GT5P, Clarkson style
- Thread starter Boffin
- 185 comments
- 23,011 views
- 4,555
- Australia
Yes I have thought of doing a full on video with groovy music - but this computer is just not powerful enough to support video editing tools
PJ-FFL GOOOOOOOOO....this isn't like a skate park!! when the mood takes you, JUST WRITE MAN, and we'll listen... I mean read. I'm half way through my group test thingy
PJ-FFL GOOOOOOOOO....this isn't like a skate park!! when the mood takes you, JUST WRITE MAN, and we'll listen... I mean read. I'm half way through my group test thingy
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- 9,473
- QLD, Down Under
- GTP_Paulie
- Paulie LDP
- 495
- AERO_HDT
- AERO_HDT
Indeed!
And I don't believe the claim of a 7'29 around the Ring either - definitely not in a stock car. A certain 'other' manufacturer has had a GTR shipped from the States to the ring for their own testing and found that they could not get the GTR anywhere near Nissan's time...
And I don't believe the claim of a 7'29 around the Ring either - definitely not in a stock car. A certain 'other' manufacturer has had a GTR shipped from the States to the ring for their own testing and found that they could not get the GTR anywhere near Nissan's time...
- 495
- AERO_HDT
- AERO_HDT
Okay, here's my crack, Clarkson-style.
Jaguar. The name itself is synonymous with all things British. Style, luxury, performance.... it has a history steeped in near disasters, just like this sodden country, but yet it always comes back with a stubborn resilience that, quite frankly, is strangely unnerving.
So this then, is the new XK. New as in... well there really isn't much new about it at all. The body is meant to look like the old E-type, the engine is older than Camilla Parker-Bowles and it still comes in British Racing Green. Yes, that's the colour that nobody likes. The interior is decidedly Jaguar-ish, albeit they've gotten rid of the wooden surfboard that used to pass for a dash and there's now so much leather stapled over the trim that England's cows are now officially on the endangered species list.
Mind you, when I got the chance to take the XK for a drive, I didn't say no. And whilst I was hoping for an XKR, the bean-counters at Coventry said they couldn't afford the fuel bill, so gave me one of... these.
The fanfare is pretty substandard - a four litre V8 engine minus the supercharger, nineteen inch alloy wheels instead of twenties, big disc brakes that only have four pistons per caliper and don't work. And the odd-side of 300 horsepower. Once upon a time having that much horsepower meant you were untouchable on the streets. You were a lunatic with a deathwish. But now those lunatics are called football players and three hundred horsepower is no longer enough.
It certainly isn't enough for me. Taking the Jag for a spin is like going to Thailand and falling in love. The car makes all the right sounds, it looks the part and it'll turn heads too. But when you take a deep breath and bury your foot deep into the inch-thick cream pile carpet, you suddenly come to realise that the Thai girl you fell in love with has more hair on her chin than you do. There is simply an almighty roar from the quad cam V8, but nothing else.
No push in the back, no thrill, no adrenaline.
Sure, it takes off, but it takes forever to get moving, which is disappointing really because I was hoping that the supposedly new XK that was going to spearhead Jaguar's revival would be a better car. The flappy-paddle gearbox is worse than a 60's column shift, the brakes are woeful and prone to terrible fade and when you throw the car into a corner, you feel like you're in a toboggan.
Why? Well it's simple really and it has nothing to do with my two hundred pound frame, or that I'm six feet four.
It's all those cows.
You see, the XK weighs over 3700 pounds. 3900 with me in it. Make it 4000 pounds if I've just had breakfast in York and you can see why all of a sudden the claimed 300 horses sitting underneath the bonnet are totally inadequate. The E-type when first released back in 1961 had 261 horsepower. But it only weighed as much as Hammond with wet clothes. By comparison, fifty years later, Jaguar have only given the new car an extra forty-odd ponies and piled on more fat than Rosie O'Donnell at a buffet.
And because that lardy V8 is up front, it understeers like a Stevie Wonder on ice. The brakes can't even keep the car in reasonable form and the only time you can get the XK riled up is when you plant it in 1st gear. Then you'll end up with a bit of burnt rubber, but certainly not much. Maybe enough to give the kids in their Charades a bit of a scare, but you won't end up outrunning much else.
I'm terribly disappointed with this car. I thought that it would be fun and lively and everything Jag are supposed to be, but the car is a burden, a chore. It simply takes too much work to get going and just when you're ready to start having some fun, it shows you it's limits and how far its prepared to go. How far is that you ask?
The bottom of the Thames, I suppose. If Jaguar keep building cars like this, they'll sink under Tata's ownership and then we'll have nothing to be proud of except a Landrover Discovery and maybe Victoria Beckham.
Oh, and Aston Martin.... did I mention Aston Martin?
Jaguar. The name itself is synonymous with all things British. Style, luxury, performance.... it has a history steeped in near disasters, just like this sodden country, but yet it always comes back with a stubborn resilience that, quite frankly, is strangely unnerving.
So this then, is the new XK. New as in... well there really isn't much new about it at all. The body is meant to look like the old E-type, the engine is older than Camilla Parker-Bowles and it still comes in British Racing Green. Yes, that's the colour that nobody likes. The interior is decidedly Jaguar-ish, albeit they've gotten rid of the wooden surfboard that used to pass for a dash and there's now so much leather stapled over the trim that England's cows are now officially on the endangered species list.
Mind you, when I got the chance to take the XK for a drive, I didn't say no. And whilst I was hoping for an XKR, the bean-counters at Coventry said they couldn't afford the fuel bill, so gave me one of... these.
