Tuners vs Cherishes - Track vs Road
Discussion
Just read about ExpatKiwi's supercharged monster in the 620r thread, and made me wonder how many people in here are running stock cars (i.e. as built from the spec list) and how many are building bespoke or tuning theirs up once built. Also made me wonder the split between track-biased vs road-biased cars. Couldn't see how to set up a poll, but if someone else can it'd be interesting to see!
Mine's a stock Roadsport 125 S3, predominantly road use (exclusively so far although hoping to get on track next year) - hence the intrigue
Mine's a stock Roadsport 125 S3, predominantly road use (exclusively so far although hoping to get on track next year) - hence the intrigue
Edited by lawtoma on Sunday 28th September 09:36
Mine started life as a Roadsport 140 but it's nothing like that now, in many ways I've spoiled it for road use and I don't use it on track enough. http://sevenracing.co.uk/My_Other_Seven.html
Roadsport 140 (Sigma) here. Spec is as it was from the factory but had pretty much every option ticked (LSD, 6 Speed, AP brakes, wide-track).
It's a good mix of road and track spec for me. It's fun without being scary. I've thought about more power but I really think it would ruin the balance on the road, and probably make me a lazy driver on track!
It's a good mix of road and track spec for me. It's fun without being scary. I've thought about more power but I really think it would ruin the balance on the road, and probably make me a lazy driver on track!
lawtoma said:
Tuners vs Cherishes - Track vs Road
It's not as simple as that!http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/4.gif There are road warriors touring, sprinters, racers (in several groups) and the track day enthusiasts, there are polishers, modifiers/upgraders, there are (shock-horror!) the garage adorments which do no more than a few hundred miles each year (I know of cars that do a trip to the MOT station each year and no more). The last of these are often cars which were used until love/children/other enthusiasms came along and the Seven was pushed to the back of the garage, not forgotten but not used. There are even sub-divisions within some of these, those wedded to the track can be split between the "drive it to and from the event" and the trailer trash!
Within the Lotus 7 Club, we welcome them all.
I have a 125 S3 as well and have kept it stock apart from an LSD.
I do 5000 miles + a year on road and one track day.
As it is, my car is brilliant fun. I have 60bhp less than most of the guys I go on runs with, and don't have trouble keeping up with the sensible drivers.
The road sport suspension is great for rough B roads, and yet copes well enough on track.
The only time I would like more power is when a car with higher top speed is holding me up in the bends on track.
I do 5000 miles + a year on road and one track day.
As it is, my car is brilliant fun. I have 60bhp less than most of the guys I go on runs with, and don't have trouble keeping up with the sensible drivers.
The road sport suspension is great for rough B roads, and yet copes well enough on track.
The only time I would like more power is when a car with higher top speed is holding me up in the bends on track.
'Within the Lotus 7 Club, we welcome them all. ' nice tag line... I notice a posh new website has been launched.
My 7 was bought as a daily driver. A 1999 1.8VVC. DVA tweaked the engine a little to get some more of the engine. I then added a new exhaust to help get the best from this wor.
During my rebuild a lightened flywheel has been added.
I've only done one track day, so all road use for me. I like to tweak it and modify it doing certain parts as and when I feel the taking.
My 7 was bought as a daily driver. A 1999 1.8VVC. DVA tweaked the engine a little to get some more of the engine. I then added a new exhaust to help get the best from this wor.
During my rebuild a lightened flywheel has been added.
I've only done one track day, so all road use for me. I like to tweak it and modify it doing certain parts as and when I feel the taking.
I have a 1.6 K which I bought new in 1996. I had the standard German exhaust system (two silencers) replaced with a UK standard sidepipe shortly after delivery, but apart from that it is exactly as it left Dartford. Highly polished ali bodywork and up until recently road use only. Have taken part in a couple of slaloms this year which was great fun.
Token Jock said:
After 3 years I've just sold my Superlight 1.6K, it was a standard car with screen and tillets plus all the other usual Superlight bits and pieces.
The Superlight has been replaced with an R500 Duratec and I'll be keeping that pretty the way it was built as well.
I would be very interested to hear how they compare as I keep thinking about going for an R500. Problem is that I find the K Superlight such a brilliant on road package and one that is so well balanced.The Superlight has been replaced with an R500 Duratec and I'll be keeping that pretty the way it was built as well.
Is the R500 much more fun on the road or is it all too tempting to get into licence losing speeds?
I have had a standard 1.6K SV for 11 years, it has been to the Alps and back a few times and gets used on track as well.
On track I cannot go as fast on the straights but the corners are just as much fun, more so with hard tyres. The only frustration is not being to pass the quicker cars you catch through the twisties. But as often as that frustration you get to do multiple laps without ever catching anyone while on the limit all the time.
You will have a blast with your car on track all Caterhams are great fun for track driving, even without monster power and sticky tyres.
On track I cannot go as fast on the straights but the corners are just as much fun, more so with hard tyres. The only frustration is not being to pass the quicker cars you catch through the twisties. But as often as that frustration you get to do multiple laps without ever catching anyone while on the limit all the time.
You will have a blast with your car on track all Caterhams are great fun for track driving, even without monster power and sticky tyres.
SidewaysSi said:
Token Jock said:
After 3 years I've just sold my Superlight 1.6K, it was a standard car with screen and tillets plus all the other usual Superlight bits and pieces.
The Superlight has been replaced with an R500 Duratec and I'll be keeping that pretty the way it was built as well.
I would be very interested to hear how they compare as I keep thinking about going for an R500. Problem is that I find the K Superlight such a brilliant on road package and one that is so well balanced.The Superlight has been replaced with an R500 Duratec and I'll be keeping that pretty the way it was built as well.
Is the R500 much more fun on the road or is it all too tempting to get into licence losing speeds?
I had a bit of a change around in my garage and sold my Aston V8 Vantage about 4 weeks before the Superlight was p/x'd for the R500.
I had been dithering for sometime on what to replace the Superlight with and was initially thinking of an R400, was wanting something with a little bit more performance for "picking off cars" on overtakes at 60mph which was where I felt the Superlight was lacking unless you thrashed the poor little thing mercilessly!
So an R400K or R400D was a possibility, but having seen the prices for the R400K I thought an R500K was better as engine internals are better.
On an R400D they aren't far away in price from an R500D which again generally has a higher spec with the carbon, roller barrels, stack dash and dry-sump and is also limited in numbers.
So I drove an R500K and it was huge fun, and I also drove an R500D and it to was also great.
I was concerned that the huge increase in power would overwhelm the experience and enjoyment I had from the Superlight.
Overall I felt the R500D was better for my needs, it makes very good progress short shifting at 5000rpm and is ballistic if you wring it out to north of 8k rpm
I'd say it doesn't have as much character as the K but the Duratec on RBTB's is a very fine 4-pot with the exhaust blaring and the RBTB's snorting away
The cars have a very different feel, the Superlight has a slightly more compliant ride on the B roads than the R500D and the turn in is just not as keen however I haven't had the R500 flat floor set-up yet so it is to early for a full comparison.
Sure it is easy to get into license losing speeds, the acceleration is pretty addictive but you don't have to use all of the performance all of the time, just good to know it is there if you need it
The R500D is a very fine car, is well balanced and of course the chassis is very intuitive and responsive so it isn't a handful to drive.
John
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