RE: Pure Driving Experiences: Isle of Man
RE: Pure Driving Experiences: Isle of Man
Tuesday 1st October 2013

Pure Driving Experiences: Isle of Man

The TT course is an epic drive on four wheels as well as two


 


The latest in the series of Pure Driving Experiences videos sponsored by Dunlop takes Steve Sutcliffe to the Isle of Man to follow in the wheel tracks of motorcyling heroes. Dunlop's a name synonymous with the TT, both the famous family forever associated with the race and the tyres on which this year's dominant force Michael Dunlop competed on - as tested by PH2.

Steve's Mercedes A45 AMG has four Dunlop shod wheels on it - he does mention this on occasion - but the infamous mountain course appears no less thrilling for it. The better for it actually being closed off and totally free of other traffic.

See the vid here.


Previous videos:
Dunlop Pure Driving Experiences: Hardknott Pass
Dunlop Pure Driving Experiences: Crickhowell
Dunlop Pure Driving Experiences: A6 Autobahn
Dunlop Pure Driving Experiences: Stelvio Pass

Author
Discussion

Usget

Original Poster:

5,426 posts

241 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
But what would it be like in a BMW M135i?

toerag

758 posts

162 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
whatever brightcove.com is, i cant see the vid in Opera.

tosh.brice

204 posts

241 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
The only thing delivering grip is the Dunlops?
Nothing to do with suspension, 4WD, weight distribution, etc?

RemyMartin

6,759 posts

235 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
I'm there in four weeks....doing it the right way on two wheels though wink

GenKirby

7 posts

182 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
The first word is lucky, the second is for someone else to fill in. Just happens to be closed on the day you go there. Looks nice though, I should really try and watch the TT there, as an average of 130mph+ is just nuts

n4aat

471 posts

242 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
That is a really clumsy advert. And the video is st. Pointless article unless you are getting a kickback.

T0MMY

1,562 posts

206 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
tosh.brice said:
The only thing delivering grip is the Dunlops?
Nothing to do with suspension, 4WD, weight distribution, etc?
No, he's quite correct. With a set of Dunlop Sportsmaxx tyres on my Gran's car has exactly the same amount of grip as that Mercedes. Thank you Tata Nano; thank you Dunlop!


NGK210

5,070 posts

175 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
"And there's only one thing that's delivering that grip, and that's the tyres."

Don't these advertising and PR cretins realise that heavy-handed plugging and/or spurious claims do nothing but create a negative vibe for their product? Clearly not.

Chicane-UK

3,861 posts

215 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
tosh.brice said:
The only thing delivering grip is the Dunlops?
Nothing to do with suspension, 4WD, weight distribution, etc?
Quite. I really hate this covert type marketing.. video looks and sounds just like any Autocar/Evo/Drive video, but is just an advert for Dunlop. Grim.

Oddsock

944 posts

172 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
But he is right about one thing: the Mountain Road is a bit special.. yes

I'm up there several times a week to walk the hounds - or rather let them have a run while I watch the traffic from afar. On a summer's evening it's like being by the 'Ring; sure, there's mostly folk like me going from A to B but you don't have to wait long for a couple of bikers with loud pipes to scythe a fine tune across the Manx sky or a Caterfield, Mk2 Golf, Aston or BM to blast past "on one". It's a fantastic place when it's like that. Not quite so much when the mist descends again though! Or if it's closed so some freeloader can have a thrash..

Just wish I'd had a decent example of an Accord Type-R, not one with balsa wood brakes among other issues. For now my Puma will have to do.


ch108

1,127 posts

163 months

Tuesday 1st October 2013
quotequote all
Oddsock said:
But he is right about one thing: the Mountain Road is a bit special.. yes

I'm up there several times a week to walk the hounds - or rather let them have a run while I watch the traffic from afar. On a summer's evening it's like being by the 'Ring; sure, there's mostly folk like me going from A to B but you don't have to wait long for a couple of bikers with loud pipes to scythe a fine tune across the Manx sky or a Caterfield, Mk2 Golf, Aston or BM to blast past "on one". It's a fantastic place when it's like that. Not quite so much when the mist descends again though! Or if it's closed so some freeloader can have a thrash..