The fanfare is pretty substandard - a four litre V8 engine minus the supercharger, nineteen inch alloy wheels instead of twenties, big disc brakes that only have four pistons per caliper and don't work. And the odd-side of 300 horsepower. Once upon a time having that much horsepower meant you were untouchable on the streets. You were a lunatic with a deathwish. But now those lunatics are called football players and three hundred horsepower is no longer enough.
It certainly isn't enough for me. Taking the Jag for a spin is like going to Thailand and falling in love. The car makes all the right sounds, it looks the part and it'll turn heads too. But when you take a deep breath and bury your foot deep into the inch-thick cream pile carpet, you suddenly come to realise that the Thai girl you fell in love with has more hair on her chin than you do. There is simply an almighty roar from the quad cam V8, but nothing else.
No push in the back, no thrill, no adrenaline.
Sure, it takes off, but it takes forever to get moving, which is disappointing really because I was hoping that the supposedly new XK that was going to spearhead Jaguar's revival would be a better car. The flappy-paddle gearbox is worse than a 60's column shift, the brakes are woeful and prone to terrible fade and when you throw the car into a corner, you feel like you're in a toboggan.
Why? Well it's simple really and it has nothing to do with my two hundred pound frame, or that I'm six feet four.
It's all those cows.
You see, the XK weighs over 3700 pounds. 3900 with me in it. Make it 4000 pounds if I've just had breakfast in York and you can see why all of a sudden the claimed 300 horses sitting underneath the bonnet are totally inadequate. The E-type when first released back in 1961 had 261 horsepower. But it only weighed as much as Hammond with wet clothes. By comparison, fifty years later, Jaguar have only given the new car an extra forty-odd ponies and piled on more fat than Rosie O'Donnell at a buffet.
And because that lardy V8 is up front, it understeers like a Stevie Wonder on ice. The brakes can't even keep the car in reasonable form and the only time you can get the XK riled up is when you plant it in 1st gear. Then you'll end up with a bit of burnt rubber, but certainly not much. Maybe enough to give the kids in their Charades a bit of a scare, but you won't end up outrunning much else.
I'm terribly disappointed with this car. I thought that it would be fun and lively and everything Jag are supposed to be, but the car is a burden, a chore. It simply takes too much work to get going and just when you're ready to start having some fun, it shows you it's limits and how far its prepared to go. How far is that you ask?
The bottom of the Thames, I suppose. If Jaguar keep building cars like this, they'll sink under Tata's ownership and then we'll have nothing to be proud of except a Landrover Discovery and maybe Victoria Beckham.
Oh, and Aston Martin.... did I mention Aston Martin?
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Leonidae
(Banned)
- 6,881
- GTP_Leonidae_MFT
actually, 3.4 was slower than the best possible achieved, which was 3.2.. and it wasn't Nissan pissed at the owners but to the trolls who kept hyping the issue up. Stock GTR's can easily do ~100 launches as long as the car is properly driven in and had it's maintenance done on time. There is even 1 example of 600bhp+ GT-R that didn't destroy the tranny until 100+ launches, all of them on grippy surface of a drag strip, after producing several low 10s runs. And while people talk about this feature as launch control.. it is not LC. It's meant to be used to rock the car back and forth in case the car gets stuck in mud or snow, which is entirely possible with this car. Get the facts right before repeating what you heard on various GM/Porsche-related forums.
- 4,555
- Australia
actually, 3.4 was slower than the best possible achieved, which was 3.2.. and it wasn't Nissan pissed at the owners but to the trolls who kept hyping the issue up. Stock GTR's can easily do ~100 launches as long as the car is properly driven in and had it's maintenance done on time. There is even 1 example of 600bhp+ GT-R that didn't destroy the tranny until 100+ launches, all of them on grippy surface of a drag strip, after producing several low 10s runs. And while people talk about this feature as launch control.. it is not LC. It's meant to be used to rock the car back and forth in case the car gets stuck in mud or snow, which is entirely possible with this car. Get the facts right before repeating what you heard on various GM/Porsche-related forums.
....soo who's the one hyping up the issue now?
As you can see, this is a thread for things other than just squabbling over stats of the GTR. The arguement finished some time ago and the re ignition was unneccesary. You got a point or a correction to make about the GTR? Use the PM tool and stop your arguements getting in the way of other people posting interesting articles.
I don't want to see another post regarding a real life GTR. Go do that in a thread asking for it.👍
- 4,555
- Australia
no on'es ducking for cover. We are all friends and I was just reminding everyone that this isn't a GTR appreciation/debate thread
👍sorry I've been slacking off - back to school and literally drenched in work. Should have something up soon but it might not be as good as previous work.
- 4,555
- Australia
Bit long I know, but here is what I came up with.
CULT RALLY HEROES
ON S3 TYRES
Yesss it's time for the quintessential group test -Cult Rally Heroes. With this, I'm not just talking any road derived rally car (such as the Focus ST and in a more twisted aspect, Audi TT). I'm talking about the rally cars that created cult followers on and off the road.
So...let's meet the contenders.
We have the Mitsubishi EVO IX. A classic example of what these cars are about - speed, Gs and low(ish) prices.
There's the Mitsubishi EVO X. Some say it shouldn't even be here because it was never made into a rally car but it's here because……well….......y'know. The latest in the long line of EVOs - will its techno wizardry take away its soul?
In the blue corner, we have the Subaru WRX STI type RA. Is this tweaked version still as soft as the standard version?
