What will the new Test Track be like? (take two)

[mousermerf]

And now there's a real piece of concept art out there in the wild too:

http://www.epcyclopedia.com/2012/04/16/new-test-track-concept-art-pops-up/

 

[lubertwillis]

mousermerf great links, thank you

 

[mbrittb00]

Does anyone know if the walkway past the Odyssey center is still accessible?

 

[mousermerf]

Does anyone know if the walkway past the Odyssey center is still accessible?

It is. Essentially the whole Cool Wash plaza is still open - the walls are just in front of the "Inside Track" sign and then essentially all the way around the pavilion going out the front a good bit. You have to hike it the long way around.

 

[Prock]

Two new bits of info..

The elusive "new vehicles" are being designed under super secret circumstances by GM, not Disney, up in GM's design center in Warren, MI.

And the reopening is internally listed as Nov 30th.

http://www.epcyclopedia.com/2012/04/14/internal-calendars-have-test-track-closed-thru-november-30th/

They aren't new ride vehicles, they're the same ones just with a new paint job/ body wrap. They've been testing them since August to see which application method works the best.

They cost almost a million dollars a piece so a significant amount of money would be saved by keeping the same ones. I'm sure they will rehab them: new seats, upgrade the sound and video screen for sure, maybe new electrical components & upgraded computers (each car has enough computing power to fly the space shuttle), and at the very very most a new body of the car but I doubt it.

 

[doconeill]

Right...these "vehicles" designed in "secret" are nothing but shells that will be attached to the actual ride vehicles. Remember - these are NOT actual cars on a paved track, but are a lot closer to a powered roller coaster vehicle _under_ the track on rails, with the passenger compartment on an arm above the track. Although the rubber tires to in fact contact the track and wear down (and are replaced somewhat frequently).

The actual design of the vehicle can't change much without a serious track overhaul - hopefully, they are working on improving whatever parts cause all the maintenance issues.

They CAN actually handle some variations in speed without having to redesign the track - the banking does not matter for traction, only for lateral forces, so they can vary somewhat without a lot of discomfort. Remember, the top speed doesn't actually happen until near the end.

However, if they DO vary the ride experience, I expect it will be earlier and be more about handling than speed, like some modification of the ABS test.

 

[Prock]

these are NOT actual cars on a paved track, but are a lot closer to a powered roller coaster vehicle _under_ the track on rails, with the passenger compartment on an arm above the track. Although the rubber tires to in fact contact the track and wear down (and are replaced somewhat frequently).

The car does use the road, the tires do push the car and turn it. Just watch as it comes into the loading area, all 4 wheels are used to steer it. That isn't cheap to do and they wouldn't have installed it unless it was crucial to operation of the ride. There is a bus bar underneath the road that provides power to propel the cars via the onboard motor. Yes there is a track underneath the surface of the road that helps keep the car on the right track. If there wasn't: if for some reason it were to come to a stop on any of the outdoor banked sections the car would slide right off.

 

[doconeill]

The car does use the road, the tires do push the car and turn it. Just watch as it comes into the loading area, all 4 wheels are used to steer it. That isn't cheap to do and they wouldn't have installed it unless it was crucial to operation of the ride. There is a bus bar underneath the road that provides power to propel the cars via the onboard motor. Yes there is a track underneath the surface of the road that helps keep the car on the right track. If there wasn't: if for some reason it were to come to a stop on any of the outdoor banked sections the car would slide right off.

Yes, the tires do provide the traction, but my point is that they are really on rails. The tires do turn because they would wear even faster if they didn't as you'd have to force-slide them against the surface - and they'd look awfully weird for simulated cars if they didn't Making them turn is actually not all that difficult, as it can be done via guide bar, or even electronically.

 

[mbrittb00]

Or the tires could just be free spinning. The contact they make with the road would cause them to turn when the vehicle moves.

 

[mcphotography]

What are the close dates for the refurbishment

 

[ToddS]

You mean the ones that were also in World of Motion?

You are SO right, Chris!! I completely forgot about that!

 

[mousermerf]

More new info based on releases from Chevrolet at the autoshow in china:

http://www.epcyclopedia.com/2012/04/24/will-redesigned-test-track-be-en-v-of-epcots-future-world/

 

[mickeystoontown]

Pictures posted on Facebook by Inside the Magic:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/**************/7118543563/in/photostream/

**Edited to add: Inside the Magic posted the following on Facebook around 9:20 a.m. today: Physical ride aspects of Test Track will not change based on queue selections. Only the score.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Info posted on the Allearsnet blog: http://land.allears.net/blogs/dnews/2012/04/epcots_test_track_to_get_tronl.html

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

What?! I didn't anything about this. My trip in 2014 will be my first time like this.

 

[lugnut33]

So, we get to enter the grid. Doesn't appear anything about the ride path itself will change, just what goes on around the passenger.