Top Gear Lap Times
Discussion
Just been checking out the Top Gear video clips of the T350C kindly provided by jimbo1000 and was wondering how the fastest lap time of 1min 28s compared to other cars TG have tested? Specifically I'd be interested to know how a Ferrari 360 or Porsche 911 compared as these two always seem to paste Tivs on the track despite having vastly inferior power-to-weight ratios. (Though they do cost slightly more of course 
)
I don't suppose anyone recorded TG and could reproduce their list of lap times here could they? Puuurrlease?
) I don't suppose anyone recorded TG and could reproduce their list of lap times here could they? Puuurrlease?
Just been checking out the Top Gear video clips of the T350C kindly provided by jimbo1000 and was wondering how the fastest lap time of 1min 28s compared to other cars TG have tested? Specifically I'd be interested to know how a Ferrari 360 or Porsche 911 compared as these two always seem to paste Tivs on the track despite having vastly inferior power-to-weight ratios. (Though they do cost slightly more of course
I don't suppose anyone recorded TG and could reproduce their list of lap times here could they? Puuurrlease?
Well, from memory it was quicker than the Murcielago, M12, 911, Esprit and the Ferrari 456 and Aston Vanquish. Also that As One thing and the twin engined 800bhp Audi TT. That sounds good enough to me!
F@ck me!
Well, from memory it was quicker than the Murcielago, M12, 911, Esprit and the Ferrari 456 and Aston Vanquish. Also that As One thing and the twin engined 800bhp Audi TT. That sounds good enough to me!
That is fast! You and benno are going to be having a party when your cars arrive! I think it's fair to say that each model TVR have released since the Griffith/Chimaera has been better than the one that preceded it? Could this be the best one yet? I certainly think it's got all the ingredients...
flasher said: Well, from memory it was quicker than the Murcielago, M12, 911, Esprit and the Ferrari 456 and Aston Vanquish. Also that As One thing and the twin engined 800bhp Audi TT. That sounds good enough to me!
I don't know on which track this video was shot, but I guess it really depends on the fact it's a "fast" or "slow" track.
As far as I know a car like a Cerbera 4.5 is useless on a short/narrow track but would surely be astounding on something like Spa-Francorchamps.
As such it's not quite surprising the T350C makes a better time than a 3,000 lbs Murcielago or a very versatile 911.
Thom said:
Certainly a 911, Esprit and Aston Vanquish would stand no chance on the straights and I suspect the M12 and Ferrari 456 would also be unable to match it. The Murceliago would probably be as quick, or maybe slightly quicker at higher speeds.
Not bad for a sub £40k car?!
Now imagine what a T440C with the sequential six-speed 'box could be like....
The track is not a particularly 'fast' one, it has been designed more to test handling. However, a 911 would still have beaten most if not all TVRs around this track before the T350C came along. However, if it was a fast track then the massive superiority of the T350Cs power-to-weight ratio should ensure that the lap time difference found on the 'handling' track was maintained or even bettered.
I don't know on which track this video was shot, but I guess it really depends on the fact it's a "fast" or "slow" track.
As far as I know a car like a Cerbera 4.5 is useless on a short/narrow track but would surely be astounding on something like Spa-Francorchamps.
As such it's not quite surprising the T350C makes a better time than a 3,000 lbs Murcielago or a very versatile 911.
Certainly a 911, Esprit and Aston Vanquish would stand no chance on the straights and I suspect the M12 and Ferrari 456 would also be unable to match it. The Murceliago would probably be as quick, or maybe slightly quicker at higher speeds.
Not bad for a sub £40k car?!
Now imagine what a T440C with the sequential six-speed 'box could be like.... Well 1m28 is definitely one of the fastest (I think the plane managed a better time plus the Westfield and Radical but they were all in the same ballpark).
As for Tivs getting pasted - I followed one closely around Castle Combe in my Dallara replica and the only reason I wasn't getting any closer was my gearbox wouldn't stay in gear in 5th (turned out to be a shot synchro ring - just wish I could afford a straight cut set...). The only advantage I had was slicks instead of road tyres the Chimera I was chasing should have been disappearing off into the distance.
