Who hasn’t imagined themselves behind the wheel of an F1 car? In that daydream, you just hop in and set a new track record, showing all those “professionals” how it’s really done. If you could live out your fantasy in real life, however, they’d strap you in and then lock one of these wheels, looking more like a scientific calculator than the tiller from your Hyundai, in front of your sweaty palms. Can you decipher them all?
Of course, BMW isn’t technically associated with Sauber anymore, despite F1 ruling that Sauber must stick with the BMW name until the end of this year. But that shouldn’t detract from the awed “WHAAAAA?” sound your brain should make when you take in the incredible complexity of what sits in front of a driver as they guide one of the highest-performance machines on the planet against some of the most talented drivers. Hell, I don’t even like fiddling with the radio when I’m on the freeway lest I wander a bit in my lane. I can only imagine what sort of concentration it takes to correctly paw one of these switches with Jenson Button breathing down your neck through a long sweeper.
There, I’ve gone and labelled all the components with my own yellow and red markings. Your challenge is to correctly name the purpose of all of these doodads and gimmicks. Are you as smart as a Teutonic F1 program engineer? There’s 27 individual functions to label, so you better get crackin’. There might be a prize in it for you! But we have to warn you that to determine a winner, we’re going to strap a laptop onto the wheel of a car and hit the skidpad as we go through the results and discuss prize options, so neither our lives or your satisfaction are guaranteed.
Oh, and I do realize that there’s no “N” in the labelled photo. Bonus points for the most creative function for the imaginary “N” switch.
Hooniverse Asks – What Does it All Mean???
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69 responses to “Hooniverse Asks – What Does it All Mean???”
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W – CRUISE obviously means cruise control. I didn't know those cars could do 300 though. Impressive.
M – Power Locks. I thought you just climbed into one of these things. Maybe this is a stripper model without the option packages.
This should be fun-
It didn't know there was an opportunity in a race to actually sustain 300mph long enough to warrant the use of the CRUISE!
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Top Fuel… used for 0.1 seconds (if you can overcome the g-force and actually reach the button).
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That's almost certain to be KPH.
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I assume you're right (I didn't designate mph/kph as that was a bit beside the point). I also assume that it's not really a cruise control.
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No I think it actually is. Pit Lanes have speed limits, so I wouldn't be surprised if that dialed a specific speed limiter when you were speed restricted like that.
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S oviously controls the yrtne. Duh.
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N – Not going to win the race, blow engine to save face.
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"BP" emits an oil slick on the track behind the car.
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but they can drive somewhere else right?
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Z is the Cathy button. When something goes wrong, it says "ACK!" for you.
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No,no,no. Ack is for Bill the Cat.
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And is that big blue and white thing in the middle the horn?
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That's immediately what I saw. I'm a dork, but I'm not alone.
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A = N
There, I just defined the N button. Mathematically. -
How apropos that the gear indicator was given the letter G.
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N ignites the rockets.
<img src="http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Pictures/Opel3.png">-
Which is obviously why an F1 car wouldn't have an N-button.
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RBR tried to have an N button, but Ferrari complained.
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Was Webber in the prototype in Valencia?
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I really wish "M" was a Pyro Laser. I have no idea what that would look like, but if anything deserves to combine a flamethrower and a laser, it should be a rogue F1 car.
Also, you have to admire the decorum of the series. I'm pretty sure that "ACK" is code for "Oh Shit". Every car needs an "Oh Shit" button. At least that's what my passengers are always telling me. -
I don't understand. Why not just make 10 the highest?
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But these go to 12!
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You have provided the only correct rebuttal, in its entirety.
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Z= ACK compiler
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interesting that you placed ZZ at the bottom… i always thought those two letters belonged somewhere else in terms of vertical arrangement… hmmm…
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Hah!
I guess BMW/Sauber aren't fans?
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The "N" is obviously the afterburner. <img src=http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/2F016A5E-CFD0-4DF4-93A3-4CCDA05B6AAA/42-16028705.jpg>
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Why do I sense an "N Button" micromeme coming on?
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N = fire or afterburner? I can live with that.
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<img src="http://www.tanshanomi.com/temp/n-bike.jpg" width=520>
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Full of win. And fire.
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Does it count if that happens when I shift to "N" from a rolling "D"?
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If I recall correctly that is a one of 201 Z16 1965 Chevelle making it all the cooler.
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Hooray for Hoonmemes!
Whoever is setting up the Wikipedia page needs to add this, as well as the PAH! meme.-
What the hell happened to the Hooniverse Wikipedia page, anyhow?
