A roadster (also spider , spyder ) is an open two-seat car with emphasis on sporting appearance or character. Initially an American term for a two-seat car with no weather protection, its usage has spread internationally and has evolved to include two-seat convertibles .
95-410: The BMW Z8 is a roadster produced by German automotive manufacturer BMW from 1998 to 2003. The Z8 was developed under the codename "E52" between 1993 and 1999, through the efforts of a design team led by Chris Bangle from 1993 to 1995. The exterior was designed by Henrik Fisker and the interior by Scott Lempert. The Z8 originally was designed as a styling exercise intended to evoke and celebrate
190-458: A "safety car" period, which would see marshals wave yellow flags and hold "SC" boards, pending the car in question entering the track. From 2007, all Formula One cars must have LEDs and/or displays fitted to the steering wheel or cockpit, which inform the driver which flags are being waved. A yellow LED is illuminated when the safety car is deployed. The safety car is driven by a professional driver (since 2000, by Bernd Mayländer ), accompanied by
285-544: A "sporty car." Auto racing began with the first earnest contests in 1894 in Europe , and in 1895 in the United States . Some of the earliest race cars were purpose-built or stripped for the greatest speed, with minimal or no bodywork at all, leading to a body style aptly named 'speedster'. The cut-down speedster body-style really took form in the 1900s. After removing most of the body (and fenders), an empty platform on
380-593: A 30G crash involving Max Verstappen . The system saw its first extended deployment at the 2015 British Grand Prix after Carlos Sainz Jr. 's power unit failed at Club Corner of the Silverstone Circuit . The Full Course Yellow condition is the Formula E version of the Virtual Safety Car. In this condition, all marshal posts will wave yellow flags, accompanied by a sign that says "FCY" with
475-549: A 5-speed BMW Steptronic transmission mated to a 4.8 L Alpina-tuned BMW M62 V8 engine from the Alpina E39 B10 V8 S. In order to complete the car's transition from a sports car to a refined grand tourer, a softer suspension setting was used. The standard Z8's run-flat tyres on 18 in (46 cm) wheels were discarded in favor of conventional tyres with softer sidewalls mounted on 20 in (51 cm) Alpina wheels. A new softer grade of Nappa leather replaced
570-401: A car during the parade laps. Depending on the driver's skill, some drivers are allowed to pace the field right up to the dropping of the green flag. Some famous drivers have been Jay Leno , Richard Hammond , Luke Wilson , Rob Gronkowski , Guy Fieri and many others. The beneficiary rule (informally known as the "lucky dog" rule) states once the safety car is deployed, the first car not on
665-399: A co-driver to assist with operations and communications. The safety car has both orange and green lights mounted on its roof in the form of a light bar . The green lights are used to signal that it is possible to overtake the safety car; this is only done until the race leader is immediately behind the safety car and at the head of the queue of race cars following. From 2015, the safety car
760-486: A controversial start when the pace car did not return to the pits when the green lights came on. The front running LMPs slowed down but some of the GT cars could not react fast enough, resulting in collisions and heavy damage to all three GTE Pro class Porsches which caused them to retire. The GTE Am class IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche and GTE Pro JOTA Aston Martin were also caught up in the carnage. An accident occurred during
855-440: A leading driver may have had over the remaining field of competitors. This effect can make racing more competitive upon full race resumption; conversely, it has also contributed to faster leading drivers being negated just rewards for their efforts prior to the caution period. Subject to the racing regulations in force, it is not uncommon for drivers to be allowed to make pitstops during safety car periods. This situation may provide
950-655: A power output of 400 PS (294 kW; 395 hp) at 6,600 rpm and 500 N⋅m (369 lbf⋅ft) of torque at 3,800 rpm. This engine, known internally as the S62 , was built by BMW Motorsport and was shared with the E39 M5 sports saloon. The engine is located behind the front axle in order to provide the car with a 50/50 weight distribution. The factory claimed a 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) acceleration time of 4.7 seconds; Motor Trend magazine achieved 0–96 km/h (0–60 mph) in 4.2 seconds. Road & Track measured
1045-412: A reasonable speed so as to ensure that the competitors' tyres are as close as possible to operating temperature and their engines do not overheat. For incidents during the first three laps, the safety car also has an advantage over the traditional red flag; with a red flag, it would take a minimum of fifteen minutes to restart the race, and the two-hour limit would not start until the cars were ready for
