Morpheus
#224
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Northridge, CA
Posts: 842
Total Cats: 412
GPS activation makes more sense because there are definitely times that the same parameters will cross over between high and low settings, while with GPS the system simply "knows" when to turn on and off.
When I was driving with the system I found myself trying to engage it whenever I felt that the reduction in downforce wouldn't cause any balance issues.
Looking at the map, the two longest DRS zones were the back stretch between turn 5 exit / 6 entry and turn 8 which is *very* fast, and obviously the main straight.
I was being conservative by having the wing retract back to the high downforce position while in T8 because of the speed and learning curve, not wanting to find out that the little downforce the wing was still making isn't enough to keep up with the front... tail happiness in T8 can end up in a nasty wreck.
Later when I was gaining more confidence and got a bit more used to the feel and usage, I also found myself activating it for the short stretches between T1 exit and T2 as well as T2 exit and T3.
Found out the button was hard to work in some steering angles so I might change that to a slightly different position or even a different style switch altogether, maybe a paddle behind the steering wheel.
One of the cool things about driving Morpheus without the windshield and with the active wing is that you can literally hear the changes in the air flow over the wing and bodywork.
Another awesome feature is when the wing returned to the high downforce position going into T1 braking zone, you can tell all of a sudden that there's just more grip there...
WSIR is an awesome but scary track, I haven't been there since the Miata challenge ran there in 2013 and it took a bit of getting used to and remembering some of the ins and outs of the track.
Definitely didn't get fully comfortable with it, I know I could've carried more speed just about everywhere other than T2 where the grip on Morpheus is so high that I can simply keep it floored and steer.
Between my mediocre confidence levels, tires with many heat cycles (205 RR) and high winds the best I managed was a mid-36.
My gut feeling is that with fresh tires, decent weather conditions and some more seat time around WSIR to rewire my brain into letting me take T1 and T9 much faster than I did, a 1:33 is in the cards, maybe even a 1:32.
I also noticed while driving the V8 car that I wasn't fighting the steering as much despite the fact that it's running almost the same amount of downforce AND bigger tires.
The V8 car has a manual rack while mine is depowered, so I might try to find a manual NB rack and give it a shot.
When I was driving with the system I found myself trying to engage it whenever I felt that the reduction in downforce wouldn't cause any balance issues.
Looking at the map, the two longest DRS zones were the back stretch between turn 5 exit / 6 entry and turn 8 which is *very* fast, and obviously the main straight.
I was being conservative by having the wing retract back to the high downforce position while in T8 because of the speed and learning curve, not wanting to find out that the little downforce the wing was still making isn't enough to keep up with the front... tail happiness in T8 can end up in a nasty wreck.
Later when I was gaining more confidence and got a bit more used to the feel and usage, I also found myself activating it for the short stretches between T1 exit and T2 as well as T2 exit and T3.
Found out the button was hard to work in some steering angles so I might change that to a slightly different position or even a different style switch altogether, maybe a paddle behind the steering wheel.
One of the cool things about driving Morpheus without the windshield and with the active wing is that you can literally hear the changes in the air flow over the wing and bodywork.
Another awesome feature is when the wing returned to the high downforce position going into T1 braking zone, you can tell all of a sudden that there's just more grip there...
WSIR is an awesome but scary track, I haven't been there since the Miata challenge ran there in 2013 and it took a bit of getting used to and remembering some of the ins and outs of the track.
Definitely didn't get fully comfortable with it, I know I could've carried more speed just about everywhere other than T2 where the grip on Morpheus is so high that I can simply keep it floored and steer.
Between my mediocre confidence levels, tires with many heat cycles (205 RR) and high winds the best I managed was a mid-36.
My gut feeling is that with fresh tires, decent weather conditions and some more seat time around WSIR to rewire my brain into letting me take T1 and T9 much faster than I did, a 1:33 is in the cards, maybe even a 1:32.
I also noticed while driving the V8 car that I wasn't fighting the steering as much despite the fact that it's running almost the same amount of downforce AND bigger tires.
The V8 car has a manual rack while mine is depowered, so I might try to find a manual NB rack and give it a shot.
#228
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Northridge, CA
Posts: 842
Total Cats: 412
Got some, haven't had a chance to upload / edit any yet.