And there’s the Subaru WRX STI '07, with - might I add - optional BBS wheels (whoa). Can this car knock the EVO X off the podium as the ultimate track weapon?
We've also affectionately blown the dust off one of the rally greats - The Delta HF Intergrale EVO - can this thing still stand up on it's own 4WD system against these new "youngans".
The battle ground will be the Suzuka circuit - who will come out on top?
Let's start with the EVO IX. This car - as I've already said - goes, looks and sounds exactly how you want this type of car to. It corners without any fuss but I feel a hint of understeer while braking - which means I can't push it as hard as I'd like. Usually you don't notice it, but it will bite you when you get to a hairpin. This is something you can't really afford because it doesn't really impress on the straights. Another thing this car has is either a poor suspension setup or a really poor chassis setup (I think maybe the latter) because when you go through a moderate corner (take the esses), there's quite a bit of body roll and - more surprisingly - some chassis wobble. You can feel the chassis vibrating and therefore, lose traction with the ground, and go slower.
On the upside to some of these points, this thing only costs 35700cr and that is amazing value considering some of the hot hatches cost in the low 30s. Another thing is because of these handling problems, you have to manually fix it and because it gives you so much feedback, you can - easily. The car may understeer under braking but this gives the option of chucking it into corners, which is satisfying and fast. This therefore involves the driver and that's the best part of this car. It's involving - it really is. This car is competent on it's own but it makes you feel like you're the one making it all come together. Great, fun natural track weapon of the old school - just as it was supposed to be.
Then I stepped into the EVO X and it all fell apart. After the raw experience, I thought after Mitsubishi found the perfect formula (with the EVO IX), and there would be now way they'd change it - but they have.
The first thing I noticed was the gearchange which showed me there actually was a more boring one than the GTR. Such a gearchange does not suit this car...at all. Really. Oh sure, this will do the 0-60 faster than its predecessor but hello.....fun....where are you? Through the corners, the EVO X is flat and uncomplaining - without the chassis wobble. This car still features poor turn in under braking - so of course you start to chuck it into corners. This also has changed because where the EVO IX's nose was dragged out of the apex when power is applied, (as you'd expect), the same can't be said for the X. Instead, you bury the nose into the apex and apply power; the nose just stays there - not coming out. This means that this car can change direction seriously quickly. The problem is that it can't hold this change of direction. It snaps and then you are left with understeer and you are going much too quickly. Liken it to cars like the Viper where the back end has heaps of grip until it snaps, then you have none.
Honestly, this car will go faster than the IX but it's quite boring, uninvolving and tedious. Yawn.
Hopefully I shall get more joy out of the WRX STI RA. And even before I set off, I can tell you that the seating position – although looking uncomfortable and cramped – offers probably the best road visibility in the whole game. Honestly, if I were trying to miss a rare and endangered bug on the road, this is the car I’d drive. A problem I have with this car is that it doesn’t sound right. When I buy a tweaked STI, I want it to have that low throbbing sound, and this doesn’t. You forget about this however when you come to a corner as this car have buckets full of lift-off oversteer, which livens the whole experience up a bit. Forget chucking it into corners like the EVOs, you have to be easy off the brakes otherwise the back flips out and you can achieve outrageous 4 wheel drifts.
So, it’s fun on the corners and it gets a tick from the Rare And Endangered Bug Association (get the joke?)..or RAEBA for short, but what is this thing like after the corners?
Well, like most of this sort of cars, kinda rubbish, but with is relatively high power output (281hp) and the second lowest weight of all these cars (1390kg), this car is probably one of the fastest in this test, and the feeling that you can out run a Lotus Evora is quite comforting and gives you a sense that those bits of plastic hanging off the car (the sole reason why people make weird, jerking handsigns out of their car window) are there for ‘go’ and ‘show’
So this then has fun antics in the bends and good stats on the straights – so where is this car’s major shortfall?
You have to work sooo hard to get this car to go fast. These cars are usually supposed to be driven with the accuracy of a hammer but to get a flying lap in this, you really have to hold yourself back and drive with the accuracy of an Olympian Archer – and that takes away the fun. So as a verdict, good fun, good speed, just don’t try racing it.
So, the outcome of the main event comes down to whether the new Subaru WRX STI (with the sporty wheels – in case you were wondering) is any good.
So – the looks. Well, usually, I’d say that this car is as beautiful as a parking ticket, and evokes the same sort of emotions too. The back (being the thing that everyone focuses on) would look like the designer’s son had managed to get the normal car onto Photoshop and start manipulating it as he hated his dad and wanted him to fail – and then his dad took it to work the next day, not noticing.
I would generally say this car (apart from the front) looks horrible – like a boil on a boil on a boil. But, presented in these new BBS sporty wheels, the whole thing looks fantastic. Just look at them – they’re all …er…….round..or..or..somthing.
So, we can safely say that it’s not the best design ever to behold mankind, but what about this car’s party piece? How does this thing drive?
Well, after taking it round some corners, I can say this car hails back to the previous model with the lift off oversteer tendencies, but it’s much more manageable. Really – it features the best handling aspects from the EVO IX and the previous STI to create a raw delicate experience which is dependant on driver input to go fast. I felt as though I knew exactly where the wheels were and what they were doing so I could push this car to the edge of the track long before I pushed it to the edge of its ability. Another thing going for this car is value. This car is the second most powerful (losing out to the top spot by only 1HP less than the EVO X) but it’s the third lightest out of the modern models (must be those sporty BBS wheels), yet it is the second cheapest at only 36540cr – that makes it less than 1000cr more expensive than the EVO IX.
