XF on a trackday?
Discussion
I'm not convinced you'll enjoy it very much on a track to be honest. I've got the 550ps R-S model which has far more taught suspension but a track is the last place I fancy taking it. It accelerates well, turns in nicely, is predictable at and beyond its limits and stops well, but it's a big heavy car and driving it like that shreds tyres and hammers the suspension bushes.
I agree with Mr Duff, above.
You'll shred your tyres (some tracks have a harsher surface than others...).
Personally, I'd just book one of the track day experiences, and trash their cars.
When I loook at buying cars, that's the first thing that would dissuade me from purchasing, if I saw evidence of it being thrashed round a circuit.
You'll shred your tyres (some tracks have a harsher surface than others...).
Personally, I'd just book one of the track day experiences, and trash their cars.
When I loook at buying cars, that's the first thing that would dissuade me from purchasing, if I saw evidence of it being thrashed round a circuit.
I'm not sure how much experience you have of these suspension bushes, but they're common to a lot of Jags and well known for dying quite early. I destroyed pretty much a full set within 70,000 miles on my last one.
But it's your car. Nobody else gives a toss if you ruin it
You'll be the slowest thing on the track. You'll realise a few corners in that you have a diesel engine designed for road driving, and you'll do the tyres in within a few laps - but it's your car.
But it's your car. Nobody else gives a toss if you ruin it
You'll be the slowest thing on the track. You'll realise a few corners in that you have a diesel engine designed for road driving, and you'll do the tyres in within a few laps - but it's your car.
Do it!
I took my Audi A6 1.9 TDI (130 or maybe less not so raging horses).
I did nothing to it, luckily it was cold and a bit wet so levelled the field a lot with faster cars. I wasn't the slowest car by a long shot and enjoyed tussling with the stickered up race cars even if they were holding me up on the corners!
Had just as much fun driving that as I do my track cars, it's not about the vehicle - it's about the driving!
I took my Audi A6 1.9 TDI (130 or maybe less not so raging horses).
I did nothing to it, luckily it was cold and a bit wet so levelled the field a lot with faster cars. I wasn't the slowest car by a long shot and enjoyed tussling with the stickered up race cars even if they were holding me up on the corners!
Had just as much fun driving that as I do my track cars, it's not about the vehicle - it's about the driving!
By all means do it but as Jamie says, these are big, heavy things designed for mile munching, not throwing around a track. I did a track day in my 4.2 X150 XKR last year and I was the slowest thing around the track - able to pass most stuff on the straights but outclassed by stuff like moderately track-modified Clios and left for dead by the Lotuses around the twisty sections.
By no means said in my defence but I was on Knockhill which does favour better handling cars than ones with outright power, you might get on better on a faster circuit with flowing bends and longer straights.
By no means said in my defence but I was on Knockhill which does favour better handling cars than ones with outright power, you might get on better on a faster circuit with flowing bends and longer straights.
MrOrange said:
But seriously, a lardy saloon car on track is no fun and expensive unless you're pootling around.
But where else will you get to see what the car can do?Even with a diesel version you can't leave your toe on the loud pedal for very long on the road. You can really throw the thing around corners for fear of meeting the inevitable car coming the other way. Track days can be a lot of fun in a normal road car.
Rockmonkey said:
I worked on the design of the bushes for the D7a and D8 vehicles. I started the project with benchmark durability testing of the X250 bushes. It seems to be full compression to rebound cycles that kill them rather that acceleration to braking which doesn't really put high strains in to any of the bushes (based on XFR acceleration loadings). The other thing which kills them is aging of the rubber due to heat. The new D7a vehicles use a completely different type of rubber.
I'm pretty confident that I won't kill them. Plus I've got a full set of them under my desk.
That's very interesting, thanks. I had worried that the XFR-S would kill them faster than their already premature death on my S-Type. Rear control arms especially. I replaced the bushes first time, and they're a bugger to do. There's nothing to hold the castings by for pressing on a normal 20Te press.I'm pretty confident that I won't kill them. Plus I've got a full set of them under my desk.
Is it possible that they'll last longer on my stiffly sprung XF than they did on the relatively soft S-Type then, since the S-Type will have had more bump and droop movement on the same roads compared to the XF?
You certainly hear more about them being f
ked on S-Types than, say, X150s. Maybe that's why. It's always been the sealed joint smaller bearings in the rear control arms that have gone on mine, by the way. The larger rubber bushes are ok. The upper rear control arm balljoints don't last long either IME.Carsie said:
Rockmonkey said:
D7a is a platform shared by F Pace, new XF and XE.
D8 is currently only Discovery Sport.
Cough cough..Internal Memo..."Please do not discuss internal information to which you are privvy on a public forum"D8 is currently only Discovery Sport.
I certainly wouldn't discuss anything else I know.
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