Why The Seats Are So Low In a Rally Car
[ September 25th, 2008 ] By: Charles Smith Posted in » Ramblings
You may have noticed that the co-driver can barely see above the dashboard. No… co-drivers are not like horse racing jockeys, they are average when it comes to height. What makes them look like children is the seat height.
Co-driver seats (to an extent Driver seats too) are much lower in the car than your standard seat. That is because the engineers are trying to bring the center of gravity(CG) closer to the wheel hub height for more predictable handling. Higher centers of gravity accentuate ‘weight transfer’ in the car and that can make a car way more dangerous than it should be.
This is why all the components that are high up, like the steering wheel, tend to be made of materials like carbon fiber. While the cars have a minimum weight (in the WRC) the engineers try and place the weight as low as possible in the car. In fact, Subaru’s “boxer” engine is an attempt to keep the engine as low as possible and further bring the CG down.
So stop making fun of how a co-driver might look in the car, for all you know they could be bigger faster and stronger than you… looks can be deceiving.
September 26th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
i will never make fun of co-drivers ever again. ty charles.
September 26th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
np d-money. i’m glad you’re well informed now.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
The lower CG is great - it also puts the crew in a position to better “feel” the car, too.
Vic Elford recommends getting the seat as low as possible when doing any performance driving.