Actually had 2 cameras on the car, one forward and one rear facing to see the wing in action, need to see how to edit the footage with PIP.
Actually had 2 cameras on the car, one forward and one rear facing to see the wing in action, need to see how to edit the footage with PIP.
Last edited by Blackbird; 03-30-2017 at 09:34 PM.
#231
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Northridge, CA
Posts: 842
Total Cats: 412
Honestly, the vids I got from the WSIR fundraiser are not terribly exciting.
I need to play with the angle of the camera a little more, it was sitting a touch too high and put the wing in the middle of the rear view in a perfect height to hide the cars behind.
Next event I'll set it a little lower so you can see the wing move and the traffic behind.
I need to play with the angle of the camera a little more, it was sitting a touch too high and put the wing in the middle of the rear view in a perfect height to hide the cars behind.
Next event I'll set it a little lower so you can see the wing move and the traffic behind.
#232
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Northridge, CA
Posts: 842
Total Cats: 412
Got Morpheus on the scales yesterday for the first time.
My guess was 2025 Lbs. w/o driver, I was pretty close -
2017 Lbs. with aero is not bad place to start... with all the aero on the car is reasonably light, it does have a giant active wing, huge splitter, flat bottom, side skirts, upper panels etc.. All of which add weight.
Putting it back to "stockish bodywork" the car is well under 2000, for reference purposes (not that it'll ever happen).
It'll be interesting to see if I can bring it down to the high 17xx's / low 18xx's which is my goal.
Definitely lots of Carbon work in my future
My guess was 2025 Lbs. w/o driver, I was pretty close -
2017 Lbs. with aero is not bad place to start... with all the aero on the car is reasonably light, it does have a giant active wing, huge splitter, flat bottom, side skirts, upper panels etc.. All of which add weight.
Putting it back to "stockish bodywork" the car is well under 2000, for reference purposes (not that it'll ever happen).
It'll be interesting to see if I can bring it down to the high 17xx's / low 18xx's which is my goal.
Definitely lots of Carbon work in my future
#234
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Northridge, CA
Posts: 842
Total Cats: 412
There's plenty of weight to be saved everywhere in this car.
Save the trunk lid and the lower portion of the front fenders, all the factory sheet metal is still there... I haven't even put my Carbon doors on yet.
Still running 95% of the factory wiring harness, big battery full size fuel tank and lots of other stuff that will start going away very soon.
Save the trunk lid and the lower portion of the front fenders, all the factory sheet metal is still there... I haven't even put my Carbon doors on yet.
Still running 95% of the factory wiring harness, big battery full size fuel tank and lots of other stuff that will start going away very soon.
#235
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Northridge, CA
Posts: 842
Total Cats: 412
I always thought highly of Mike Kojima and MotoIQ, so you can imagine how excited I was when Mike approached me about doing an article about Morpheus
Click me - The Blackbird Fabworx Morpheus Miata!
Click me - The Blackbird Fabworx Morpheus Miata!
#238
My FB has been blowing up with all the guess work as to what engine Morpheus is getting.
In the order of appearance in the comment thread -
* DeLorean
* V8
* LSsomething
* 2JZ
* 2KanyeWest
* V10! No, V12!
* 4 Rotor
* K swap
* 2.5 turbo from the CX-9
* Motorcycle something
* Cosworth MZR crate motor
* Skyactiv-D
* LFX
* Turbo K24
* Mr.Fusion
* Cosworth ecoboost V6
* Dry sump K
* 1.4L from Fiat Brava
* 1.6 Short nose
* J32
* Synergy V8
* LFX
* Hartley V8
* LF3
In the order of appearance in the comment thread -
* DeLorean
* V8
* LSsomething
* 2JZ
* 2KanyeWest
* V10! No, V12!
* 4 Rotor
* K swap
* 2.5 turbo from the CX-9
* Motorcycle something
* Cosworth MZR crate motor
* Skyactiv-D
* LFX
* Turbo K24
* Mr.Fusion
* Cosworth ecoboost V6
* Dry sump K
* 1.4L from Fiat Brava
* 1.6 Short nose
* J32
* Synergy V8
* LFX
* Hartley V8
* LF3