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#17327724976651140-526: A second formation lap. With regards to the time limit, the race is being scored and the time is also counting while the safety car is on the track, and the race resumes. The first use of a safety car in Formula One is reported to have taken place at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix , where a yellow Porsche 914 was called for duty following various incidents under treacherous weather conditions. Controversially, on that occasion, it took several hours after
1235-554: A serious head injury which led to his death, the FIA established an "accident panel" to investigate the dynamics of the accident and ways to minimize the risk of a crash during similar circumstances that do not warrant the deployment of a safety car and cannot be simply managed with yellow flags . The accident panel recommended the implementation of a "virtual safety car", based on the " slow zone " system used in Le Mans racing. Compared to
1330-507: A small body and large wooden wheels with thin spokes; they were nicknamed "spiders" because of their appearance; the nickname was transferred to sports cars, although they did not look similar. In 1962, Chevrolet introduced the Monza Spyder , a turbocharged version of its Corvair compact, available as a convertible or coupe. Although not a true 2 passenger vehicle, it featured upgraded suspension and other equipment to classify it as
1425-422: A strategic advantage since any scheduled refueling, tire change or maintenance may be carried out while other competitors are lapping at lower speed, and the drivers who pit then simply rejoin a queue of cars all running together. During normal racing conditions, such interventions would typically involve losing significant terrain over those drivers that remain on-track. Another notable effect of safety car periods
1520-410: A unique placement of the engine in a 'lay down' mounting so the cylinders were nearly horizontal instead of vertical as traditional design dictated. This gave a slightly lower center of mass and a lower profile. Roadsters continued to race until the late 1960s, although they became increasingly uncompetitive against the new rear-engined racing cars. The last roadster to complete the full race distance
1615-530: A yellow background. This condition is often decided by the Race Director whether it is appropriate to implement it or not. The fans (if they are watching the race on TV) and drivers can hear the Race Director declare the FCY on the radio. Once the FCY is implemented, all drivers must activate the FCY limiter, which, similar to the pit speed limiter, keeps the car under FCY speeds despite the throttle being flat to
1710-406: Is also preferred over stopping the race ( red flag ) and restarting as the latter takes longer. During a caution period, the safety car (which generally consists of an aptly modified high-performance production car) enters the track ahead of the leader. Depending on the regulations in effect, competitors are not normally allowed to pass the safety car or other competitors during a caution period, and
1805-513: Is mostly activated through the car's steering wheel used as a targeting display, and can also be remote controlled through the use of the vehicle's keychain. This was the final BMW car to appear in the James Bond franchise as its 3-year film deal with BMW expired. It later reappeared in the James Bond video games 007 Racing and Agent Under Fire , the latter of which featured the car on the cover. Roadster (automobile) The roadster
1900-423: Is not required to wait until all backmarkers have caught back up to the queue. When the safety car is ready to leave the circuit, it will turn off its orange lights to indicate that it will enter the pit lane at the end of the lap. Drivers must continue in formation until they cross the first safety car line, where circuit green lights and flags will indicate they are free to race again. The safety car must maintain
1995-409: Is that racing cars consume less fuel until full race resumption, which can allow competitors to run longer distances on a tank of fuel than would otherwise have been possible and/or reduce the number of pitstops required for the duration of the race. In Formula One if an accident or inclement weather (typically, heavy rain) prevents normal racing from continuing safely, the Race Director will call for
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#17327724976652090-629: Is the Mazda MX-5 , which was introduced in 1989. The early style of roadster with minimal weather protection is still in production by several low-volume manufacturers and fabricators, including the windowless Morgan Roadster , the doorless Caterham 7 and the bodyless Ariel Atom . The term roadster was used to describe a style of racing cars competing in the AAA/USAC Championship Cars series (the IndyCar equivalents of
2185-614: Is used in a race, extra time will be added in order to compensate for the missed racing time due to the safety car. The first use of a pace car in automobile racing was at the inaugural Indy 500 in 1911. The officials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been selecting a pace car and its driver for the Indy 500 each year since that first race. The first pace car was a Stoddard-Dayton driven by Carl G. Fisher . In recent years Chevrolet models have been chosen as