Because this thing has a good power-to-weight ratio, it goes fast in a straight line, though it’s still a bit of a non event, but this car is the one to have out of the modern cars. It’s raw, fast, grippy and responsive.
So can the new STI measure up to the daddy of cult rally heroes – The Lancia Delta HF Intergrale – the name says it all really, sporty, passionate, Italian.
Obviously, this car is much slower than the STI (14 seconds a lap slower in fact), but this test is more about the fun factor than anything else, and this car isn’t going to let the STI win that easily. For a start, this car features the same raw attitude to corners as the EVO IX – but sadly the same chassis jiggle. Forget that though as I can say this car is a real joy to drive. The balance – that feint whiff of lift oversteer and great stance whilst cornering under power mean you can maintain great speeds through corners. Thing is though, this car would be nothing if not for its high(ish) speed traction because it would take you a very long time to get back up to speed. Yes this car is light but by today’s standards quite underpowered. It makes do with only 210hp and this is less than some of the new hot hatches. It is beaten around Suzuka track by the Cooper S, the C4, the mk V, the type R and the ST. This is disappointing and even more so when you take a drive in the type R or the Cooper S. For fun factor, these three cars measure up extremely closely – and this is a good thing because they are all a riot to drive.
So then is the HF any good compared to the new fancy boy rally specials?
Is it good for speed? No. But for fun factor, it looks like the HF brought things to the table and other companies just took them and made them their own.
Isn’t that the role of a quintessential daddy?
CULT RALLY HEROES
ON S3 TYRES
Yesss it's time for the quintessential group test -Cult Rally Heroes. With this, I'm not just talking any road derived rally car (such as the Focus ST and in a more twisted aspect, Audi TT). I'm talking about the rally cars that created cult followers on and off the road.
So...let's meet the contenders.
We have the Mitsubishi EVO IX. A classic example of what these cars are about - speed, Gs and low(ish) prices.
There's the Mitsubishi EVO X. Some say it shouldn't even be here because it was never made into a rally car but it's here because……well….......y'know. The latest in the long line of EVOs - will its techno wizardry take away its soul?
In the blue corner, we have the Subaru WRX STI type RA. Is this tweaked version still as soft as the standard version?
And there’s the Subaru WRX STI '07, with - might I add - optional BBS wheels (whoa). Can this car knock the EVO X off the podium as the ultimate track weapon?
We've also affectionately blown the dust off one of the rally greats - The Delta HF Intergrale EVO - can this thing still stand up on it's own 4WD system against these new "youngans".
The battle ground will be the Suzuka circuit - who will come out on top?
Let's start with the EVO IX. This car - as I've already said - goes, looks and sounds exactly how you want this type of car to. It corners without any fuss but I feel a hint of understeer while braking - which means I can't push it as hard as I'd like. Usually you don't notice it, but it will bite you when you get to a hairpin. This is something you can't really afford because it doesn't really impress on the straights. Another thing this car has is either a poor suspension setup or a really poor chassis setup (I think maybe the latter) because when you go through a moderate corner (take the esses), there's quite a bit of body roll and - more surprisingly - some chassis wobble. You can feel the chassis vibrating and therefore, lose traction with the ground, and go slower.
On the upside to some of these points, this thing only costs 35700cr and that is amazing value considering some of the hot hatches cost in the low 30s. Another thing is because of these handling problems, you have to manually fix it and because it gives you so much feedback, you can - easily. The car may understeer under braking but this gives the option of chucking it into corners, which is satisfying and fast. This therefore involves the driver and that's the best part of this car. It's involving - it really is. This car is competent on it's own but it makes you feel like you're the one making it all come together. Great, fun natural track weapon of the old school - just as it was supposed to be.
Then I stepped into the EVO X and it all fell apart. After the raw experience, I thought after Mitsubishi found the perfect formula (with the EVO IX), and there would be now way they'd change it - but they have.
The first thing I noticed was the gearchange which showed me there actually was a more boring one than the GTR. Such a gearchange does not suit this car...at all. Really. Oh sure, this will do the 0-60 faster than its predecessor but hello.....fun....where are you? Through the corners, the EVO X is flat and uncomplaining - without the chassis wobble. This car still features poor turn in under braking - so of course you start to chuck it into corners. This also has changed because where the EVO IX's nose was dragged out of the apex when power is applied, (as you'd expect), the same can't be said for the X. Instead, you bury the nose into the apex and apply power; the nose just stays there - not coming out. This means that this car can change direction seriously quickly. The problem is that it can't hold this change of direction. It snaps and then you are left with understeer and you are going much too quickly. Liken it to cars like the Viper where the back end has heaps of grip until it snaps, then you have none.
Honestly, this car will go faster than the IX but it's quite boring, uninvolving and tedious. Yawn.
Hopefully I shall get more joy out of the WRX STI RA. And even before I set off, I can tell you that the seating position – although looking uncomfortable and cramped – offers probably the best road visibility in the whole game. Honestly, if I were trying to miss a rare and endangered bug on the road, this is the car I’d drive. A problem I have with this car is that it doesn’t sound right. When I buy a tweaked STI, I want it to have that low throbbing sound, and this doesn’t. You forget about this however when you come to a corner as this car have buckets full of lift-off oversteer, which livens the whole experience up a bit. Forget chucking it into corners like the EVOs, you have to be easy off the brakes otherwise the back flips out and you can achieve outrageous 4 wheel drifts.
