Supercar Quick Start Learning Guide
Get started on your race car project today with this Quick Start Learning Guide to help you choose books that will provide the best initial value, information and guidance.
Tips On Choosing Supercar Books
Ultra-performance sports cars, better known as supercars, are usually built on a philosophy of producing the maximum acceleration, braking and cornering performance a street-legal car can. Therefore when designing such a machine, the handling and behaviour of the vehicle are paramount. We suggest starting with books that teach vehicle dynamics, preferably from a race car perspective because the supercar design is usually closer to race car than street car.
In addition to a deep understanding of vehicle dynamics, we would suggest books on chassis, suspension and aerodynamic design to assist in forming the car concept. Once a concept is developed, further study around powertrain, safety, ergonomics, interior and electrical can help advance the design.
| Book Category | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerodynamics |  Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed  (5 / 5)An in-depth and comprehensive guide to race car aerodynamic theory and practice. It covers everything a designer needs to know--from basic theory and aero devices (i.e. wings, venturis, diffusers, spoilers and more) to their applications on different types of race cars. Written with the non-engineer in mind, it also provides many examples and diagrams that show how to optimize the air flow around and through a race vehicle. Get "Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed":    | |||
| Chassis |  Chassis Engineering: Chassis Design, Building & Tuning for High Performance Handling  (4.5 / 5)Chassis Engineering is a great introduction to race car design. In a practical and down-to-earth way, it covers the fundamentals of how race cars handle and the requirements for designing and constructing a car. The book includes chapters on chassis design, suspension design, frame construction, aerodynamics and tuning. Overall it provides the reader with the foundation of how the key components of a race car work and interact together. Get "Chassis Engineering: Chassis Design, Building & Tuning for High Performance Handling": | |||
| Fasteners/Joining |  Carroll Smith's Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook (5 / 5)Teaches how to use the correct fasteners and fastener materials. This book includes extensive information on fatigue properties, joints, mounts, and vehicle plumbing. Get "Carroll Smith's Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook": | |||
| Materials/Fabrication |  Racer's Encyclopedia of Metals, Fibers and Materials (5 / 5)Provides introductory and more advanced information about metals, metal fatigue, composite fibers and the uses of a wide variety of materials in race cars. Get "Racer's Encyclopedia of Metals, Fibers and Materials": | |||
| Materials/Fabrication |  Welder's Handbook : A Guide to Plasma Cutting, Oxyacetylene, ARC, MIG and TIG Welding  (4 / 5)Teaches the essentials of fabricating with metals including metal properties, welding equipment, jigs, welding safety, brazing, cutting, and forming. The book goes into details on types of welding as well as consumables, fluxes and sample projects to practice with. Get "Welder's Handbook : A Guide to Plasma Cutting, Oxyacetylene, ARC, MIG and TIG Welding": | |||
| Powertrain |  David Vizard's How to Build Horsepower (5 / 5)A guide to designing the engine as a system and constructing it to produce maximum horsepower. The design aspects use the airflow through each part of the engine as a basis for instruction. Provides detailed information on how to select, modify and tune each component to work at peak efficiency with others in the engine. Get "David Vizard's How to Build Horsepower": | |||
| Suspension |  Suspension Geometry and Computation (4 / 5)Teaches detailed theory, analysis and examples for designing suspension geometries. This is an advanced and very detailed design book that provides an engineering-level understanding of suspension design which is recommended for automotive engineering students. Get "Suspension Geometry and Computation": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  Fast Car Physics (4.5 / 5)A great introduction to the world of vehicle dynamics, in language and explanations that are easy to understand. Learn basic vehicle physics, handling/dynamics, suspension types and geometry, and the latest approaches to green technologies for racing--energy recovery and storage. Get "Fast Car Physics": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  High-Performance Handling for Street or Track: Vehicle dynamics, suspension mods & setup (4.5 / 5)Provides advice on planning modifications, installing components and tuning the handling characteristics of street vehicles. Includes an overview of vehicle dynamics and advice on selecting aftermarket components such as brakes, wheels, camber adjusters, anti-roll bars, springs, shocks and bushings. Also includes tire and wheel selection. Get "High-Performance Handling for Street or Track: Vehicle dynamics, suspension mods & setup": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  How to Make Your Car Handle (5 / 5)Teaches how to improve vehicle handling through suspension and chassis modifications and understanding vehicle dynamics. Includes basic suspension theory on roll centers, roll axis, camber change, bump steer, anti-dive, ride rate, ride balance as well practical chassis modifications. Get "How to Make Your Car Handle": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (R146) (5 / 5)A comprehensive book on the vehicle dynamics of race cars (and applicable to road cars). Includes the most in-depth theoretical knowledge about vehicle handling, suspension and dynamics available in a single book. Along with clear explanations of principles there is a large mathematical component for engineering design. Can be used as a university textbook for vehicle engineering/Formula SAE/Student. Get "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (R146)": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  Race Car Vehicle Dynamics: Problems, Answers and Experiments (5 / 5)Companion student workbook of problems, answers and experiments for readers of the Race Car Vehicle Dynamics book. Get "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics: Problems, Answers and Experiments": | |||
| Vehicle Dynamics/Handling |  Tune to Win: The art and science of race car development and tuning (5 / 5)The fundamentals of race car vehicle dynamics in a clear, well-written text. Explains suspension, weight dynamics and vehicle handling behaviours in a way that permits the designer to understand cause and effect and improve their race car design, vehicle tuning and even driving. Get "Tune to Win: The art and science of race car development and tuning": | |||
| Whole Car (Design) |  Race Car Design (4.5 / 5)Explains the fundamental design of chassis, suspension, steering, brakes, transmission and fuel systems in race cars. Specifically mentioned is its usefulness for Formula SAE/Formula Student engineering students involved in race car design. Get "Race Car Design": | |||
| Whole Car (KitCar) |  Build Your Own Kit Car (5 / 5)A guide on how to plan, manage and build your own kit car. The first half of the book is devoted to the history, the types of kit cars, how to choose a car and how to set up your workspace. The second half includes the build of a car including chassis, suspenion, brakes and interior. Get "Build Your Own Kit Car": | |||
| Whole Car (Plans) |  Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It! (5 / 5)Whether you are designing a race car from scratch, looking to build from plans or simply trying to understand what it takes to build your own race car, Ron Champion's book is a wonderful resource to have. While the book focuses on building a specific type of road car (A Lotus 7 replica, these days referred to as a "Lowcost"), it offers many insights into the components, design and fabrication of a race car. Get "Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It!": | |||
| Whole Car (Plans) |  How to Build Tiger Avon or GTA Sports Cars for Road or Track: Updated and Revised New Edition (4 / 5)Details the build of Tiger Avon and GTA sports cars using pre-developed plans and Ford Sierra components. The Builder determines the rear suspenion type and powerplant, which are not specifically addressed. Get "How to Build Tiger Avon or GTA Sports Cars for Road or Track: Updated and Revised New Edition": |
More Information
For complete information on the design and construction of the Supercar race car type and a full listing of books and learning resources, see our Supercar race car type article.