R300 Caterham or 2005 Lotus Exige???
Discussion
fergus said:
Do people not feel that when ued properly, the R300 (& upwards models) are too quick for the road?
Not even slightly: indeed, my biggest cock up was not going for the R500 Evo variant - proper schnell for quality marauding! Anyway, the lastest 260 job is even quicker and certain Atoms even more so.
derestrictor said:
fergus said:
Do people not feel that when ued properly, the R300 (& upwards models) are too quick for the road?
Not even slightly: indeed, my biggest cock up was not going for the R500 Evo variant - proper schnell for quality marauding! Anyway, the lastest 260 job is even quicker and certain Atoms even more so.
DeR,
I do mean shifting off the limiter, etc, rather than 'going for a blat'. Are you honestly comfortable going that quick on the road? If you are, I suggest you should start racing, and come and see how fast they can be driven. I not talking about any of the vMax boll*cks either! Which area of the country are you from?
shifting off the limiter is not the best way to drive IMHO nor the fastest.
Certainly ive not come across a car with too much power (cleary adjusting to the conditions) but when you get into the stratosphere of 300+ bhp per ton or 400ish as was the SLR then your talking fast in any language be it an R300 R400 or R500, or more. - the fact of using all the BHP/tourqe is another question.
most other cars/traffic can be dispached with a sneeze, corners are limited to your vision and stopping/safety not the power of the car I would put forward once your above the R300 + models.
Road driving is as you know, clearly different to track driving where the extra an R500 over and R300 may give a bit more welly down a straight but the driver ability will be more dominant and tyres than a bit more HP.
and also the safety side of things is greatly enhanced on track with one way traffic, vision, no horses, cyclists, gerneral uniform surface etc..
which as im talking to the converted, think you will agree is a reasonable view for a 7 nut.
Certainly ive not come across a car with too much power (cleary adjusting to the conditions) but when you get into the stratosphere of 300+ bhp per ton or 400ish as was the SLR then your talking fast in any language be it an R300 R400 or R500, or more. - the fact of using all the BHP/tourqe is another question.
most other cars/traffic can be dispached with a sneeze, corners are limited to your vision and stopping/safety not the power of the car I would put forward once your above the R300 + models.
Road driving is as you know, clearly different to track driving where the extra an R500 over and R300 may give a bit more welly down a straight but the driver ability will be more dominant and tyres than a bit more HP.
and also the safety side of things is greatly enhanced on track with one way traffic, vision, no horses, cyclists, gerneral uniform surface etc.. which as im talking to the converted, think you will agree is a reasonable view for a 7 nut.
Edited by superlightr on Friday 10th November 16:06
fergus said:
Do people not feel that when ued properly, the R300 (& upwards models) are too quick for the road?
"used properly" a 15 year old Golf GTi is WAY too quick IMO
use one at 90%, 90% of the time on the limit of braking, accceleration and cornering and people will just get out, clock your plate and call the police on their mobiles and report you for dangerous driving. If they don't then you weren't driving it hard enough.
superlightr said:
shifting off the limiter is not the best way to drive IMHO nor the fastest.
Appreciate that, but I was trying to make the comment that K series engines (esp with R500 cams) need to be thraped to within an inch of their lives to squeeze what meagre torque they offer from their 1800ccs. Also the sound of the induction roar, and exhaust bark is so much more visceral up at the 8k mark, than changing up at 6500rpm for example.
My point was related to the need that IMHO these cars really are all or nothing. That's how I race mine and even on trackdays/Ring outings, it really does need to be caned hard (fnar, fnar). I haven't driven a 2.3 duratec monster torque engined car yet, but the K series engined cars really make you work for the thrills IMHO.
I can't imagine driving one (tuned K series) on the road would be that much fun that's all, in that personally I would find it massively frustrating. I picked up 6 pts in my old 911RS when exploiting some of its 'cornering ability' (albeit less than the Caterhams!) and am not keen to be 'sans licence' for a year!!
Being in the fortunate (or is that stupid) position of owning an R400 and an S2 Elise 111S I'd have to say it all depends on your intended use.
If you want a track toy, get the Caterham.
If you want a road car, get the Exige.*
* Unless you're talking about S1 Exige in which case just get the Caterham.
I realise this is now pointless as you've decided!
If you want a track toy, get the Caterham.
If you want a road car, get the Exige.*
* Unless you're talking about S1 Exige in which case just get the Caterham.
I realise this is now pointless as you've decided!
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