So, it’s fun on the corners and it gets a tick from the Rare And Endangered Bug Association (get the joke?)..or RAEBA for short, but what is this thing like after the corners?
Well, like most of this sort of cars, kinda rubbish, but with is relatively high power output (281hp) and the second lowest weight of all these cars (1390kg), this car is probably one of the fastest in this test, and the feeling that you can out run a Lotus Evora is quite comforting and gives you a sense that those bits of plastic hanging off the car (the sole reason why people make weird, jerking handsigns out of their car window) are there for ‘go’ and ‘show’
So this then has fun antics in the bends and good stats on the straights – so where is this car’s major shortfall?
You have to work sooo hard to get this car to go fast. These cars are usually supposed to be driven with the accuracy of a hammer but to get a flying lap in this, you really have to hold yourself back and drive with the accuracy of an Olympian Archer – and that takes away the fun. So as a verdict, good fun, good speed, just don’t try racing it.
So, the outcome of the main event comes down to whether the new Subaru WRX STI (with the sporty wheels – in case you were wondering) is any good.
So – the looks. Well, usually, I’d say that this car is as beautiful as a parking ticket, and evokes the same sort of emotions too. The back (being the thing that everyone focuses on) would look like the designer’s son had managed to get the normal car onto Photoshop and start manipulating it as he hated his dad and wanted him to fail – and then his dad took it to work the next day, not noticing.
I would generally say this car (apart from the front) looks horrible – like a boil on a boil on a boil. But, presented in these new BBS sporty wheels, the whole thing looks fantastic. Just look at them – they’re all …er…….round..or..or..somthing.
So, we can safely say that it’s not the best design ever to behold mankind, but what about this car’s party piece? How does this thing drive?
Well, after taking it round some corners, I can say this car hails back to the previous model with the lift off oversteer tendencies, but it’s much more manageable. Really – it features the best handling aspects from the EVO IX and the previous STI to create a raw delicate experience which is dependant on driver input to go fast. I felt as though I knew exactly where the wheels were and what they were doing so I could push this car to the edge of the track long before I pushed it to the edge of its ability. Another thing going for this car is value. This car is the second most powerful (losing out to the top spot by only 1HP less than the EVO X) but it’s the third lightest out of the modern models (must be those sporty BBS wheels), yet it is the second cheapest at only 36540cr – that makes it less than 1000cr more expensive than the EVO IX.
Because this thing has a good power-to-weight ratio, it goes fast in a straight line, though it’s still a bit of a non event, but this car is the one to have out of the modern cars. It’s raw, fast, grippy and responsive.
So can the new STI measure up to the daddy of cult rally heroes – The Lancia Delta HF Intergrale – the name says it all really, sporty, passionate, Italian.
Obviously, this car is much slower than the STI (14 seconds a lap slower in fact), but this test is more about the fun factor than anything else, and this car isn’t going to let the STI win that easily. For a start, this car features the same raw attitude to corners as the EVO IX – but sadly the same chassis jiggle. Forget that though as I can say this car is a real joy to drive. The balance – that feint whiff of lift oversteer and great stance whilst cornering under power mean you can maintain great speeds through corners. Thing is though, this car would be nothing if not for its high(ish) speed traction because it would take you a very long time to get back up to speed. Yes this car is light but by today’s standards quite underpowered. It makes do with only 210hp and this is less than some of the new hot hatches. It is beaten around Suzuka track by the Cooper S, the C4, the mk V, the type R and the ST. This is disappointing and even more so when you take a drive in the type R or the Cooper S. For fun factor, these three cars measure up extremely closely – and this is a good thing because they are all a riot to drive.
So then is the HF any good compared to the new fancy boy rally specials?
Is it good for speed? No. But for fun factor, it looks like the HF brought things to the table and other companies just took them and made them their own.
Isn’t that the role of a quintessential daddy?
- 454
- Magneten
The Ferrari F40 review; By J. Clarkson
(Introduction with old press photos and videos)
During the late '70s and early '80s it was rumoured thet ferrari was to build what would be the most hardcore streetlegal ferrari of all time. The heavilly rebuilt 288gto that had appeared in some shows didn't exactly help hushing down the rumours.
When they first showed the the F40 it was reported that grown men hugged each other and cried of joy, and when they read the specs the needed some private time in a bathroom with a roll of toiletpaper and some lube....
(Standing alongside the car on the top gear track)
And here it is, the F40 some 20 odd years on it's still as striking and outragous as ever, perhaps even more so by todays standards.
(Seated in the car)
As you can see there's not nuch room for a tall and fat old man as my self, my big feet almost pushing in all the pedals with only one foot. The seats are barely uppolstered and carpets not even considered an option. No aircon, no radio, barely an interior at all. The driving-position is not even close to as good as a newer ferrari, and you can't see anything in the mirrors or the rearview. so far it is quite litteraly horrible.
But all this changes with the turn of a key.
(Driving around the track, SHOUTING over the many noises of the car)
It doesn't get any more comfortable when you set of either, yours ears are bleeding, and you'd need a rally-style intercom to have a conversation in here. The steering is heavy, the clutch requires hours of leg-pressing in the gym, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger would struggle to shift the gearleaver.
