PH at Brighton Speed Trials
The first competitive event for the Vuhl 05 and they let PH drive!
Who's more nervous?
The first stumbling block to success was the entry list. For some reason the Vuhl has been entered in the Class 5 'Road-Going Series/Specialist cars', which meant the four other vehicles were an AC Cobra, Shelby Daytona coupe, Aston DBR1 replica and a 300hp Cosworth-powered Dax Rush. Arse. Lots of power and very little weight, all of them. With it staying dry there probably wasn't a huge traction advantage either. The second issue as it turned out was the oaf behind the wheel but we'll come to that.
Also running in the Vuhl's class...
Brighton at just after 0600h on the Saturday morning of Speed Trials is a fascinating place. Clubs are still open, Friday nights are still on and yet at the end of the seafront the road is closed and the racing cars are already gathering.
Except they aren't all racing cars, not at all. I hadn't checked the entry list much beyond the Vuhl's rivals and to see such an eclectic mix was a genuine surprise. From Bentley Arnage to MG ZR via Ferrari F40 and Aston DB7 Volante it's a really odd mix. There's everything from standard road cars - special mention here to the Gordon Hick in his SEAT Leon Cupra bought last week! - to the Allard of Brighton legend Jim Tiller. He and the car have been competing for five decades and it's capable of runs in the low 10s. It's an insane car, and an absolute must-see at the event.
What, never seen a JPS trike before?
Advice from the factory was that the Vuhl starts best (i.e. fastest) in second gear. Right. Except nobody representing Vuhl at Brighton had started it in second gear and I certainly hadn't. We settled on about 4,000rpm while trying to get off the clutch smartly; not too much slip but not letting it bog either.
It worked! The Vuhl lunges from the line, clocks 2.5 seconds over 64ft and feels very fast. But then there's an odd flare of revs in third and the speed has subsided. It does the same in fourth. Surely this can't be wheelspin? Of course it's not, the clutch is slipping. Badly. Oh balls. Perhaps I wasn't off the clutch as quickly as I thought from the start but that strategy is out for the first timed run.
And it's go (not that quickly)
We try second again but, so conscious of slipping the clutch, I jab my left off and bog down massively from the line. Those tenths as the boost builds feel like an eternity and then it's finally off. There are no slip issues and, while the shift feels longer and vaguer than would be ideal, the gears are in and the finish line is looming. The numbers? 2.78 to 64ft, 13.29 and 111.8mph terminal speed. Good, but it with plenty of room for improvement.
That was the plan. We decided to try the last run in first because, well, what was there to lose? Annoyingly I was too eager on the line, dumping the clutch with too many revs and getting a load of wheelspin through first and a jink sideways into second as well. But it goes to show how tardy the second gear start was that the 64ft time is 2.73 and the terminal speed is identical, probably losing half a second correcting the second gear slip-up.
Now can we try a track?
A final word on the car too, because barely a minute passed on Madeira Drive without someone taking another picture. The Vuhl really is a very exciting car to look at, even in matte grey and parked opposite an F40. One young lad describes it as "the car from the future" and plenty of people want to know about it. Mainly how to pronounce the name but they're definitely intrigued. As a first competitive outing it didn't go exactly to plan but the event is superb and the car has shown real promise. One day soon we'll get the Vuhl on a circuit to deliver a definitive verdict but from these brief exchanges it looks like the track day market could have one more terrific contender.
A huge thanks to the Speed Trials marshals, without which the event wouldn't take place, and of course all the spectators for coming along! See here for the full list of results from the Brighton and Hove Motor Club site.
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[Photos: Antony Fraser]
I was pleased with my 11.46 @ 131.5MPH for 10th place overall but my car would be capable of a 10 sec pass with a better surface.
See what you can blag for next years event
Not many events left that you can watch a car go up the strip then go and chat with the drivers and mooch around the cars without spending £££'s.
Well done guys and I'd like you to use a P1.. Or maybe a Dodge Hellcat next year.
Need to pull my finger out!
I did stop and speak to Matt who was trying hard to rack his memory on who he was talking too....which made me smile a little.
Very fast run as well. Need to pull my finger out!
I did stop and speak to Matt who was trying hard to rack his memory on who he was talking too....which made me smile a little.
Matt
This was me in a good friends car, they also gave me a scratch handicap, 12th fastest, 4th from last
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