I'm a driving god - no, actually, it may be the car
Discussion
At Santa Pod I was happy, and more than a little surprised, to run thirteen and a half seconds in my elderly SLK32. It was the same sort of time as an original Cobra or the 7 litre Aston Zagato I once saw doing a standing quarter.
My pleasure dwindled when I realised that all I had to do was press the accelerator to the floor. The car sorted out everything else. And, to be honest, the traction control light was on a lot of the time. In an early Cobra or the Aston I would have had to moderate my enthusiasm to record a good time. And on the day, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have put in such a good time with just a limited slip diff as I did in the SLK with its, admittedly 25 year old, technology.
I have to face facts, I don't think my abilities would be up to getting the most out of a powerful old-fashioned car.
This isn't going you go how you think.
I know, but it's Christmas. It's my gift to the acid-tongued.
My pleasure dwindled when I realised that all I had to do was press the accelerator to the floor. The car sorted out everything else. And, to be honest, the traction control light was on a lot of the time. In an early Cobra or the Aston I would have had to moderate my enthusiasm to record a good time. And on the day, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have put in such a good time with just a limited slip diff as I did in the SLK with its, admittedly 25 year old, technology.
I have to face facts, I don't think my abilities would be up to getting the most out of a powerful old-fashioned car.
This isn't going you go how you think.
I know, but it's Christmas. It's my gift to the acid-tongued.
DickyC said:
At Santa Pod I was happy, and more than a little surprised, to run thirteen and a half seconds in my elderly SLK32. It was the same sort of time as an original Cobra or the 7 litre Aston Zagato I once saw doing a standing quarter.
My pleasure dwindled when I realised that all I had to do was press the accelerator to the floor. The car sorted out everything else. And, to be honest, the traction control light was on a lot of the time. In an early Cobra or the Aston I would have had to moderate my enthusiasm to record a good time. And on the day, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have put in such a good time with just a limited slip diff as I did in the SLK with its, admittedly 25 year old, technology.
I have to face facts, I don't think my abilities would be up to getting the most out of a powerful old-fashioned car.
This isn't going you go how you think.
I know, but it's Christmas. It's my gift to the acid-tongued.
That engine and box works so well together in the C32/SLK32 - with the supercharger they just used to fly - in a straight line they’d always catch an E46 M3 napping My pleasure dwindled when I realised that all I had to do was press the accelerator to the floor. The car sorted out everything else. And, to be honest, the traction control light was on a lot of the time. In an early Cobra or the Aston I would have had to moderate my enthusiasm to record a good time. And on the day, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have put in such a good time with just a limited slip diff as I did in the SLK with its, admittedly 25 year old, technology.
I have to face facts, I don't think my abilities would be up to getting the most out of a powerful old-fashioned car.
This isn't going you go how you think.
I know, but it's Christmas. It's my gift to the acid-tongued.
s m said:
That engine and box works so well together in the C32/SLK32 - with the supercharger they just used to fly - in a straight line they’d always catch an E46 M3 napping
Cars with that engine should have a cult following but they don't. A dealer gave me seven thousand for it trade-in and put it up for just under ten. He still has it. Every now and then he reduces the price. It's down to seven two fifty now. I've never felt sorry for a car dealer before.I had a powerful Caterham. I was in 3rd gear on my way down the Santa Pod strip, still wheel spinning, when I realised there was nothing more that I (that day's driving god) or any other god could do to improve my times. Physics was in charge.
12.9 seconds. I still have the timing strip.
I was hopeless at responding to the Christmas tree. Reaction times of a glacier.
I achieved better times in my Cerbera but only because it was heavier over the rear wheels than the Caterham and didn't spin for so long. Reaction times were worse than before (I have that day's timing strip too).
But, on the way home in the Cerb, I was passed by a Vauxhall Nova and there was nothing that I or the Cerb could do keep up, up to a self-imposed speed limit that I shan't discuss here. The Nova had a roll cage inside so I guessed there was probably a 2-litre turbo in there too, along with some magical trickery.
12.9 seconds. I still have the timing strip.
I was hopeless at responding to the Christmas tree. Reaction times of a glacier.
I achieved better times in my Cerbera but only because it was heavier over the rear wheels than the Caterham and didn't spin for so long. Reaction times were worse than before (I have that day's timing strip too).
But, on the way home in the Cerb, I was passed by a Vauxhall Nova and there was nothing that I or the Cerb could do keep up, up to a self-imposed speed limit that I shan't discuss here. The Nova had a roll cage inside so I guessed there was probably a 2-litre turbo in there too, along with some magical trickery.
popegregory said:
Mars said:
along with some magical trickery.
Or a 17 year old who knows the road more likelyGassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff