just out of interest...
Discussion
A big V8 might well make twice the power of the 4 cylinder engines in the 7s. 400 plus bhp? Obviously stopping / turning an issue. And, I guess, using all of that power and torque in the lower gears.
I was assuming a Cobra would be classed as in the "kit style" class which is basically 7s and similar and not a "production car". Unless I could find a real Cobra!
I was assuming a Cobra would be classed as in the "kit style" class which is basically 7s and similar and not a "production car". Unless I could find a real Cobra!
BMWChris said:
How do people think a Cobra replica would fare against Caterham type cars on a sprint or hillclimb? Surely they aren't that much heavier and they could potentially have more power...
No chance whatsoever Chris - at least not on any hillclimb that I can think of. If the Cobra has a V8, then you will be up against a Westfield or Caterham with Rover power - much lighter and more nimble.If that is you in the white Midget, at what looks like Prescott, then you know hillclimbs, and I think you know that I am right
Sprints - perhaps a slightly better chance, but I would still back the Caterham/Westfield.
Regards
Edited by pilbeam_mp62 on Sunday 3rd January 20:10
pilbeam_mp62 said:
BMWChris said:
How do people think a Cobra replica would fare against Caterham type cars on a sprint or hillclimb? Surely they aren't that much heavier and they could potentially have more power...
No chance whatsoever Chris - at least not on any hillclimb that I can think of. If the Cobra has a V8, then you will be up against a Westfield or Caterham with Rover power - much lighter and more nimble.If that is you in the white Midget, at what looks like Prescott, then you know hillclimbs, and I think you know that I am right
Sprints - perhaps a slightly better chance, but I would still back the Caterham/Westfield.
Regards
Edited by pilbeam_mp62 on Sunday 3rd January 20:10
I was hill climbing & sprinting in my Stylus last year.
There are some circuits where its light weight was an advantage. But for example, at Gurston Down there was a GT40 replica. And although its times to Deerleap where not the fastest, the power it had up the hill gave a very good overall time. Far better than mine IIRC.
So I think its more a case of swings & roundabouts. And there is always someone close in performance (timing) to compete against.
There are some circuits where its light weight was an advantage. But for example, at Gurston Down there was a GT40 replica. And although its times to Deerleap where not the fastest, the power it had up the hill gave a very good overall time. Far better than mine IIRC.
So I think its more a case of swings & roundabouts. And there is always someone close in performance (timing) to compete against.
At low speed stuff (i.e. before you need massive power to punch through the air at three figures) a lightweight like a Seven, R10T or Fury would monster a 1+ ton V8 muscle car I reckon. It's less of a straight line thing - although the acceleration of a 150bhp Caterham Superlight against, say, a Griffith speaks for itself - it's more the agility. With a vaguely comparable level of technology, 1 ton will never change direction or slow down like 500kgs will.
Reg Woodcock used to campaign a V8 Westfield Eleven on the circuits quite successfully, though it was pretty heavily modified just to make it work - if you just dropped one in a standard Eleven, it would tie the chassis in knots then spit the axle half-shafts out. 
There is no real advantage to the streamlined bodyshell on the hills, of course (arguably the extra weight and the fact that you can't see where you're placing your wheels as easily outweighs the reduced drag at typical hillclimb speeds).
There have been several V8 engined 'Seven' type cars on the hills (including Westfields), but they're not especially competitive; the engine weight is an even bigger proportion of the car's total mass that with a Cobra, so the handling tends to teeter between engine-mass dominated understeer on turn-in and power oversteer on corner exit.
There is no real advantage to the streamlined bodyshell on the hills, of course (arguably the extra weight and the fact that you can't see where you're placing your wheels as easily outweighs the reduced drag at typical hillclimb speeds).
There have been several V8 engined 'Seven' type cars on the hills (including Westfields), but they're not especially competitive; the engine weight is an even bigger proportion of the car's total mass that with a Cobra, so the handling tends to teeter between engine-mass dominated understeer on turn-in and power oversteer on corner exit.
Hi Chris - I take it that you've seen this video - perhaps you can interpret the speed / times from it?
Cheers, Jon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R0x2nLRZdk
Cheers, Jon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R0x2nLRZdk
Cobra here on page 4; a results sheet from Shelsley.
If you want to see balls-out driving up close, get yourself to a hill climb. Very friendly events.
http://www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk/downloads/16th_Aug...
Edited to say: isn't there a thread in GC where some bright spark thinks a Mitsubishi Evo would beat an F1 car round a tight track? The above would be interesting reading for him I think.
If you want to see balls-out driving up close, get yourself to a hill climb. Very friendly events.
http://www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk/downloads/16th_Aug...
Edited to say: isn't there a thread in GC where some bright spark thinks a Mitsubishi Evo would beat an F1 car round a tight track? The above would be interesting reading for him I think.
Edited by Paul Drawmer on Friday 2nd April 18:32
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