RE: Ferrari vs McLaren, round two: PH Blog

[Dan Trent]

Max_Torque said:

Whilst i might have agreed with Dan, perhaps 15 years ago, these days, the complexity and interdependent nature of a modern cars chassis systems means the road testing really isn't on the agenda, except for validation / mileage accumulation.

Damn you and your well-informed, tactfully put and reasoned insight! Let's just say from what I saw the 'accommodation' afforded to Ferrari test drivers on the local roads means validation and mileage accumulation on their test mules looks like an awful lot of fun. And involves quite a bit of tyre smoke.

I also take the point made earlier that burying one in the local scenery/oncoming traffic probably wouldn't do your prospects in the job much good. Credit to them for living the dream though!

Dan

[Oddball RS]

Goofnik said:

"Less so now that even the Americans feel duty bound to benchmark their domestic product at the bloody Nurburgring."

Be glad we didn't do it back in the day. With gems like the 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport VR. 145HP from a 3.3L V6 at a dizzying 4400rpm!



Wait, what? No, it's not a diesel. Yes, peak power at 4400rpm. Yes, less than 44HP per liter. ... you know, shaddup -- 'MERICA!

Shed should be US only this week! How 'pony' can you go............?

[KJH]

bubney72 said:

McLaren have far more to worry about before they can compete with their setup. Firstly, design a car that looks good, and secondly, buy an engine that sounds and goes like a Ferrari. Maybe Maranello would even build and sell McLaren an engine.

That would not be a good idea. The McLaren would be in the garage half the time. :P

[big_rob_sydney]

Really, whats the point of high-speed testing (besides our inner childish jealousy)?

On roads, you'll do those kinds of speeds maybe < 1% of the time. 300kph every day? What, around Surrey? I dont think so Dan.

Ferrari have Fiorano to play with, and I'm sure they have literally millions of miles logged by now to compare data traces to.

I dont doubt Ron is just as capable. So to me, the data-driven exercise is pretty much a dead heat as far as using computers in the design phases. All thats missing is passion.

But dont confuse one with the other; being able to speed on a public road isnt the same as fundamentally building a world-beating car, which starts with boring old computers in an unsexy lab somewhere in a basement.

[sealtt]

I don't think it's quite like that, Federico makes a couple of tweaks to the throttle response and Alberto then goes to blast around the mountains coming back with a thumbs up or thumbs down based on how it went out in on the road.

They use tech to do so much of the work, and if they want to do real world testing they can easily ship a McLaren to that very same Ferrari road to test it out within a day or two should they so wish.

[redroadster]

The engine is the heart of a car and if the Ferrari sounds much better than the Macca then it's got a head start straight away even though both have had major success on the race track the name alone of Ferrari is held highest throughout the world, this alone is enough for some, Mcclaren though have done very well in there road car division in such a small amount of time I think they will get everything right in next few years .

[RoverP6B]

Plenty of challenging roads round here that will show any car's shortcomings up. The Sheepleas road from East Horsley to Shere is one of the most notorious. Abinger up to Effingham, or the road it crosses, between Dorking/Ranmore and the Sheepleas road. The A248 through Albury, and the back lanes over to Peaslake, Ewhurst, Holmbury St Mary, Forest Green etc. I'd be a hang sight happier following McLaren test drivers around than I would the more usual Honda bloody Jazz going at 15mph! Unfortunately, we've so many cops and speed cameras around (the A24 Mickleham Bends and the big long dual-carriageway bit of the A246 were fun at full chat, 50mph now) that trying to make progress is almost impossible.