2280-471: The 2009 FIA WTCC Race of France in Pau , France . A succession of first-lap accidents caused the safety car to be placed on standby, with yellow flags waving on the start-finish section of the track. The safety car driver - a local politician - then proceeded to drive onto the track at slow speed, without official approval, moving across the pit exit line immediately after exiting the pits, instead of confining to
2375-601: The Alboreto corner of the Monza Circuit on the Thursday of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix . Both the passenger and the driver, Bernd Mayländer , were safe, and no interruptions were reported as there was another safety car at the site if needed. The race itself went on without any safety car deployments, extending a streak of such that started after the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix . The high amount of caution laps during
2470-629: The Cadillac V-16 , the Duesenberg Model J and Bugatti Royale . By the 1970s "roadster" could be applied to any two-seater car of sporting appearance or character. In response to market demand they were manufactured as well-equipped as convertibles with side windows that retracted into the doors. Popular models through the 1960s and 1970s were the Alfa Romeo Spider , MGB and Triumph TR4 . The highest selling roadster
2565-596: The Toyota Tundra , but prefer marketing the Camry Hybrid. However, Ford and Toyota manufacturer sponsored tracks will prefer the Mustang and Camry, respectively, instead of a truck, and occasionally, pickup trucks have been used as pace vehicles for Cup Series and Xfinity races. Since NASCAR does not allow speedometers or electronic speed limiting devices, the pace car circles the track at pit road speed during
2660-593: The warm-up laps . This allows each driver to note the RPM at which pit road speed is maintained. Drivers exceeding that speed on pit road will be penalized, typically a "drive-through" or "stop and go" penalty, costing them valuable track position. Since mid-2004, NASCAR official Brett Bodine has driven the vehicle during official race functions during Cup Series races. Other famous NASCAR pace car drivers include Robert "Buster" Auton and Elmo Langley . At many races, NASCAR has an honorary pace car driver that actually drives
2755-634: The 1956–1959 BMW 507 . Prototypes were spotted testing between 1996 and 1999. A concept was later developed to preview the Z8, called the Z07 and was showcased in October 1997 at the Tokyo Motor Show . The Z07 Concept had been based on the concurrently running E52 development programme. As a result, practical and regulatory considerations necessitated very few changes for the production model. Comparatively,
2850-543: The 2023 IndyCar Monterey Grand Prix resulted in extended use of the Honda Civic pace car. This eventually led to the pace car almost running out of fuel. The Civic was then shown being refuelled by hand. During the opening pace laps of the 2018 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix IndyCar race (the second race of a doubleheader weekend at the Belle Isle street circuit), a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 pace car leading
2945-502: The BMW into a number of rolls. The safety car was sent off the track into the Armco safety barrier at great speed. In the chaos, a Marcos LM600 coming around turn 11 locked up its brakes and spun into the wet grass on the inside of the track. Sliding back onto the track, it was hit from the side by a BMW Z3 . Furthermore, two E46 BMW M3 GTRs were damaged: one on the outside line hit the rear of
BMW Z8 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3040-543: The Marcos, and the other, on the inside line, slightly damaged its front right. The second M3 continued around the track, while the first slid into the grass before turn 12. The race was stopped, and there were no serious injuries to any of the drivers. On lap 57, ARCA driver Joe Cooksey ran into the back of the Pontiac Grand Prix pace car driven by Jack Wallace totaling the pace car, to quote Cooksey: "It might be
3135-527: The Opel Vectra was criticized as it had a low top speed, which was insufficient to keep the competitors' tyre temperatures high, and the Vectra's brakes faded on the first lap causing its driver to go slowly. Since 1996 , in order to standardize the safety car type/performance and also as part of promotional arrangements, the main supplier of safety cars has been Mercedes-Benz , with Aston Martin sharing
3230-525: The U.S. market and only eight to the UK. In the United States, this special edition of the Z8 was sold directly through BMW dealerships, marking a first for Alpina, whose cars had never been sold through retail channels in the U.S. Unveiled at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show , the Birusa is a futuristically styled concept car conceived and developed by Bertone . Based on the Z8, it shares the 4.9 L V8 engine from
3325-565: The United States Society of Automobile Engineers defined a roadster as: "an open car seating two or three. It may have additional seats on running boards or in rear deck." Since it has a single row of seats, the main seat for the driver and passenger was usually further back in the chassis than it would have been in a touring car . Roadsters usually had a hooded dashboard . In the United Kingdom, historically,
