RE: Caterham R500

[darth_pies]

dino ferrana said:

I think the general feeling was that the Atom was outrageously quick in a straight line and very tractable with the supercharged engine. The problem is that with it being mid-engined you fear it more than you do the Caterham because the chance of spinning is so much higher. I think Drivers Republic concluded it was more fear than fun in the Atom, whereas you can choose your gear and wag the tail in the R500.

The R500 was quicker than the Atom in the DR and Evo tests, the 2-11 was quicker in the DR test but not the Evo one, I think that is circuit and set-up related though.

All the DR group test showed was that Chris Harris and Richard Meaden are much quicker than young Jethro! The R500 should have annihilated the Atom and 2-11's lap times. In evo's test on the new West Circuit this month the R500 is 1.3s quicker than the Atom.

The Atom should be much quicker than it actually is....seems you need to be a driving god with a big pair of spuds to get the best from it.

I won't deny my bias for Sevens, but as well as being quicker on track you can stick a screen/hood on the R500, your lid in the boot and off you go to the Ring, unlike the other two.
That would seal it for me if i was weighing up which to buy.

Edited by darth_pies on Friday 20th June 13:03

[grahamw48]

will_ said:

SpunkyM said:

Yeh, it's getting close to the performance of a 600cc sports bike. Herein lies the problem for me - it's about as practical as a bike, you have to wear a helmet, you never actually go anywhere in it (mad weekend blast around your favourite B roads and back home) and it's probably just about as dangerous as a bike.... BUT the bike costs £6K, this costs £36K.

Edited by SpunkyM on Wednesday 18th June 13:28

Not really, plenty of Caterham owners go two up with luggage to the Ring and Le Mans without any trouble, try doing that on a bike! And you can get a windscreen so no need for a helmet. I've also never fallen off mine, so hardly as dangerous as a bike!

...and with the hood up you can even have a smoke...AND not get wet.

Oh, and I've somersaulted a Seven over a hedge and through a fence at 70mph, and got out unscathed ...don't think a biker would have survived that one.

Edited by grahamw48 on Saturday 21st June 23:06

[Gizmo!]

Mars said:

cater_racer said:

IMHO this kind of vehicle is totally unsuitable for road use, the problem is 2 fast 2 furious 2 many idiots. Lets see it on the track asap.

You see it's opinions like yours that our govt loves.

An accelerator is not a switch. It is an analogue device which affords its user the ability to feed in power according to taste. 263bhp is only achieved at WOT and near to the end of the rev range. It does not have to be used at all times.

The accelerator is not a switch, true. However the tone of the article is that it behaves like one, and you can be surprised/shocked by how quickly you are going quicker than you intend.

I'm all in favour of going at ludicrous speed where appropriate; all of my cars get a good solid thrashing at very regular intervals. But only where appropriate and safe to do so. My impression from this article is that the rawness and sheer warp-speed acceleration of this new Caterham means the only really safe place to use all of it is on the track.

[Fume Troll]

Gizmo! said:

My impression from this article is that the rawness and sheer warp-speed acceleration of this new Caterham means the only really safe place to use all of it is on the track.

True of almost any car today, not just sports cars.

Cheers,

FT.

[OJ]

NiallOswald said:

If the slider is a flat plate moving across a circular aperture then the open area will vary non-linearly with displacement. It'd be complicated and delicate, but I wonder if an 'iris' type arrangment (like the aperture in a camera) could be devised and whether that would be any better.

Sorry slow response -

The engine isn't linear in its response to 'more air', so throttle response is not just about the linearity of the throttle opening, you just make the decision as to what suits the engine. Butterfly throttles actually open in a manner that's quite well suited to the way an engine breathes and also induce turbulence in the air flow which can be good for fuel mixing.

Whether its a roller barrel, sliding, or butterfly throttle, they're all very simple with few moving parts and low maintenance needs. An Iris you'd have hundreds of bits that could potentially drop into the engine, it'd be immensely expensive, would need lubricating, and with a lot more friction I'd imagine you've got a pretty high chance of the throttle sticking open... which obviously isn't good!

If you were that desperate to get a linear opening, you could probably just use a cammed actuator

Nice idea though!

As Mars keeps banging on about though, on wide open throttle it might not be the throttle assembly thats the limiting factor when it comes to air flow, so you could just be affecting part throttle/low rev performance and driveability.

[peter pan]

Graham48 - Or across the United States!