fastest track day cars
Discussion
Andrew... I have to say I was VERY tempted by the Radical... (they do sound great don't they) but there is not a chance in hell off gettinig down the lane I live in without grounding!
As for too fast... I see the logic there Andy, and have been talking elsewhere about this exact subject - I did a day this week (in the R500) and never got one clear lap which was a pain. But if I'd been in the previous Seven I owned - I would have spent much of the time behind big engined tin tops on all the corners, only to see them dissapear up the straight... with me unable to keep up.
I guess you takes your choice.
PS (I'm hoping to make it to Dony next wednesday - so might see you there?)
>> Edited by getcarter on Thursday 19th September 11:37
As for too fast... I see the logic there Andy, and have been talking elsewhere about this exact subject - I did a day this week (in the R500) and never got one clear lap which was a pain. But if I'd been in the previous Seven I owned - I would have spent much of the time behind big engined tin tops on all the corners, only to see them dissapear up the straight... with me unable to keep up.
I guess you takes your choice.
PS (I'm hoping to make it to Dony next wednesday - so might see you there?)
>> Edited by getcarter on Thursday 19th September 11:37
quote:
IMHO fun isn't about how fast the car can go down the straights it's about enjoying yourself in whatever car you happen to be in and extracting the most out of the package.
And driving an underpowered car quickly is far more challenging than driving a fast car quickly - which anyone can do.
There is a limit though - if we're talking just track days then underpowered cars can get extremely dull. I took my company Mondeo around Snetterton last year and although the corners were a laugh I actually turned cruise control on down the straight and called the wife on the hands free (she was not impressed).
I've taken the Group One Golf (118 BHP) on a couple of TVR track days and whilst its always good fun, it gets immensely frustrating because all the faster cars come flying by on the straights (where they're allowed to overtake) and I'm then held up in the braking points and corners (where I'm supposed to stay behind). So the whole lap for me is ruined - a bit pointless.
Another point about Caterhams vs TVR - or an Elise vs an S4C. The Caterhams and Elise are not only faster AROUND the corner - they will also have more momentum LEAVING the corner and therefore more straight line speed on the first part of the straight too. Momentum is everything. Its only when the straight is long enough that the bigger car's power advantage starts to show - and even then he has to bake earlier to haul down the extra weight. And pies.
Given the choice I'd happily race 2CV's - because all the cars around you are the same and its the RACING that matters. But on a track day, I think I'd choose something more powerful given the choice.
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Another question along similar lines, how do Ultimas fair round tracks? They certainly have the stats to put on a good show... anyone seen it/done it care to share?
I've done it. My Ultima is about as quick round a track as a regular flavoured Caterfield. There's no way it's as quick as a Superlight, or an R500, because they not only have a better power to weight ratio than my car, but they're also lighter, so they tend to be more nimble round the twisties.
Then again, the circuit comes into it rather a lot too. On a tight and twisty circuit, I'll get mullered, whereas on a nice fast circuit (Snet, Thruxton etc.), I'll be making up enough distance on the straights to allow for their additional nimbleness round the twisty bits.
As was mentioned earlier in this thread. When it comes to a track day, there's no point comparing cars, as the drivers experience of the track/his car, and his desire to go fast or have fun are the overriding factors.
At Folembray last weekend, I was overtaking cars that should have been quicker than me. That wasn't because my car is faster than theirs, or that I'm a better driver. I just wanted to do some fast laps, and they wanted to goon round all the corners sideways. Each to their own. The way I wanted to drive was always going to be inherently quicker than them.
We all had a good laugh though
James
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As per my conversation with AndrewD, on Saturday night after Folembray, it depends what your definition of "fun" is. To me just as much fun can be had in a 90bhp Vx powered Academy Caterham as a R500.
IMHO fun isn't about how fast the car can go down the straights it's about enjoying yourself in whatever car you happen to be in and extracting the most out of the package.
Andy
BookaTrack.com
Completely agree. The only time that lap times or outright speed comes into it is when you're racing. Then the lap time is all that matters. Everything else takes second place.
James
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Just have to find one fitted the with GT-2 smokescreen option. Anyone know if AMG can fit that?
You already have it. It's the traction control "Off" button.
I once left my traction control turned on for a couple of laps of Snet. It was bloody awful. The car went all understeery, as it wouldn't let me balance it on the throttle properly.
That's the problem with road car traction control. It errs on the side of caution.
Tell me that you didn't leave the TC on round Folembray Mr. Tony
James
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Email me for details on the wheels that MikeE was interested in but defected to George Polley !!!
Would I do that! Not at all - as it happens you're wheels are the same price as Polleys, thing is their tyres are much cheaper.
Anyway I left a post on the Folembray thread at 9:35 this morning asking what your price for wheels and ACB10s would be.
I'll email you off line.
Mike.
