Cars that were too fast at the time
Discussion
DeuxCentCinq said:
jeremyc said:
In 2002, having won it's class (and come 11th overall) in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, the Caterham R400 was banned from the next year's race.
On what pretence were they banned?Simon Nearn at the time said:
I guess it’s embarrassing for us to roll up with a car that costs a fraction of the price of the rest of the field, can be driven to and from the track and run for 24 hours without a glitch.
Graham Nearn produced 'T' shirts with "Caterham Seven, the car that's "Too Fast to Race..."
Matt UK said:
DeuxCentCinq said:
jeremyc said:
In 2002, having won it's class (and come 11th overall) in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, the Caterham R400 was banned from the next year's race.
On what pretence were they banned?Simon Nearn at the time said:
I guess it’s embarrassing for us to roll up with a car that costs a fraction of the price of the rest of the field, can be driven to and from the track and run for 24 hours without a glitch.
Graham Nearn produced 'T' shirts with "Caterham Seven, the car that's "Too Fast to Race..."
nunpuncher said:
charlie84rum said:
I sure Im correct in thinking that the police had been sold a load of Omega's just before the Lotus Carlton came out rendering them somewhat impotent.
The civic type R was the first "quick" car I ever drove and I hate to think of a 17 year old me getting the keys to one.
The Omega came out a long time after the Carlton. In fact, I think it replaced the Carlton.The civic type R was the first "quick" car I ever drove and I hate to think of a 17 year old me getting the keys to one.
So yes I could understand why they were a little piddled about the LC
Didn't stop them re-ordering another 1000 odd of them in 1993 as the production run for the Senators was coming to an end - hence why there were quite a few M plate White Senator 24V manuals - I've had 2.....
E65Ross said:
ITP said:
The E21 323i was a bit lairy
Yet slower than the 2002 turbo Back on topic, I nominate the E12 Alpina B7 Turbo
Pah PH, come on, sort it out.
The Tipo 33 Stradale, 1968.
240-50bhp, 700kgs, it was quite literally a swb lemans racer with a numberplate. 360bhp per tonne, in 1968. For perspective a f430 is 340 bhp/tonne, I know it wasn't a mainstream car, but still mad to think that amongst even the fastest Ferraris, lambos, Maseratis, Jags etc, it would be just another world. Even the fastest miuris and daytonas were about 100bhp pertonne down on the little alfa.
One owner said that he saw the speedo climb to 180mph, at 10000rpm, in 6th.
Mad.
The lotus elan sprint is another that springs to mind, it was quicker than an e type until the v12 in 0-60 sprints!
The Tipo 33 Stradale, 1968.
240-50bhp, 700kgs, it was quite literally a swb lemans racer with a numberplate. 360bhp per tonne, in 1968. For perspective a f430 is 340 bhp/tonne, I know it wasn't a mainstream car, but still mad to think that amongst even the fastest Ferraris, lambos, Maseratis, Jags etc, it would be just another world. Even the fastest miuris and daytonas were about 100bhp pertonne down on the little alfa.
One owner said that he saw the speedo climb to 180mph, at 10000rpm, in 6th.
Mad.
The lotus elan sprint is another that springs to mind, it was quicker than an e type until the v12 in 0-60 sprints!
Fantuzzi said:
Pah PH, come on, sort it out.
The Tipo 33 Stradale, 1968.
240-50bhp, 700kgs, it was quite literally a swb lemans racer with a numberplate. 360bhp per tonne, in 1968. For perspective a f430 is 340 bhp/tonne, I know it wasn't a mainstream car, but still mad to think that amongst even the fastest Ferraris, lambos, Maseratis, Jags etc, it would be just another world. Even the fastest miuris and daytonas were about 100bhp pertonne down on the little alfa.
One owner said that he saw the speedo climb to 180mph, at 10000rpm, in 6th.
Mad.
The lotus elan sprint is another that springs to mind, it was quicker than an e type until the v12 in 0-60 sprints!
Also one of the prettier cars ever made, just look at it, albeit with a magnifying glass because they are tiny The Tipo 33 Stradale, 1968.
240-50bhp, 700kgs, it was quite literally a swb lemans racer with a numberplate. 360bhp per tonne, in 1968. For perspective a f430 is 340 bhp/tonne, I know it wasn't a mainstream car, but still mad to think that amongst even the fastest Ferraris, lambos, Maseratis, Jags etc, it would be just another world. Even the fastest miuris and daytonas were about 100bhp pertonne down on the little alfa.
One owner said that he saw the speedo climb to 180mph, at 10000rpm, in 6th.
Mad.
The lotus elan sprint is another that springs to mind, it was quicker than an e type until the v12 in 0-60 sprints!