But all this, the non-existant comfort, the pain it inflicts on your legs and forearms don't matter. I mean just listen to it!!! (floores it in second gear)
It goes like bat out of hell! You here the turbos spooling up, the popoff valves sing, the backfire in the exhaust. You know a car is hardcore when the wastegates has it's own titanium exhaust system. Initial turn in shows some understeer, though this can be cured be getting on boost in the corner or just driving it right in the first place. you really have to work it, and get the revs just on boost to get it right, but when you do..... (biiiig grin)
It really is the most unlogical car in the world, but it must be the most fun drive in the history of the motorcar. (flying down the straight) Just feel the POWEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!! Newer Ferrari's go better, and some even look better, like the F430 Scuderia or the 599GTB, but NONE of them are as pure and positively insane as this. To use a term reserved for Alfa Romeo's, this has sooooo much more soul. (Slides around a bit more, and finally ends up losing it)
(Back in the studio)
-Jeremy: Yes, it really is just addictive, and quite insane.
-Richard: It is simply awesome.
-James: I don't like it...
-Jeremy and Richard: WHAT?!
-James: Yes, it's so "look at me" and pretencious. It has turbo-lag like the BMW 2002 Turbo. And you Jeremy could hardly handle it.
-Jeremy: And this comes from a man who gets his thrills from a Fiat Panda and a world war II airplane/deathtrap.
And on that bombshell it's time to end. GOOD NIGHT!
(Introduction with old press photos and videos)
During the late '70s and early '80s it was rumoured thet ferrari was to build what would be the most hardcore streetlegal ferrari of all time. The heavilly rebuilt 288gto that had appeared in some shows didn't exactly help hushing down the rumours.
When they first showed the the F40 it was reported that grown men hugged each other and cried of joy, and when they read the specs the needed some private time in a bathroom with a roll of toiletpaper and some lube....
(Standing alongside the car on the top gear track)
And here it is, the F40 some 20 odd years on it's still as striking and outragous as ever, perhaps even more so by todays standards.
(Seated in the car)
As you can see there's not nuch room for a tall and fat old man as my self, my big feet almost pushing in all the pedals with only one foot. The seats are barely uppolstered and carpets not even considered an option. No aircon, no radio, barely an interior at all. The driving-position is not even close to as good as a newer ferrari, and you can't see anything in the mirrors or the rearview. so far it is quite litteraly horrible.
But all this changes with the turn of a key.
(Driving around the track, SHOUTING over the many noises of the car)
It doesn't get any more comfortable when you set of either, yours ears are bleeding, and you'd need a rally-style intercom to have a conversation in here. The steering is heavy, the clutch requires hours of leg-pressing in the gym, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger would struggle to shift the gearleaver.
But all this, the non-existant comfort, the pain it inflicts on your legs and forearms don't matter. I mean just listen to it!!! (floores it in second gear)
It goes like bat out of hell! You here the turbos spooling up, the popoff valves sing, the backfire in the exhaust. You know a car is hardcore when the wastegates has it's own titanium exhaust system. Initial turn in shows some understeer, though this can be cured be getting on boost in the corner or just driving it right in the first place. you really have to work it, and get the revs just on boost to get it right, but when you do..... (biiiig grin)
It really is the most unlogical car in the world, but it must be the most fun drive in the history of the motorcar. (flying down the straight) Just feel the POWEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!! Newer Ferrari's go better, and some even look better, like the F430 Scuderia or the 599GTB, but NONE of them are as pure and positively insane as this. To use a term reserved for Alfa Romeo's, this has sooooo much more soul. (Slides around a bit more, and finally ends up losing it)
(Back in the studio)
-Jeremy: Yes, it really is just addictive, and quite insane.
-Richard: It is simply awesome.
-James: I don't like it...
-Jeremy and Richard: WHAT?!
-James: Yes, it's so "look at me" and pretencious. It has turbo-lag like the BMW 2002 Turbo. And you Jeremy could hardly handle it.
-Jeremy: And this comes from a man who gets his thrills from a Fiat Panda and a world war II airplane/deathtrap.
And on that bombshell it's time to end. GOOD NIGHT!
- 4,555
- Australia
Yeah, it was a good entry, but I counted less than 3 lines worth of stuff relating to the car in the game - not a real life car that's also featured in the game. People here are welcome to do TopGear but PLEEAAASSE (all of you) could you put more about the car in the game, not in real life. I like AERO_HDT's one because he said it was TopGear style, but there (like mine) were no stage directions - and he said some interesting stuff that I can relate to in the game.
Good first try though.....keep it up:tup:
Good first try though.....keep it up:tup:
- 454
- Magneten
I see your point, though that really is the Clarkson way isn't it?
Not too much regarding how the car actually is to use, for that they use James May...
At least that's how I feel the show has become, after it took a turn for the more humorous.
But my "review" was ment more just for the fun of it, not as a review of the "in-game" car.
Yes, this is a GT5P forum, but surely there's room for some slightly off-topic fu aswell...?
Not too much regarding how the car actually is to use, for that they use James May...
At least that's how I feel the show has become, after it took a turn for the more humorous.
But my "review" was ment more just for the fun of it, not as a review of the "in-game" car.
Yes, this is a GT5P forum, but surely there's room for some slightly off-topic fu aswell...?
- 4,555
- Australia
Well...actually, I feel that May is only doing in depth car reviews on how cars handle after his first supercar track test. Other than that, he is usually driving slow cars that don't handle - so he doesn't talk about them.
As I've said in an earlier post, Clarkson (in every car test) sneeks in information - but this is usually right after a joke, so the main audience don't hear it as they're laughing. It's this information that gives the whole test more body and substance.