There is some real irony there as well, my car is based on an X1/9 - a superb drive on the road but not known for its' prowess on the track. The same applies to the Chimera (and most other Tivs as well that I've seen). That was actually the point of the second, shorter clip - showing that a softer, more road and driver friendly setup was slower (although in this case only a second slower)
As for Tivs getting pasted - I followed one closely around Castle Combe in my Dallara replica and the only reason I wasn't getting any closer was my gearbox wouldn't stay in gear in 5th (turned out to be a shot synchro ring - just wish I could afford a straight cut set...). The only advantage I had was slicks instead of road tyres the Chimera I was chasing should have been disappearing off into the distance.
There is some real irony there as well, my car is based on an X1/9 - a superb drive on the road but not known for its' prowess on the track. The same applies to the Chimera (and most other Tivs as well that I've seen). That was actually the point of the second, shorter clip - showing that a softer, more road and driver friendly setup was slower (although in this case only a second slower)
When in the series did the 911 do a lap on the top gear track? I thought some bloke phoned in about his turbo and clarkson took the piss saying no chance.
DAZ
PS - Just go's to show how rigged the programme is when inviting people to put their cars on the track they didn't take up the offer of John Dokic's McLaren F1 or Getcarters R500.
DAZ
PS - Just go's to show how rigged the programme is when inviting people to put their cars on the track they didn't take up the offer of John Dokic's McLaren F1 or Getcarters R500.
Thom said:
roadsweeper said:a 911 would still have beaten most if not all TVRs around this track before the T350C came along.
Really?
I thought the T350C was just a rebodied Tuscan/Tamora...
What is new under the bodywork?
>> Edited by Thom on Tuesday 31st December 16:02
it has a built in cage which stiffens things up a bit, and there has been some kinda learning curve with the suspension following the 18" wheel update on the Tamora I think
Just been checking out the Top Gear video clips of the T350C kindly provided by jimbo1000 and was wondering how the fastest lap time of 1min 28s compared to other cars TG have tested? Specifically I'd be interested to know how a Ferrari 360 or Porsche 911 compared as these two always seem to paste Tivs on the track despite having vastly inferior power-to-weight ratios. (Though they do cost slightly more of course
I don't suppose anyone recorded TG and could reproduce their list of lap times here could they? Puuurrlease?
recorded it on sunday but cant read everything
Radical 1M19
Westfield 1M22
Murceliago 1M29
Espirit 1M32
M12 GTO 1M33 (wet)
SL55AMG 1M36
thats all the ones you can see, T350 did one lap in 1M28 (on stiff dampers etc)and another in 1M29 in road form.
Bennno
>> Edited by bennno on Tuesday 31st December 16:26
apache said: it has a built in cage which stiffens things up a bit, and there has been some kinda learning curve with the suspension following the 18" wheel update on the Tamora I think
For sure the roll cage significantly improves rigidity, but it still impresses me how only a new suspension set up can improve the performance so much.
Or is it another "bog standard" press car in the TVR tradition?
Thom said:
apache said: it has a built in cage which stiffens things up a bit, and there has been some kinda learning curve with the suspension following the 18" wheel update on the Tamora I think
For sure the roll cage significantly improves rigidity, but it still impresses me how only a new suspension set up can improve the performance so much.
Or is it another "bog standard" press car in the TVR tradition?
I dont call 1% significant on one lap
anybody Know the lenght of the course?
i'll guarantee the average speed round that course is alot higher than 60mph.
its only significant if its consistant over many laps no good if he keeps loosing control every other lap and loosing lots of time getting back on line.When you watch the program 1m 28 was his best lap but the amount of times he lost control he would probabaly be better of on the slightly softer set up in the long run
They said in the program stig set it up and made it very twitchy.
its similar to F1 in qualifing they set everything on the limit cos they only want one lap,but come race day they wind it back so it will finish.
