in two contains a thermally sensitive material which changes color depending on engine temperature. This is designed to add more excitement to the race and the spectators.

Cars and environment Green cars: Genuine or a marketing tool?

Are green cars in Indonesia really “green”, or just a label to get more sales? The latter seems to be the answer according to an NGO focusing on consumer protection, although car manufacturers beg to differ.

“The ‘green’ tag, particularly in Indonesia, is nothing more than an effort to gain more buyers. Global environmental consciousness is providing manufacturers new excuses to market their products,” Indah Sukmaningsih, a member of the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI), told a seminar Thursday.

Some car manufacturers have promoted their “green” cars, which they say are less harmful to the environment than comparable conventional vehicles.

Toyota for example, has recently launched its hybrid car, the Toyota Prius, which runs on two power sources, a gasoline engine and electric batteries.

Johnny Darmawan, president director of PT Toyota Astra Motor, claimed the Toyota Prius produced very little CO2 emission and used recyclable materials.

“Prius’ Power Split Device [PSD] makes constant automatic adjustments to the power ratio from electric motor and gasoline engine according to the situation,” he said.

“On a flat road, for example, it uses only the electric motor to run the car at medium speeds. At an incline, it will automatically turn on the combustion engine to produce more power. So the car is also fuel-efficient,” Johnny added.

PT Honda Prospect Motor is also planning to sell cars under the Honda Civic brand that consume less fuel and are considered environment-friendly.

Indah, however, said that it was not enough to be called “green”.

She cited the issue of fuel quality in Indonesia, which has yet to meet environment-friendly criteria.
“No matter how ‘green’ your car is, as long as the fuel still has high sulfur content, it will produce noxious, harmful emissions,” Indah said.

“Becoming ‘green’ is supposed to be a comprehensive concept that requires everyone’s involvement, not just industry. So if the stakeholder institutions still work unilaterally, everything they call ‘green’ will be misleading.”

Indah also criticized the government which, she said, seemed to prioritize maximizing income from vehicle taxes while neglecting environmental issues.

In response, Panggah Susanto, the Industry Ministry’s director for land and military transportation industries, said the environment issue was not his responsibility.

“We focus only on the industrial sectors. The automotive industry is a major employer and contributes the most to the regional budget in all regions throughout the country, so we must be sensitive when designing policy that will affect this sector.”