It is possible to write light hearted reviews about in - game cars, and this is what this thread was all about as we have grounds to base our facts and opinions on. I havn't driven a 430 in real life but since I have in the game, I'll base my ideas and opinions on that. It's a bit the same with the F40.
As I also said in a previous post (if you want the full length version, I think it's at the top of pg4) the title wasn't calling on people to do TopGear impersinations - although you are welcome to do them - it was because Clarkson is a very skilled motoring journalist who talks alot about how a car handles and I was calling on people to do the same with cars in the game. Technically, it should be called "GT5P, Evo style" becasue of EVO magazine talking about the thrill of driving, but it's not as well knowen as Clarkson.
You are welcome to do Clarkson, but please put more details of how the car is to drive in the game.
PS. There is an off topic segment of the forum and I don't want this thread getting off topic as it might be moved or locked.
As I've said in an earlier post, Clarkson (in every car test) sneeks in information - but this is usually right after a joke, so the main audience don't hear it as they're laughing. It's this information that gives the whole test more body and substance.
It is possible to write light hearted reviews about in - game cars, and this is what this thread was all about as we have grounds to base our facts and opinions on. I havn't driven a 430 in real life but since I have in the game, I'll base my ideas and opinions on that. It's a bit the same with the F40.
As I also said in a previous post (if you want the full length version, I think it's at the top of pg4) the title wasn't calling on people to do TopGear impersinations - although you are welcome to do them - it was because Clarkson is a very skilled motoring journalist who talks alot about how a car handles and I was calling on people to do the same with cars in the game. Technically, it should be called "GT5P, Evo style" becasue of EVO magazine talking about the thrill of driving, but it's not as well knowen as Clarkson.
You are welcome to do Clarkson, but please put more details of how the car is to drive in the game.
PS. There is an off topic segment of the forum and I don't want this thread getting off topic as it might be moved or locked.
- 454
- Magneten
Point taken, but the pieces about the handling and so forth are MY opinions an the in-game car. I confess to not having driven the car alot in the game, because it never seems to fit my driving style. Though it is my number one dreamcar in the ral world. Much like how i let JC describe it in the "review". How much we choose to add to the review besides the bare facts can't really be seen as off topic. I'll try to include more bare facts if I do another one. But I will also write around it in a humorous way. And including facts about the car when it first came out is something I find interesting.
As for off topic, I think the 0-60 time for the GTR debate is a bigger threat to the thread than my one review.
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- 4,555
- Australia
Good point - you're right is saying about the GTR is a big threat and I tried to diffuse it (probably failed though haha). As long as you try to put more facts in, I don't have a problem about your writing style.👍👍...even things like the fact it doesn't fit your driving style are welcome - just tell us how it is to drive. The humour is welcome because it keeps readers involved and you can also keep the background info on the car - I do that aswell (look at my 430 review).
Keep writing man - hope to see more stuff soon!👍
...even things like the fact it doesn't fit your driving style are welcome - just tell us how it is to drive. The humour is welcome because it keeps readers involved and you can also keep the background info on the car - I do that aswell (look at my 430 review).Keep writing man - hope to see more stuff soon!👍
- 454
- Magneten
Good point - you're right is saying about the GTR is a big threat and I tried to diffuse it (probably failed though haha). As long as you try to put more facts in, I don't have a problem about your writing style.👍👍
Keep writing man - hope to see more stuff soon!👍
Haha, it appears we agree after all
Almost didn't respond this time, our "disagreement" was on it's way to becoming the biggest threat to the thread
- 4,555
- Australia
Yeah...well I did try to make the longish response to your response sound (or look) friendly, but I couldn't pull it off. Everything I tried made it look like a boring unfriendly post, which was not the intention.
Anyways, I would be writing more now but School has started again and I'm under alot of work. Will post something soon.
Anyways, I would be writing more now but School has started again and I'm under alot of work. Will post something soon.
- 454
- Magneten
The Corvette ZO6 Tuned.
Winner of the S7 & S10 events.
In the begging of m GT5P adventure I struggled hugely with the Eiger time attacks and S7/S10 races. As I read this forum I realised that I was not alone in my frustration over the Eiger events, so I let that go for the time being. I could however not axept the fact that I didn't master the S7/10, it got to the point were I almost gave up on doing it in pro.
I tried many different cars, but it seemed I couldn't shake the ghost of the 1000+ hours spent on GT4. By this I mean that I went for cars with power, power and more POWEEEEEER!!! But in pro this is not the way to go.
The GTLMR was the first car to be binned, and has been the object of my undying hatred ever since.
Next came the Mine's R34. A brilliant car, but I just couldn't manage to get further up than 5th. So again it was back to square one.
The tuned EvoX also proved a failure, as did the tuned clio and the 599GTB.
I then went on to the much debated tuned 111r. The car couldn't have suited my driving style any worse if it was on rally snowtyres. But I desided to stick with it, and tried many forum tunes and even more of my own. Eventually, due to mostly blind luck I suspect, I got bronze in both with it. But couldn't get any further up the grid.
I then desided, on my own, to try the Tuned Z06. Not an easy choice to make, since the GTLMR had only fueled the fire that is my loathing of american muscle.
Didn't go very well in the start but after a while I managed to get it right.
The camber, toe, dampers, springs, gearing, everything suddenly suited me. And this was when I was just about to give up on pro and try standard.
