Way too powerful
Discussion
daemon said:
I remember driving a friends heavily modded 1985 mk1 RS Turbo back at the time and holding on to the steering wheel for grim death to keep control of it. Just a matter of a few years later i did the same speed run in a 200BHP standard 1994 Rover 220GSi Turbo and you could have held the car with one finger on the steering wheel.
Ability to get the power down is whats changed. Our A45 is perfectly tractable and driveable as an everyday car - probably unheard of 10-15 years ago in a car with similar BHP.
Back in those days 140bhp was the pinnacle of Golf Gti 16v now double that + is the equivalent. Crazy reallyAbility to get the power down is whats changed. Our A45 is perfectly tractable and driveable as an everyday car - probably unheard of 10-15 years ago in a car with similar BHP.
I once had a ride in a Nissan GT-R running about 850bhp (it had dyno'd north of 1100 on race fuel), for me that was just too much - not necessarily because the car couldn't handle it, but simply there is almost nowhere on the road you can use that much power - and as soon you do, you have spend a long time on the brakes afterwards. Squirt of throttle, lots of braking. Repeat. Most of the time was just waiting for a sensible opportunity to even tickle the right pedal - it seemed so pointless. It was astonishing to experience such acceleration - but I just couldn't see how you could ever use it in a meaningful way, just a novelty. Unless on track (hideously expensive on fuel/tyres/brakes/entry) or taking ridiculous liberties with law, licence and lives.
Curiously, for the opposite end of the spectrum - having driven a Caterham 310R, I thought a 620R would be insane for the weight of the car. But a ride in one showed that it was surprisingly serene and composed (on track admittedly), it wasn't the uncontrolled explosion I thought it could have been. Might have been down to the driver, he knew what he was doing
Curiously, for the opposite end of the spectrum - having driven a Caterham 310R, I thought a 620R would be insane for the weight of the car. But a ride in one showed that it was surprisingly serene and composed (on track admittedly), it wasn't the uncontrolled explosion I thought it could have been. Might have been down to the driver, he knew what he was doing
Edited by RenesisEvo on Sunday 22 April 12:02
When I used to work for a certain manufacturer based in Gaydon I drove an early pre production DB11. That was the first time I really thought what I was driving was too fast/powerful for the road, which wasn't helped by the fact that it was still a few tweaks away from being production ready.
Having driven some properly quick cars it's still almost surprising to me that anyone with enough money can just buy them and drive them on the road, as power levels on these cars are now starting around the 600bhp mark and 0-60 times are getting to the low end of 3s it does make you wonder. I went for the V6 F type rather than V8 as the V8 is another that's too powerful for its own good which takes the fun away for me - too much of a handful to really enjoy revving it out on B road blasts. What really rammed this home was the soaking wet Silverstone SS, I was in the mission motorsport 4 cylinder F type following the SVR, we went flying past him (and many others) as you could see the traction fighting the rear wheels the whole way round as it kept stepping under any throttle.
If anything, driving those sorts of cars has put me off wanting anything mega powerful!
Having driven some properly quick cars it's still almost surprising to me that anyone with enough money can just buy them and drive them on the road, as power levels on these cars are now starting around the 600bhp mark and 0-60 times are getting to the low end of 3s it does make you wonder. I went for the V6 F type rather than V8 as the V8 is another that's too powerful for its own good which takes the fun away for me - too much of a handful to really enjoy revving it out on B road blasts. What really rammed this home was the soaking wet Silverstone SS, I was in the mission motorsport 4 cylinder F type following the SVR, we went flying past him (and many others) as you could see the traction fighting the rear wheels the whole way round as it kept stepping under any throttle.
If anything, driving those sorts of cars has put me off wanting anything mega powerful!
Edited by Shrimpvende on Sunday 22 April 14:31
johnwilliams77 said:
GetCarter said:
You can lose traction in 6th in a Caterham R500. I always wore brown trousers. 
Interested in your views. Did you find the caterham comfortable for a trip?Then it's just 'interesting' on UK roads. (Still bonkers fast round corners mind).
GetCarter said:
No. Mental on the track mind (mine was track spec). If you want a tourer, you need an SV with heater, proper road suspension, road tyres and a windscreen - and a roof would help - but they leak! You also need to be either small or thin, preferably both.
Then it's just 'interesting' on UK roads. (Still bonkers fast round corners mind).
I’ve heard that as they are so low you need to be careful when overtaking as some drivers might not check properly and simply pull out to overtake right into youThen it's just 'interesting' on UK roads. (Still bonkers fast round corners mind).
600 bhp Kleeman SLK got my attention in the snow one January night in Germany.......I thought the Autobahn would be clear of it, and had a massive circa 100 mph sideways moment. Still get the squirts 6 years later when I think about it, bloody hateful thing!
My passenger slept through it! Lucky sod. Still, 60 brake would have been enough to get into trouble with that night.
My passenger slept through it! Lucky sod. Still, 60 brake would have been enough to get into trouble with that night.
Welshbeef said:
GetCarter said:
No. Mental on the track mind (mine was track spec). If you want a tourer, you need an SV with heater, proper road suspension, road tyres and a windscreen - and a roof would help - but they leak! You also need to be either small or thin, preferably both.
Then it's just 'interesting' on UK roads. (Still bonkers fast round corners mind).
I’ve heard that as they are so low you need to be careful when overtaking as some drivers might not check properly and simply pull out to overtake right into youThen it's just 'interesting' on UK roads. (Still bonkers fast round corners mind).
My last one. Those are 13" wheels to give you an idea:
Oh...and under 3 seconds to 60mph. And 0-100-0 in wtf.
Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 22 April 16:15
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