Don't agree with the Cossie being too fast at the time.. The two door whale tail handled well and stopped well, and was generally a well balanced car that was 'easy' to drive. I agree with an earlier poster, I think the cars that were 'too fast' were the ones that didn't have the chassis/suspension sufficiently developed or brakes to match the engine power.. just my personal opinion
fflyingdog said:
Not one mention of the Citroen BX 16 valve? Stupidly quick and handled surprisingly well for such a large 'family' car. Admittedly the suspension was a bit hit and miss on older ones.
The BX 16v I had accelerated brilliantly, but I wouldn't say it was too fast. It gripped superbly and had excellent brakes so it handled its power well.
It's cars like the Astra GTE that I was referring to specifically rather than out and out sports/super cars.
I'm sure the Caterham, McLaren F1 etc were designed to be as mental fast as possible, but going back to little AX, it just didn't seem safe/adequate enough in most other areas to hurl you along at the speed it could..
Still, I guess that's what made them so entertaining!
I'm sure the Caterham, McLaren F1 etc were designed to be as mental fast as possible, but going back to little AX, it just didn't seem safe/adequate enough in most other areas to hurl you along at the speed it could..
Still, I guess that's what made them so entertaining!
Mr Ben said:
Good afternoon all,
Driving home from work the other day I saw a car which triggered a fond although in hindsight worrying memory from my youth.
Now in my mid 30's, the cars I hankered for during my teens and once passed were mostly 80's and 90's hot hatches. XR2's, RS Turbo's, 205 GTI's, Nova GSI's etc etc..
Shortly after passing my test a friend took me for a spin in his AX GT through Burnham Beeches. Back then, fearless and care free, I marvelled at the way we sped along the narrow windy lanes watching the speedo climb, 50... 60... 70... 80.. Nothing to write home about nowadays but back then it felt ridiculous.
And perhaps that's why? The car must have weighed no more than a half full wheelie bin. Hitting a sparrow at that speed probably would have killed us.
I'm sure the sensation can be created today if you've got the money to spend, but that little car probably cost a grand tops.
Looking back now, it seemed too fast!
My MK2 Golf 16V was clearly too fast (for me) because I stacked it into a warehouse wall!Driving home from work the other day I saw a car which triggered a fond although in hindsight worrying memory from my youth.
Now in my mid 30's, the cars I hankered for during my teens and once passed were mostly 80's and 90's hot hatches. XR2's, RS Turbo's, 205 GTI's, Nova GSI's etc etc..
Shortly after passing my test a friend took me for a spin in his AX GT through Burnham Beeches. Back then, fearless and care free, I marvelled at the way we sped along the narrow windy lanes watching the speedo climb, 50... 60... 70... 80.. Nothing to write home about nowadays but back then it felt ridiculous.
And perhaps that's why? The car must have weighed no more than a half full wheelie bin. Hitting a sparrow at that speed probably would have killed us.
I'm sure the sensation can be created today if you've got the money to spend, but that little car probably cost a grand tops.
Looking back now, it seemed too fast!
That thing felt ridiculous back then and it's true what they said, there were good ones and bad ones. I had a bloody good one!
Now, it wouldn't even worry a Black Cab.
The trouble was that the faster and more powerful cars got back then, the more liable they were to bite the unwary, it is still very much the case that a fast car can get someone into a lot of trouble but I dont think Cheshire school run mums in RR SVR Sports, Cayenne Turbos or X5M's could have managed a 500 bhp day to day back in the eighties without 4wd, and auto box and the various electronic safety nets they have now.
A modern 500 bhp car, by and large is an easy to drive pussycat compared to most with half that from 40 years ago, want to go fast, stamp on the accelerator, gearbox shifts down, traction control light flashes briefly as it detects and mitigates wheelspin and off you go, do that back then and you were liable to end up facing the way you came.
Even most powerful RWD stuff like a C63, for all its shouty V8 ness is less liable to put you in a field than a 205 GTI (unless you show off in town centres or retail parks)
A modern 500 bhp car, by and large is an easy to drive pussycat compared to most with half that from 40 years ago, want to go fast, stamp on the accelerator, gearbox shifts down, traction control light flashes briefly as it detects and mitigates wheelspin and off you go, do that back then and you were liable to end up facing the way you came.
Even most powerful RWD stuff like a C63, for all its shouty V8 ness is less liable to put you in a field than a 205 GTI (unless you show off in town centres or retail parks)
Impasse said:
kambites said:
The Vauxhall was also quite a lot more powerful so I suppose would have been faster even without the governer.
Indeed. A 1990 Vauxhall Lotus Carlton weighed around 1660 kgs with 377bhp and 419 lbft torque. The M5 at 1670kgs with 310bhp and 265 lbft was comparably asthmatic. E12 B7s were producing massive power and performance stats a decade before the LC
Edit - sorry missed this, you got there before me:
V8 TEJ said:
Back on topic, I nominate the E12 Alpina B7 Turbo
Edited by Leins on Friday 29th May 17:33
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