Just wish I'd had a decent example of an Accord Type-R, not one with balsa wood brakes among other issues. For now my Puma will have to do.
Glad you've got one good road, not like the rest of them which are potholed, dug up, or full of dithering elderly Manx drivers! The ramp onto the ferry was smoother than Douglas prom.

405dogvan

5,329 posts

295 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2013
quotequote all
n4aat said:
That is a really clumsy advert. And the video is st. Pointless article unless you are getting a kickback.
Sutcliffe is just 'freelance' enough that Haymarket can use him to sell stuff without tarring their 'journalist reputation' I guess - he's described Autocar's "editor at large" which I guess is just enough distance to excuse this sort of shilling...

Marketting people do need to realise that it's just jarring and naff - car-related brands have been satisfied with being a sticker on a bumper or a hoarding or a buzzword for eons, making themselves more 'obvious' like this is risky IMO.

See also the Audi Autobahn video etc...

PiB

1,201 posts

300 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2013
quotequote all
Quality video just frustratingly too short.

tosh.brice

204 posts

241 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2013
quotequote all
T0MMY said:
tosh.brice said:
The only thing delivering grip is the Dunlops?
Nothing to do with suspension, 4WD, weight distribution, etc?
No, he's quite correct. With a set of Dunlop Sportsmaxx tyres on my Gran's car has exactly the same amount of grip as that Mercedes. Thank you Tata Nano; thank you Dunlop!
That would not be true even if we were talking about static grip unless the weights (and tyre sizes and pressures) were identical, but it certainly isn't true in dynamic driving. Otherwise, why would motor manufacturers and especially racing teams bother developing improved suspension, etc - racing cars are not about ride quality!

MulsanneKinky

268 posts

170 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2013
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An exhilarating, terrifying road to drive... when you've got a clear run at it. I've com perilously close to losing an Alfa on there in 2000/01 when not giving the bends all due respect. Don't know too much about the new Merc but it's obvious to me the guy is giving it a proper hooning... And it looks special in the process.

Obviously I've seen the road run on two wheels plenty of times before so quite like to see it being tackled on four wheels. Never seen this before... But going for a snoop around YouTube now quietly confident I'll see more than a few spills featuring over-confident Loeb wannabees.

Think a few of you are being a bit harsh on PH...And certainly unrealistic. The minute PH start charging me to use their channels will be the minute I take exception.

oldtimer2

729 posts

163 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2013
quotequote all
Perhaps the powers that be in the IoM should consider a car competition over this section or part of it? Perhaps the sum of two timed runs - one out and one back - might work? That could attract a lot of interest and more tourism for the island if the classes included road going cars as well as out and out racers.

MulsanneKinky

268 posts

170 months

Garlick

40,601 posts

270 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2013
quotequote all
I've just been reading through the thread, thought I'd get involved.

Firstly I think it's quite clear that Dunlop are sponsors of this content, so comments along the lines of 'how much were you paid for this' seem pointless (in the nicest way). Yes it's a sponsored feature, we are a business after all and bills need paying.

However, what we will never do is sell poor content for the sake of a dollar. Dunlop and PH sat around a table and devised the Dream Drives concept (including reader submitted articles) and we spend a lot 'on location' shooting a new video for you every month using a great car and a great road...and some bloke called Steve. We want to deliver quality content, not just overrun the site with adverts.

We will be meeting with Dunlop later today and all feedback will be discussed, the aim being to make the next video(s) more appealing and interesting. At the end of the day we just want to deliver useful content that you enjoy watching and that is what we (PH and Dunlop) will strive to do here on in.

Sound fair?

RizzoTheRat

29,022 posts

222 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2013
quotequote all
Nice though the TT course is, especially the mountain section, personally I preferred a lot of the other more minor roads that they use on the Manx rally.

martin elaman

94 posts

157 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2013
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The video would be fair if Autocar was allowed to comment on any thing positive or negative about the car or the tires. And if Autocar has nothing negative to say at all, then that is what they should say. To simply have an test driver exclaim a car and tires are great, gives little useful feedback for the reader. martin