2012 Caterham CT-01

[James Chant]

Caterham reveal first glimpse of 2012 car


Caterham have become the first team to unveil their 2012 car after issuing a picture of the CT01 via their official twitter account on Wednesday. The team had originally intended to unveil their new challenger on Thursday, on the cover of February’s F1 Racing magazine, but with some subscribers receiving their copies a day earlier, Caterham decided to release a sneak preview.

The green and yellow-liveried CT01 is the third Formula One car to be built by the Norfolk-based team, and the first since their winter name change from Team Lotus to Caterham. It will be raced by the unchanged line-up of Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen and Italy’s Jarno Trulli, which took the team to tenth in the 2011 constructors’ standings.

Powered by a Renault engine, the car features svelte bodywork and a distinctive ‘platypus’-style nose. This stepped-nose design is expected to become commonplace in the pit lane this year, thanks to new safety regulations for 2012 relating to nose height.

The team will publish further details about the CT01, more images and an interview with designer Mike Gascoyne on Thursday. It will make its on-track debut at the first multi-team test of the season, which will take place at Spain’s Jerez circuit from February 7-10.

Formula1.com

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

I thought a video posted on F1 Fanatic was the best reaction to this car.

 

[Thomas Dougherty]

Unfortunately, I believe we will be seeing more of these noses .

 

[James Chant]

Unfortunately, I believe we will be seeing more of these noses .

Yes, for this reason

This stepped-nose design is expected to become commonplace in the pit lane this year, thanks to new safety regulations for 2012 relating to nose height.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Not so sure about that. Mclaren´s nose in 2011 is fully legal for 2012 for example.

 

[James Chant]

Thats a really good overlay

 

[Hampus Andersson]

we will probably see a few of those crocodile noses but i have a strong feeling that more brilliant minds (Newey) will have something that looks a bit different then Lotus version.

Lotus version seems like the best possible solution for getting as much air as possible under the nose but perhaps there could be other gains elsewhere by having a lower nose. I know Mclaren has a form of snowplough under the nose of their ´11 car.

I find the rule horrendous but i understand why it´s there. I just wish they would take the 2014 regs for the front end and use them for 2012. in 2014 the leading edge of the nose can´t be higher then the vertical center of the wheel nut. Bit like Brawn GP.

 

[Dave Simmons]

Wonder how long that look will last, about as long as the Walrus nose from a few years ago? lol

 

[Ivo Simons]

But that nose was awesome.
But then F1 cars looked also still looked like proper F1 cars.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

But that nose was awesome.
But then F1 cars looked also still looked like proper F1 cars.

nooo, that was in the 70s (oh, oops, that was when I was an impressionable kid ...) no, honest, car design basically went out the door the moment aerodynamics trumped all other considerations, so about 1975. the wing cars of the late 70s just happened to be well dsigned because their main aero feature looked kinda good, after that we have seen fins and noses and piglets and what not but no serious overall design, just stuff that worked windtunnelwise. so, I take each new year of horrifying ugliness stoically, nose or no nose, the wing attached to it is just so utterly appalling anyway in every single car, who cares? If you want to see well designed cars, watch GT, only class where the good basic design of the original car dominates the race design, touring cars are often based on ugly cars in the first place and some of the recent prototypes follow F1s direction.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

I take this over any wingless F1 car ever produced

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Wow the Red Bull was a very long car last year

 

[William Levesque]

I take this over any wingless F1 car ever produced

My eyes !!! :eek:

 

[Hampus Andersson]

My eyes !!! :eek:

Yes you need a pair of those too see the beauty, sorry

 

[William Levesque]

Tastes are subjective but eh, that's more how I like it

Or maybe...

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Agreed, it´s a pointless discussion.

 

[Péter Bártfai]

I liked the '98-'02 era the best car design-wise. After that it started to have those "strange" shapes, and I definitely didn't like the "lots of wings" era. 2009 first seemed ugly but at the end the only ugly car imo in the 2009 season was the BMW. 2010-2011 cars looked fine.
I do not like that nose shape on the 2012 Caterham, and if there'll be more of those.... God save us!

 

[Ivo Simons]

I like all F1 cars and how the looked until 2008.
Since 2009 all cars look like dinky toys or F3 cars. Even Formula Renault 3.5 or SuperLeague cars look more awesome today then a F1 cars.
Its just a shame they just dont look like 600hp bad ass cars anymore. I understand F1 has to be a role model with fuel efficiency and global warming etc. But they have also a obligation that little kids that are watching F1 also have something cool to hang up on the wall..

 

[Sam Binfield]

nooo, that was in the 70s (oh, oops, that was when I was an impressionable kid ...) no, honest, car design basically went out the door the moment aerodynamics trumped all other considerations, so about 1975. the wing cars of the late 70s just happened to be well dsigned because their main aero feature looked kinda good, after that we have seen fins and noses and piglets and what not but no serious overall design, just stuff that worked windtunnelwise. so, I take each new year of horrifying ugliness stoically, nose or no nose, the wing attached to it is just so utterly appalling anyway in every single car, who cares? If you want to see well designed cars, watch GT, only class where the good basic design of the original car dominates the race design, touring cars are often based on ugly cars in the first place and some of the recent prototypes follow F1s direction.

I think 'styled' might be a more appropriate word than 'designed'. I'm sure that the design of the cars is currently of a higher standard than has been achieved in the decades before, the difference being that aesthetics really plays very little part in the role of the designer.

 

[Ho3n3r]

So everyone agrees it's very bad looking... maybe it'll look cuter after a few beers

I don't even drink but that car even makes me wanna get drunk!