3420-535: The Z8 completed by November 2002, the Z8 was replaced by the Alpina Roadster V8 in 2003. The Alpina was a departure from the hard-edged sporting focus of the original car, and elements of grand touring intent were evident throughout this final iteration. Instead of the original 6-speed manual and 4.9 L ( S62 ) engine featured in original Z8, the Alpina came only with an automatic transmission, utilising
3515-432: The Z8's less supple specification, and special Alpina gauges were fitted on the dash board cluster. An Alpina steering wheel with three solid spokes replaced the original, which could not be retrofitted with shift paddles for the automatic transmission. Gear selection was displayed in an Alpina-specific display mounted in front of the steering wheel. Performance and power output of the Alpina roadster V8 differed from that of
3610-481: The car's lateral grip at 0.92. Car and Driver magazine also tested the car and found that it outperformed the contemporary benchmark Ferrari 360 Modena in three important performance categories: acceleration , handling , and braking . As with most BMW automobiles the top speed of the Z8 was electronically limited to 250 km/h (155.4 mph) with the delimited top speed amounting to an estimated 290 km/h (180 mph). The Z8 used neon exterior lighting,
3705-440: The case on Sunday, the original scheduled start time of the race. The entire incident took about two hours to clean up before the last 40 (later extended to 42 due to a Green-white-checkered finish ) laps were able to be completed. NASCAR subsequently added the use of the second safety car (used during race start situations) to protect the last jet dryer in other safety car situations. The 2011 6 Hours of Castellet got off to
3800-399: The course on parade laps prior to the start of the race. These increase in speed, allowing for a flying start of the race. Furthermore, two other rule changes have been implemented. Since 2000, with one lap to go before going back to green, the pace car pulls off the track in turn one rather than in turn four. The current leader of the race is then assigned the task of pacing the field back to
3895-461: The crash causing a puncture (though no damage to his car or tires was done). Approximately 20 minutes after the crash, the cars that were still on the track had their engines re-fired and were directed to drive to pit road in order to reset the starting grid for the race start. An identical back-up pace car of the same make and model was brought out to pace the field, this time driven by former IndyCar driver and official Oriol Servià who regularly drove
BMW Z8 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3990-535: The current speed limit) on their dashboard display, and must keep their delta times positive, meaning they must be slower than the reference time. The system was similar to the Electro-PACER lights used in the Indianapolis 500 races from 1972 until 1978 , except that engine control units (ECU) were involved and could enforce speed limits under the current system. The VSC was tested over the course of
4085-562: The donor car generating 400 PS (294 kW; 395 hp) mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and has carbon fibre gull-wing doors . It also has a variety of innovative technological features including a sunroof that filters UV light, multilingual voice control and a night vision system. The Z8's spaceframe was produced in the Dingolfing Plant and the car was hand-finished in Munich. A total of 5,703 Z8s were built: 3,160 for
4180-437: The drivers behind it are on the start/finish straight, there is a red light at the exit of the pit lane. Drivers who go past the red light are disqualified from the race. This has happened to several drivers during the years, such as Juan Pablo Montoya at the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix and Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa in the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix . At the same race a year later , Lewis Hamilton failed to notice
4275-407: The drivers will be subtracted, giving more energy saving tactics to the drivers and teams alike. Like Formula One, Formula E also has a safety car condition. From 2014 to 2021, a BMW i8 plug-in hybrid was used. Starting with the 2021 Rome ePrix , a Mini Electric was used, and a Porsche Taycan has been used since 2022. Formula E also includes a rule from 2022 which states that if the safety car
4370-509: The duties with them from 2021 onward. From 2007 , new procedures were applied for the first time during the Bahrain Grand Prix . The pit lane was closed immediately upon the deployment of the safety car. No car could enter the pits until all cars on the track had formed up in a line behind the safety car, they passed the pit entrance, and the message "pit lane open" was given. A ten-second stop/go penalty (which must be taken when
4465-403: The field and being driven by General Motors executive Mark Reuss lost control and crashed head-on into the left-hand retaining wall coming out of the exit of turn two of the track, shortly after leaving pit road. Neither Reuss nor Mark Sandy, an IndyCar official who was a passenger in the car, were injured in the crash and were able to exit the vehicle after the crash. The cars participating in
