First Look at 2018 IndyCar Body: Retro Done Wrong

[cosworth151]

IndyCar has released the first views of the 2018 aero kit. They got a little bit right and a whole lot wrong.

First, the good: It looks like IndyCar might be returning to an open wheel format. Most of the much unloved fenders used in the current generation are gone. They won't be missed.

Now for the bad stuff. First, they are returning to a spec racer format. A nice idea for entry level series, deadly for anything above that. Second, they've chosen to copy the design used in the final years of the failed Champ Car/CART series, flatbacks & all. 

A former customer of my company was a major U.S. retail chain. They bought out a failed competitor. they they did everything they could to copy they failed model. Needless to say, it didn't end well. IndyCar could learn from that.

[Jericoke]

Personally I prefer the 'flat back' look.  The car is sleeker, and visually distinctive from an F1 car.

However, when your business model is rolling billboards, taking away the largest advertising surface seems like a bad idea.

The only IndyCar races I watch are the Indy500s these days.  I just can't find myself making time to watch an IndyCar race.

[J.Clark]

Why would anyone, in any business, try to follow a loser's model?

As for CART, it failed for reasons other than the car design.  I do however agree that taking away the biggest "billboard" seems a rather bad idea, akin to shooting one's self in the foot.

The idea of actually being a true open-wheel series is a good thing in my opinion.  It is more dangerous, but nobody ever said that racing was supposed to be "safe."