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I don't know. I thought someone said they started one. Did it not get published? Did the Gawker empire remove it? Was it tagged as a terrorist organization by the US Department of State?
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They got confused because of our specialisation in Weapons of Mass Distraction?
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"U" summons a track girl.
Well, I cheated to find out what they really mean and now I'm quite certain that I would kill myself before I could even get out of the pits.
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I concluded that when Hammond tried to drive the junior Indy car. If someone used to insane supercars has that much trouble, I'm certain I'd burst into flames when I sat down.
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That's because you sat on the "N" button.
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So that's where they hid it!
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I've known what they all mean. I think I could figure out the radio.
You, sir, are a genius. There's no other possible explanation.
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You two are the same person, aren't you?
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There are (at least) six of us.
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Seriously, though, I would guess that "ACK" (Z) has something to do with the comm or telemetry signal.
And could the "SC" on button ZZ stand for supercharger, like some kind of manual wastegate dump or something? Not having followed F1 for at least, like, 15 years, I really don't have a clue what sort of forced induction these things use nowadays, and my lunch break is nearly over. I have not zapped my frozen ravioli yet, so I'm not going to bother researching it. Sosumi.
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I would bet that's a limiter of some sort for when the Safety Car is out.
I have also cheated, and have everything in list format. Some are kind of weird, but for the most part, it all makes logical sense.
From what I remember last time looking at these steering wheel controls:
A= Neutral
B= Water? maybe
E= Data Display (not sure which selection it is showing)
G= Gear indicator
H= Flag Indicator
J= Radio
M= Pit Lane limiter
P= Rear sensor
Q= Fuel mixture
R= Pedal sensitivity
S= Forward sensor
T= Wing down force adjustment
U= Pit button or team notification/info button, something like that
X= Selection for the Digital Display "E" (guessing)
Y= Tire type selector
ZZ= Scrolls the display screen
I will update if I remember more
*edit #4, can't stare at the pic any longer. I might have to guess for the rest. I have seen the plus/minus buttons before, but no clue what the plus or minus. K/C could be the engine start/brake. I don't know what the hell "D" could be.
My dear boy, in my day, we didn't need buttons for such things.
<img src="http://www.skippyforums.com/forums/gallery/files/1/244516.jpg">
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Lucky bastard.
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I haven't been following F1 closely for many years, essentially since Senna died. I am aware that they keep adding rules that prohibit driver changes to the car's suspension and aerodynamics while he's racing. So I'm mystified that the driver of a modern F1 car would even need that many switches and buttons. Obviously, I don't know dick about todays F1 cars.
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I think you hit it right on. Few of the buttons actually DO anything. Those wacky Germans are trying to impress the car-betties and baffle the rest of us.
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Or they know their own history with electronics and have built in plenty of redundancy.
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Aww. I was imagining a call for a spiff… but then I suppose people might take issue with all the alcohol sponsors.
Y = martini order
N = remove BMW badging
Again, Ack is for Bill the Cat.
What the ACK button really does:
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/AckbarStanding.jpg">
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Personally, I'm pleased that it's been 54 minutes since you posted that comment and no "It's a trap" references yet.
Wait…Dammit.-
Dammit!
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It's a TRAP!
![http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Pictures/Opel3.png">](http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Pictures/Opel3.png">){kind=link}
![http://www.tanshanomi.com/temp/n-bike.jpg"](http://www.tanshanomi.com/temp/n-bike.jpg"){kind=link}
![https://hooniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/motivator7a15ccfca06e8829a19bd39c7dab3697ace7700a.jpg">](https://hooniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/motivator7a15ccfca06e8829a19bd39c7dab3697ace7700a.jpg">){kind=link}
![http://www.skippyforums.com/forums/gallery/files/1/244516.jpg">](http://www.skippyforums.com/forums/gallery/files/1/244516.jpg">){kind=link}
![http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2010/07/moss_250f.jpg">](http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2010/07/moss_250f.jpg">){kind=link}
![http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/AckbarStanding.jpg">](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/AckbarStanding.jpg">){kind=link}
In addition to these buttons there is also a brake bias adjuster, front wing adjuster, the gear shift up and down, a hand clutch or two, master kill switch, the marshal's neutral button on the cockpit surround, the F-duct opening (this year only), and probably a few more switches. That neutral button is my vote for N.
H should be the FIA warning indicator for safety car deployment or red flag.
I remember reading in Evo once that most of the sponsors logos are actually painted on, so that there wouldn't be any interference in the aerodynamics from decals.
Here is a cheat sheet with all the answers!
http://www.superherostuff.com/images/mach_5_butto…
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