4560-507: The final three races of the 2014 season, during parts of free practice sessions. The system was evolved taking into account drivers' feedback and was officially introduced for the 2015 season following ratification by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC). The VSC was officially used for the first time, and for a brief period prior to the deployment of the actual safety car, at the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix , following
4655-460: The first time in history the pace car has been wiped out." After Footwork Arrows driver Taki Inoue retired due to an engine failure, he attempted to assist the marshals in extinguishing the engine fire, but he was hit by the Tatra 623 safety car. The incident injured his leg, though he would recover in time for the following Belgian Grand Prix. Before the start of the race, a drunken fan stole
4750-509: The flagman will display the yellow caution flag and the pace car will pull out of the pits and turn on the yellow strobes on top and/or behind the car. When race officials are ready to open pit lane, a green light will come on in the rear window of the safety car. One lap before a green flag, the pace car will shut off its lights to signal drivers to line up double file. Unlike most series in motorsport, owing to NASCAR's short-track roots, each track usually offers its own safety car, typically from
4845-444: The floor. Overtaking is not allowed under FCY conditions, but if a driver does overtake another driver, like when Jean-Éric Vergne overtook António Félix da Costa at the 2019 Rome ePrix , the driver who overtook the other driver can be penalised. For season 6 of Formula E , when there is an FCY period, everyone is no longer allowed to activate Attack Mode. For every minute spent under FCY conditions, 1kWh of energy kept in reserve by
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#17327724976654940-414: The former, the safety car does not actually appear on the track. On top of not being allowed to overtake under yellow flag conditions in the affected sector, a "VSC" icon would appear trackside and on the drivers' steering displays, obliging drivers to not exceed the posted speed limit, thus resulting in a 35% speed reduction. All drivers are informed of their delta time (the difference between their speed and
5035-405: The green flag. After much consideration, this rule was added to prevent a situation much like the one that happened in the 1995 Indianapolis 500 , when Scott Goodyear passed the pace car going back to green. In 2002, a "wave-around" rule was added, where the pace car waves by all competitors (if there are any) between the pace car and the actual leader of the race. This allows the leader to control
5130-404: The hardtop of the Z8 was designed from the outset to complement the lines of the car's styling. In order to keep the interior uncluttered, a number of functions were integrated into multifunction controls. For example, the power windows and mirrors were controlled by a single instrument. Also, the centre-mounted instrument cluster was canted slightly toward the driver. The displacement of gauges to
5225-439: The importance of ongoing manufacturer support for the type. The price and production process allowed BMW to offer customised options to interested buyers. A significant number of cars with bespoke paint and interior treatments were produced over the course of the four-year production run by BMW Individual, a division of BMW AG. A safety car variant of the Z8 was produced for use in the 2001 season of MotoGP . With production of
5320-481: The inside of it until the line ended. Race leader Franz Engstler came through the kink on the start-finish straight and was unable to avoid hitting the side of the pace car. Engstler commented "I saw the safety car coming out from the right and realized that I had no chance to brake... I really do not understand why he was going out of the pits". After this incident, the Portuguese Bruno Correia
5415-524: The jet dryer trailer and left driver's side of the truck. Montoya was treated at the infield care center and released unhurt. The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab, Duane Barnes, was taken to a local hospital for observation and was resting comfortably. He was an employee at Michigan International Speedway , a sister track of Daytona . The tracks often share jet dryer equipment on race weekends to help in case of rain such as
5510-488: The ladder-frame chassis was mounted with one or two seats, a gas tank, and spare tyres. American manufacturers Mercer and Stutz started offering ready-made racing speedsters, intentionally built to be driven to race(-track), raced, and driven back by their owner – essentially the first track day cars . The immediate predecessor to the roadster was the runabout , a body style with a single row of seats and no doors, windshield, or other weather protection. Another predecessor
5605-591: The last lapped car to unlap itself, the safety car will now be withdrawn one lap after the instruction to unlap is received. Since 2021 , F1 has featured two official safety cars, both the Aston Martin Vantage and the Mercedes-AMG GT R that was already used in previous seasons. Since 2022 , Mercedes provides a Black Series variant of the GT. Following an accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix , which saw driver Jules Bianchi suffer