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Tell me that you didn't leave the TC on round Folembray Mr. Tony
Unfortunately being an early car (94) you cannot turn it off (so I am informed - and theres no button / section in the manual explaining that it's switchable either).
I think in 'sport' mode the TC is far more lenient, I was certainly lighting the tyres up in the corners a bit and o the road it will happily leave rubber everywhere when you pull away. In economy the whole thing damps down a lot...
Still if theres a secret way of turning it off (pull out a fuse?) then I'd like to know..
>> Edited by mr_tony on Thursday 19th September 14:05
Recent trackdays I've been on I've been most impressed by bike engined sevens. Seems that no mater where they catch you (Cadwell Park) they can run rings round you. Good Power to weight, low CofG, right noises, good grip, the total package. Other notables were a 3.6ltr Opel Monza rally car on uncut slicks and a two-wheel drive escort cosworth with 34psi of boost...... but the problem for them is putting the power down, smokey tires are us. Similar to powerful sports cars I guess........
There's a couple of things not so good about BECs though and that is that:
a) They are typically very noisy and hence you will struggle to get on a lot of circuits
b) Certainly from what we've seen on our days they are extremely prone to going *bang* even when dry-sumped.
Andy
BookaTrack.com
a) They are typically very noisy and hence you will struggle to get on a lot of circuits
b) Certainly from what we've seen on our days they are extremely prone to going *bang* even when dry-sumped.
Andy
BookaTrack.com
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Still if theres a secret way of turning it off (pull out a fuse?) then I'd like to know..
The secret way on my car isn't particularly secret. You just push the "off" button.
There will be a fuse that controls it. The thing to be careful of is that it doesn't have any side effects. It might be linked to the ABS, or the diagnostics might put the car into some sort of "safe" mode.
James
Fair point James, though I wouldn't think of tinkering with the fusing without consulting the dealer first.
It's in for service with a merc dealer shortly, so hopefully they'll be able to give me the lowdown on how the spec changed on the c36 through it's production life. ( They'll probably tell me where the switch is too and make me look a complete
)
It's in for service with a merc dealer shortly, so hopefully they'll be able to give me the lowdown on how the spec changed on the c36 through it's production life. ( They'll probably tell me where the switch is too and make me look a complete
)You may well find that your dealer doesn't have access to the sort of information that will be of any use to you. When I asked mine how I could remove the speed limiter, I was told that it was impossible, as it's wired into 4 different ECU's. I later found out that Brabus offer what they call the "Vmax" modification, which turns out to be a case of cutting a single wire.
I later discovered that mine had already had it done (I discovered it when it kept on accellerating up to 163 mph).
A specialist Mercedes tuner, or Brabus are probably the people you really want to talk to.
James
I later discovered that mine had already had it done (I discovered it when it kept on accellerating up to 163 mph).
A specialist Mercedes tuner, or Brabus are probably the people you really want to talk to.
James
quote:
A specialist Mercedes tuner, or Brabus are probably the people you really want to talk to.
James
Thats what I was scared of, someone is going to say 'supercharger', then it's all going to get rather expensive.
I'll check out the specialists in the area and see what they have to say.
Cheers for the advice
>> Edited by mr_tony on Thursday 19th September 17:14
Hi
A Caterham Superlight will beat any other road car on most tracks. I've done it many times. Race driver against race driver (rather than me against a track day driver).
The R300 or R500 are awesome fun.
Last year on the Brands GP circuit there was an allcomers race that I beat several Ferrari 360 challenge cars in a £14k 1600cc Roadsport !
Apparently is was pretty entertaining.
It's got nothing to do with how fast the car will go in a straight line, it's handling, acceleration and braking. I could brake later and had more mechanical grip.
A Caterham Superlight will beat any other road car on most tracks. I've done it many times. Race driver against race driver (rather than me against a track day driver).
The R300 or R500 are awesome fun.
Last year on the Brands GP circuit there was an allcomers race that I beat several Ferrari 360 challenge cars in a £14k 1600cc Roadsport !
Apparently is was pretty entertaining.
It's got nothing to do with how fast the car will go in a straight line, it's handling, acceleration and braking. I could brake later and had more mechanical grip.
Also, just been looking round the web (boredom set in) for pics of nice cars and saw this!
Oh and this rather yummy Elise!!
Take a look at 160+ pics of nice cars
Graham
Oh and this rather yummy Elise!!
Take a look at 160+ pics of nice cars
Graham
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Sounds quick but when Tiff Needel had a go he stuck the rod through the side of the block!
Graham,
He stuck a rod through the side of the block because he's an idiot. There are 2 gearboxes, which have 2 gearsticks which are mounted together, but can be operated individually. He was given instructions about how to be careful not to get them out of sync, but being the typical arrogant Tiff, he didn't listen. The reason he put a rod through the side of the engine was because he managed to get the gears out of sync, which cause one of the engines to rev out and go bang.
The arrogant
didn't even appologise to the owner of the car for doing it 
James
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