The point i am making is you would not want a car set up so twitchy for a 1% increase in speed for normal running,
Still a bloody fast car though
its only significant if its consistant over many laps no good if he keeps loosing control every other lap and loosing lots of time getting back on line.When you watch the program 1m 28 was his best lap but the amount of times he lost control he would probabaly be better of on the slightly softer set up in the long run
They said in the program stig set it up and made it very twitchy.
its similar to F1 in qualifing they set everything on the limit cos they only want one lap,but come race day they wind it back so it will finish.
The point i am making is you would not want a car set up so twitchy for a 1% increase in speed for normal running,
Still a bloody fast car though
That programme was clearly biased, they turned down quite a few cars that would have got well below the 1.30's (I expect below the 1.20's), Mac F1, R500, numerous Ultima's.
They then reviewed three very similar cars ie mid engined hyabusa engined track only, very low production cars.
They even decided to change the rules and throw in a modified car (twin engined audi), maybe they should have included a 1000bhp skyline or something!
I thought they never run the 911 because it broke on the day! Of all the cars I would expect to break the 911 would be at the bottom of my list, strange.
>> Edited by ultimaandy on Wednesday 1st January 13:47
They then reviewed three very similar cars ie mid engined hyabusa engined track only, very low production cars.
They even decided to change the rules and throw in a modified car (twin engined audi), maybe they should have included a 1000bhp skyline or something!
I thought they never run the 911 because it broke on the day! Of all the cars I would expect to break the 911 would be at the bottom of my list, strange.
>> Edited by ultimaandy on Wednesday 1st January 13:47
ultimaandy said:
They even decided to change the rules and throw in a modified car (twin engined audi), maybe they should have included a 1000bhp skyline or something!
>> Edited by ultimaandy on Wednesday 1st January 13:47
Did I miss something?? I could have sworn on the first programme when the challenge was offered that the words were something along the lines of "If you think you have a better car, perhaps you've tuned it up...."?
-andy-
ultimaandy said: That programme was clearly biased, they turned down quite a few cars that would have got well below the 1.30's (I expect below the 1.20's), Mac F1, R500, numerous Ultima's.
not sure about that, a radical supposedly has pretty much the pace of a f3 car and the TG track is a fairly twisty circuit with a limited top speed.
Is an ultima going to be 10secs a lap quicer than a 580bhp Murceliago, if it is I want one?
Bennno
My Ultima (which is simliar to many others) weighs 1,000KG and has 525bhp and 540Lb Ft. The Lambo weighs 1650kg and has 570bhp and 479 Lb Ft. Power to weight for the Ultima is 525bhp per tonne while the Lambo is 351bhp per tonne. Pagani weighs 1250kg, with 542bhp, 553 Ft LB and 441bhp per tonne. I don't think the Ultima will be significantly quicker but it will be quicker. Other than Stig Gman has a 648bhp Ultima in a race setup (FIA cage and fully rose jointed etc) which would once again be even quicker.
Well seeing as mine is over 850kgs lighter than the Lambo and only gives away 50Bhp its also proven 2 seconds quicker to 100mph so I expect it will be close to 10 seconds!
Its actually over a second quicker than the radical to 100mph, wont go round the corners quite as well.
Actually I would expect my car to be similar to the Zonda as it is lighter than the Zonda with close to the same power. STIG's car has an even higher power to weight than mine.
Anyway this isn't about my car, there were a lot of other Ultima's put forward including the Factory demonstrator, I would obviously have liked to see one go around but also the other two mentioned.
Its actually over a second quicker than the radical to 100mph, wont go round the corners quite as well.
Actually I would expect my car to be similar to the Zonda as it is lighter than the Zonda with close to the same power. STIG's car has an even higher power to weight than mine.
Anyway this isn't about my car, there were a lot of other Ultima's put forward including the Factory demonstrator, I would obviously have liked to see one go around but also the other two mentioned.
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