5700-509: The lead lap will regain a lap. The Beneficiary will regain his lap once pit road opens. Bodine will signal that car to pass him through radio contact between NASCAR and that team. The free pass car must pit with the lapped cars. After previous being trialed at the NASCAR All-Star Race, at the 2009 Pocono 500 , NASCAR introduced a new "Double-file restart" rule that lines the field two cars on each row on every restart, similar to
5795-401: The manufacturer, but in recent years, it has been a local dealer or association of regional dealerships-provided Safety car. Tracks that use Toyota safety cars will use a Toyota Camry Hybrid, while Ford tracks will use a Ford Mustang , while Chevrolet tracks use a Chevrolet Camaro and most Dodge tracks use a Dodge Challenger . If a manufacturer is promoting a new vehicle, they will often use
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#17327724976655890-449: The middle of the dashboard was intended to offer an unimpeded view of the hood and the road ahead. In order to promote the Z8 to collectors and reinforce media speculation about the car's "instant classic" potential, BMW promised that a 50-year stockpile of spare parts would be maintained in order to support the Z8 fleet. Due to the limited volume of production, all elements of the car were constructed or finished by hand, thereby compounding
5985-551: The new car instead of the standard-specification safety car. For the Truck Series , which races pickup trucks instead of cars, the safety "car" is often a pickup. Tracks affiliated with a local or regional Chevrolet dealership will use a Chevrolet Silverado , while Chrysler dealership-affiliated tracks will use a Ram 1500 . Ford-affiliated tracks will often use the F-Series, but Toyota-affiliated tracks are less likely to use
6080-449: The normal drivers of the IRL pace car for all events. The pace car is deployed for debris , collision , or weather reasons. Since 1993, upon the waving of the yellow flag, pit road is closed until the pace car picks up the leader and passes the pit entrance the first time, unless track blockage forces the field to drive through pit lane. Another duty of the pace car is to lead the field around
6175-466: The official pace car, owing to the ability for them to be used at both major automobile races at the Speedway (typically Corvette at the 500 and Impala at the 400). The pace car is selected two months before the race runs, allowing the manufacturer of the selected pace car to produce replicas of that year's car, which sell at a marked premium to collectors and race fans. Pace car replicas are often seen on
6270-412: The pace car and drove a lap around Talladega Superspeedway . Local police quickly pursued the fan around the track, setting up a roadblock at the exit of Turn 4 that led to his arrest. The pace car of the 1971 Indianapolis 500 , an orange Dodge Challenger driven by local auto dealer Eldon Palmer, crashed at the start of the race. As Palmer drove the car off into the pit lane to let the race cars begin
6365-546: The pace car during caution periods. The incident delayed the start of the race by over 30 minutes from its scheduled start time of 3:50pm local time. The race eventually went green sometime past 4:20pm. Before the start of the final segment of the Sprint Cup Series ' Sprint Unlimited exhibition race at Daytona , the Chevrolet SS pace car caught fire and stopped off the track, delaying the restart. The fire
6460-528: The preferred terms were "open two-seater" and "two-seat tourer". Since the 1950s, the term "roadster" has also been increasingly used in the United Kingdom. It is noted that the optional 4-seat variant of the Morgan Roadster would not be technically considered a roadster. The term "spider" or "spyder," sometimes used in names for convertible models, is said to come from before the automobile era. Some 19th-century lightweight horse-drawn phaetons had
6555-414: The race is resumed) was imposed on any driver who entered the pit lane before the pit lane open message is given. However, any car which was in the pit entry or pit lane when the safety car was deployed would not incur a penalty. This was infamously exploited during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix when Nelson Piquet, Jr. wrecked his Renault shortly after teammate Fernando Alonso had exited the pits in what
6650-493: The race to figure out the winner and final results since the safety car driver had placed his car in front of the wrong competitor thus causing part of the field to be one lap down incorrectly. Formula One officially introduced safety cars in 1993 , after trials were conducted at both the French and British Grands Prix during the preceding 1992 season. From 1993 through 1995 , this saw cars of different brands being used as
6745-464: The race, except one driven by Alexander Rossi , stopped on the track behind the wrecked car as safety crews and track workers cleaned up debris from the accident and removed the damaged vehicle. Rossi, who was to start the race from the pole position and was directly behind the pace car when the incident occurred, was the only driver to drive past the crash and returned to pit road afterwards, causing concern to his crew that he may have run over debris from
