The new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car was designed and
developed on a virtual platform, using the same production-based technology and
tools applied to the street vehicles, in a collaboration between FCA production
and race engineers and the Don Schumacher Racing team.
Project engineers worked intensely to ensure that styling from the
production version of the 2015 Dodge Charger was reflected in the Funny Car
with similar design cues like scalloped sides and front and rear ends to make
it easily recognizable to fans. Also included in the design process was the
conscious decision to add durability and increase strength to the construction
of the one-piece body with the use of composite materials including Kevlar and
carbon.
Not only was the development of the new Funny Car body a result of
in-house engineering expertise but the project tapped into top-level academic
outside resources as well by working in conjunction with the University of
North Carolina on an extensive study to improve the strength and durability of
the body composition. The engineering team also was challenged to carryover the
aerodynamic properties of the previous version while making the new body more
lightweight.
Sight-line studies contributed to the new design by incorporating
geometry changes that moved back the windshield and greenhouse (cockpit area)
to provide improvements to visibility for the drivers, which is critical due at
the 300 miles per hour (mph) or more speeds that the Funny Cars attain during
competition. More than ten added degrees of side visibility and a doubling of
upward visibility were gained with that design change alone. Another major
benefit of the redesign includes minimized of the effects of potential destructive
forces on the car by providing proper clearance for the injectors, blowers and
engine, all while maintaining the series’ sanctioning body’s extensive list of
guidelines and standards.
The new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car design was developed
with the design process and team of engineers who worked on the 2014 Mopar
Dodge Dart Pro Stock vehicle introduced earlier this year. It was then
validated with aerodynamic wind tunnel testing at the company’s facility in
Auburn Hills, Mich.
Further confirmation of the data took place with a number of test
runs by DSR driver Matt Hagan at NHRA race tracks in Norwalk, Ohio, and
Indianapolis, Ind. Hagan’s first impressions were overwhelmingly positive.
