MAK-Corp Group C Mod 0.79
General These amazingly fast cars, were made to achieve the fastest speeds using the lowest amount of fuel possible, which was key to success in that era. The Group C Mod was conceived for endurance races and for sprint races of at least one hour (one full tank). We have had the help of a former Porsche 962C driver throughout the development process and been given a lot of technical information about the car and the different tyres used.
Simulation Vs Reality As the real cars changed from race to race and at every qualification, we had to make some directional choices, and that’s why the cars match the historical final speeds and lap times at some tracks, but not in others. The main focus has been put into handling, braking distances, tyres , fuel consumption, and the driving style needed to achieve the best performance from them. These cars produced a large amount of ground effect, and over 180 km/h the ground effect pushes the car into the ground producing a huge amount of grip. Under braking this effect is reduced while the car loses speed, and needs attention to avoid locking the tyres. Below the speed of the ground effect activation, the cars rely on their tyres, and the ability of the driver to manage the power output on corner exit as they navigate the circuit. The turbo lag can also be a problem if it isn’t carefully matched with the right moment, but it could be helpful in other situations.
The Cars Mazda 787B: This is an 850Kg car, with a carbon fiber chassis, a rotary engine and a gearbox with Porsche internal components. It's an easy car to drive, very stable and with low fuel consumption. It has very good braking thanks to carbon fiber disks. Handling is neutral and it has very good cornering behaviour thanks to the short wheelbase. The understeer/oversteer relationship can be managed by changing the rear wing setting. It uses Dunlop tyres fitted on 18 inches rims. Two compounds are available, medium for sprint races and hard for endurance races. This car can be driven on the limit for an entire race just taking care to not passing the RPM limit.
The engine with an estimated 700HP power is very driver friendly but with very warm tyres, the peak of the torque curve will require the driver's work on the steering wheel to correct.
Specification Weight: 850Kg Chassis: Carbon Fiber Brakes: Carbon Fiber Front wheels: 300x640mm Rim: 18 inches Rear wheels: 360x710mm Rim: 18 inches Engine: Rotary 2.6 litre ~700HP @ 9000RPM
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Porsche 962C: This 900Kg car is the most iconic from this era. The 962C set the benchmark for years, but by the late 80’s and early 90’s it was starting showing it’s age. The Aluminium chassis had many upgrades and modifications to keep it competitive, including several different engines, aero modifications and electronics changes. It has Iron brake disks, so this car has a longer braking distance than the Mazda. For this Mod the 962C is offered with two engines, a 3 litre twin turbo engine used as C1 class in WSC, and a 2.8 litre single turbo version as used in IMSA. The 3 litre version develops power in a gentle manner, making it easy to drive and oriented to endurance races, while the IMSA version with a huge single turbo is more aggressive and more fuel hungry. There are two different brands of tyres, Goodyear (R500 and R600, similar to the Dunlop of the Mazda) and Yokohama. The Yokohama compound is a hard and very stable tyre with behaviour similar to the Goodyear R600 compound. The Yokohama compound has lower grip than the Goodyear R600, but it’s performance is comparable through an entire stint. The turbo boost setting can be adjusted in-car, it has 15 positions. Positions 1 to 7 are fuel saving settings. Position 7 (1.1 bar) is the recommended setting for endurance races with the best power/consumption ratio, and matches the Mazda's fuel consumption. Positions 7 to 10 (up to 1.25bar) are used for sprint races, increasing the power output but with a higher fuel consumption and higher engine wear (not recommended for long endurance races). Lastly, Position 15 is only recommended for qualification stints. This setting has ridiculously high fuel usage, and the health of the engine would be affected adversely under race lengths/conditions and prone to failure. A button for temporary boost could be added too, providing full boost while pressed.
Specification Weight: 900Kg Chassis: Aluminium Brakes: Iron, ventilated Front wheels: 300x650mm Rim: 17 inches Rear Wheels: 365x720mm Rim: 19 inches Engine WSC: Flat-6 3.0 litre twin turbo 650-800HP @ 8200RPM Engine IMSA: Flat-6 2.8 litre single turbo 650-800HP @ 8200RPM
Which car is best for me? The Mazda with just one brand of tyres and management of fuel consumption in the hands of the driver, it's a great safe choice for the race. On the Porsche's side, you have different options. You could use Goodyear tyres and a higher turbo pressure to go as fast as you can, but bear in mind that tyres will last less, and pit stops will be longer due to the amount of fuel needed. A more conservative choice could be to use the Yokohama tyres with a lower turbo pressure. Both cars have the same chance to fight for wins, it all depends on the driver to choose the right combination that matches their driving style to get the best performance from the chosen car.