6840-436: The red light and slammed into the back of the car of Kimi Räikkönen , who was waiting at the end of the pit lane alongside Robert Kubica . From 2010 , once cars were lined up behind the safety car, lapped cars were no longer allowed to unlap themselves before the race was restarted. This rule was abandoned from the 2012 season onwards, with cars now allowed to unlap themselves before the race resumes. However, since 2015 ,
6935-431: The restart without any lapped cars in front of them. It also creates a strategy for cars to gain laps back, loosely resembling NASCAR's " Lucky dog " rule. However, the cars who get waved around are not allowed to pit until the green flag restarts the race (so they do not get the advantage of getting their lap back AND a free pit stop). In all NASCAR series, if the caution is out for debris, accident, or inclement weather,
7030-452: The safety car before the race was red flagged on lap 3 and not restarted thereafter with results taken from the end of lap 1 with Max Verstappen declared the winner of the event and half points awarded to the top 10 classified drivers. In response to the controversial safety car restart at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix , the FIA reworked the safety car restart procedure: instead of waiting for
7125-525: The safety car does not need to wait for the backmarkers to catch up with the leading pack before returning to the pits. The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix infamously became the shortest race in Formula One World Championship history and the first (and so far only) World Championship Grand Prix in history to be run entirely behind the safety car with no running taking place under green flag conditions, with two full laps completed behind
7220-475: The safety car leads the field at a predetermined safe speed, which may vary by series and circuit. At the end of the caution period, the safety car leaves the track and the competitors resume normal racing. The first reliance on this safety measure occurred with the deployment of a pace car during the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. The use of a safety car has the effect of bunching competitors together, such as to eliminate any time and distance advantage that
7315-644: The safety car throughout the season and depending on the track visited; for example, they included the exotic Lamborghini Countach for the Monaco Grand Prix in the 1980s, or the Lamborghini Diablo for the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix to the more mundane Fiat Tempra used at the rain-affected 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix , and the high performance version of the Opel Vectra used at the infamous 1994 San Marino Grand Prix . In particular,
7410-455: The safety car was instructed to slow down and let the entire field pass. As the safety car was exiting turn 11, an approaching Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 drastically reduced its speed in response to the unusually slow safety car. However, a BMW a few seconds behind came around the blind turn at speed, colliding with the Gallardo and safety car. The collision destroyed the Gallardo and sent
7505-428: The same car. Bob Sweikert won the 1955 500 in a Kurtis after Vukovich was killed while leading. A. J. Watson , George Salih and Quinn Epperly were other notable roadster constructors. Watson-built roadsters won in 1956 , 1959 – 1964 though the 1961 and 1963 winners were actually close copies built from Watson designs. The 1957 and 1958 winner was the same car built by Salih with help by Epperly built with
7600-434: The side vents in a fashion that rendered them invisible until activated. The vintage simplicity of the interior was preserved by hiding the modern equipment under retracting panels. Complex compound curves were made through the use of an expensive MIG-welded aluminium space frame . The Z8 cost US$ 128,000, had an all-aluminium chassis and body, and used a 4,941 cc (4.9 L; 301.5 cu in) V8 engine which has
7695-484: The speed of competing cars or motorcycles on a racetrack in the case of a caution period such as an obstruction on the track or bad weather. The aim of the safety car is to enable the clearance of any obstruction under safer conditions, especially for marshals and/or await more favourable track conditions weather-wise. By following the safety car, the competitors' tyres remain as close as possible to operating temperature while their engines do not overheat. A safety car
7790-518: The standard car in that the peak power was reduced to 280 kW (381 PS; 375 hp), while peak torque was raised to 520 N⋅m (384 lb⋅ft); this torque was available at significantly lower rpm than the original in order to enable more relaxed cruising. Curiously, the electronically limited top speed was officially raised to 260 km/h (160 mph). Production of the Roadster V8 amounted to 555 units, 450 of which were exported to
7885-475: The start of the race, instead of lead-lap cars on the outside and lapped cars on the inside. Also, the "wave-around" rule, similar to what is enforced in racing series sanctioned by IndyCar , was adopted to ensure the first car on the restart is the leader, and ensure there are no lapped cars ahead of the leader. During a reconnaissance lap, a 2024 Aston Martin Vantage safety car spun out and crashed heavily at
7980-582: The streets of Indianapolis weeks before the race is actually held, and a celebrity driver is usually used for the start of the race only. In the last 50 years, the Pontiac Trans Am , Chevrolet Camaro , Chevrolet Corvette , Oldsmobile Cutlass , and Ford Mustang are the only models that have been selected as pace cars three or more times. During the IndyCar Series season, however, Johnny Rutherford , Sarah Fisher , and Oriol Servià are
8075-537: The tail lights and turn indicators are powered by neon tubes that offer quicker activation than standard lightbulbs and are expected to last for the life of the vehicle. Due to the quirk in the US FMVSS regulations , the turn signal indicators in the tail lights are entirely in red colour. Every car was shipped with a colour-matching metal hardtop with a rear defroster. Unlike many contemporary hardtops, which are provided for practical rather than stylistic considerations,
8170-508: The time) from 1952 to 1969. The roadster engine and drive shaft are offset from the centerline of the car. This allows the driver to sit lower in the chassis and facilitates a weight offset which is beneficial on oval tracks. One story of why this type of racing car is referred to as a "roadster" is that a team was preparing a new car for the Indianapolis 500. They had it covered in a corner of their shop. If they were asked about their car they would try and obscure its importance by saying that it
8265-433: The windshield of the series production Z8 was more upward, and the car had a larger front airdam. The Z8 hardtop differed from the Z07 in being a double-bubble form with a tapering fairing versus a single dome with a truncated convex rear. The Z07's exotic driver's side helmet fairing was never intended for production, in order to allow easy operation of the power soft top. The side turn signal repeaters were integrated into
8360-580: The world market and 2,543 for the North American market. The Z8 was showcased as James Bond's car in the film The World Is Not Enough released in November 1999, from scenes shot in early April 1999. In the film, it is driven by Bond for his mission in Azerbaijan until it is sliced in half by a helicopter equipped with cutting saws. The vehicle is equipped with surface to air missiles that
8455-595: Was also a style of racing car driven in United States Auto Club (USAC) Championship Racing, including the Indianapolis 500 , in the 1950s and 1960s. This type of racing car was superseded by rear-mid-engine cars. The term "roadster" originates in the United States, where it was used in the 19th century to describe a horse suitable for travelling. By the end of the century, the definition had expanded to include bicycles and tricycles. In 1916,
8550-461: Was appointed as the official safety car driver. A safety car caused a crash during the 2008 Dutch Supercar Challenge race at Spa Francorchamps . The Seat Leon was released too late, allowing the leading Marcos LM600 to pass while erroneously identifying the Audi TT DTM in 2nd and Mosler MT900R GT3 in 3rd as 'the leading pack.' Race officials immediately realized their mistake, and
8645-447: Was believed to have started in a trunk-mounted battery pack powering the lights. During a safety car situation on Lap 160 of the 2012 Daytona 500 , Earnhardt Ganassi Racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya 's car had a suspension part failure, and it lost control on turn 3, sharply veering into a safety truck and jet dryer trailer and causing a giant fireball. Sparks were seen emanating from Montoya's car right before its hard collision with
8740-487: Was in 1965 , when Gordon Johncock finished fifth in the Wienberger Homes Watson car. The last roadster to make the race was built and driven by Jim Hurtubise in the 1968 race and dropped out early. Some pavement midget roadsters were built and raced into the early 1970s but never were dominant. Safety car In motorsport , a safety car , or a pace car , is an automobile which limits
8835-425: Was just their (hot rod) "roadster". After the Indianapolis racer was made public, the "roadster" name was still attached to it. Frank Kurtis built the first roadster to race and entered it in the 1952 Indianapolis 500 . It was driven by Bill Vukovich who led for most of the race until a steering failure eliminated him. The Howard Keck owned team with Vukovich driving went on to win the 1953 and 1954 contests with
8930-415: Was later discovered to be an intentional crash designed to trigger a safety car and subsequent closure of the pit lane. From 2009 , however, this procedure has been dropped, and replaced by software that calculates where a car is on the track and a minimum lap time it should take the car to get to the pits. Cars that enter the pits before this time limit has expired are penalised. When the safety car and
9025-521: Was the touring car , similar in body style to the modern roadster except for its multiple rows of seats. By the 1920s roadsters were appointed similarly to touring cars, with doors, windshields, simple folding tops, and side curtains. Roadster bodies were offered on automobiles of all sizes and classes, from mass-produced cars like the Ford Model T and the Austin 7 to extremely expensive cars like
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