I started in S7. The pull was enough to get 2-3 cars in the first corner. By the and of lap one I was in 4th position. I couldn't believe it, the car stuck to the road like a midget with white teeth sticks to a 911. Corner balance was perfect, initial turn-in had NO understeer what so ever. It aloud me to brake into corners, go on the throttle early, and in short dominate. In the middle of lap three I was in the lead, but not comfortably. Another tuned Z06 was in second place and had me in his sights. I actually got a little adrenaline flowing, from a GAME! It was just insane. By the end though I managed to win by 3.8 seconds (I checked in the replay I proudly saved).
S10 was much of the same story only here I was in second after almost 3 laps, and spent all but the second half of lap five chasing the same tuned Z06. Finally got him, with under half a lap to spare. And won by as little as 0.3 seconds.
Oh, and did I mention that in S10 I got a shortcut penalty in lap 3?
Many people have complained about it not being stable enough, and understeering a bit. Stability issues was not present for me, and as with all the tuned cars, I don't use max downforce on the rear. I have a driving style which gives most car enough initial understeer as it is, so I need it to be quite tailhappy.
If I had to complain about something in the car it's that it sound like a fake car inside a tin-can. And can become a handful if you lose concentraition for just one second.
I realise this wasn't very JC, but just couldn't write it any another way.
Though I will return with a more JC view on the R8, and M3 which I love but don't find as competative as the tuned Z06.
Winner of the S7 & S10 events.
In the begging of m GT5P adventure I struggled hugely with the Eiger time attacks and S7/S10 races. As I read this forum I realised that I was not alone in my frustration over the Eiger events, so I let that go for the time being. I could however not axept the fact that I didn't master the S7/10, it got to the point were I almost gave up on doing it in pro.
I tried many different cars, but it seemed I couldn't shake the ghost of the 1000+ hours spent on GT4. By this I mean that I went for cars with power, power and more POWEEEEEER!!! But in pro this is not the way to go.
The GTLMR was the first car to be binned, and has been the object of my undying hatred ever since.
Next came the Mine's R34. A brilliant car, but I just couldn't manage to get further up than 5th. So again it was back to square one.
The tuned EvoX also proved a failure, as did the tuned clio and the 599GTB.
I then went on to the much debated tuned 111r. The car couldn't have suited my driving style any worse if it was on rally snowtyres. But I desided to stick with it, and tried many forum tunes and even more of my own. Eventually, due to mostly blind luck I suspect, I got bronze in both with it. But couldn't get any further up the grid.
I then desided, on my own, to try the Tuned Z06. Not an easy choice to make, since the GTLMR had only fueled the fire that is my loathing of american muscle.
Didn't go very well in the start but after a while I managed to get it right.
The camber, toe, dampers, springs, gearing, everything suddenly suited me. And this was when I was just about to give up on pro and try standard.
I started in S7. The pull was enough to get 2-3 cars in the first corner. By the and of lap one I was in 4th position. I couldn't believe it, the car stuck to the road like a midget with white teeth sticks to a 911. Corner balance was perfect, initial turn-in had NO understeer what so ever. It aloud me to brake into corners, go on the throttle early, and in short dominate. In the middle of lap three I was in the lead, but not comfortably. Another tuned Z06 was in second place and had me in his sights. I actually got a little adrenaline flowing, from a GAME! It was just insane. By the end though I managed to win by 3.8 seconds (I checked in the replay I proudly saved).
S10 was much of the same story only here I was in second after almost 3 laps, and spent all but the second half of lap five chasing the same tuned Z06. Finally got him, with under half a lap to spare. And won by as little as 0.3 seconds.
Oh, and did I mention that in S10 I got a shortcut penalty in lap 3?
Many people have complained about it not being stable enough, and understeering a bit. Stability issues was not present for me, and as with all the tuned cars, I don't use max downforce on the rear. I have a driving style which gives most car enough initial understeer as it is, so I need it to be quite tailhappy.
If I had to complain about something in the car it's that it sound like a fake car inside a tin-can. And can become a handful if you lose concentraition for just one second.
I realise this wasn't very JC, but just couldn't write it any another way.
Though I will return with a more JC view on the R8, and M3 which I love but don't find as competative as the tuned Z06.
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- 4,555
- Australia
Dude......great stuff. You say I wasn't TopGear style cause there were no stage directions (getting in car, yelling and all the rest of it), but trust me, it's more TopGear than some. Take My posts for example. No mention of TG in them but people have said they sound like TopGear - you don't need the stage directions as they bring down the quality somehow.
Yes, it wans't a proper car review - but it was an event review, which is a first and is great cause you find them in magazines anyway.
Your descriptons were bang on what I was hoping for - and I can relate to them from one Tuned 'Vette fan to another.
Hope the rest of your work conatins this type of descriptive writing. Your last review was good, but this is much much better.
PS..LOVE the white teethed midged joke!👍
Yes, it wans't a proper car review - but it was an event review, which is a first and is great cause you find them in magazines anyway.
Your descriptons were bang on what I was hoping for - and I can relate to them from one Tuned 'Vette fan to another.
Hope the rest of your work conatins this type of descriptive writing. Your last review was good, but this is much much better.
PS..LOVE the white teethed midged joke!👍
- 454
- Magneten
Yeah, I'm actually thinking about doing another one on the Pass Them All On One Lap F40 event. Which I also had an awfully hard time with. Just made it in pro the other day.
Think it was on try number 18 I made it. Haven't gotten the Eigers on pro yet, but they've nearly caused me a heart-attack already, so I've given up on them for the time beeing. Think the M3 & R8 reviews will be more like TG since it's about only the car in question. Though I think I might make it sort of a group test.
Think it was on try number 18 I made it. Haven't gotten the Eigers on pro yet, but they've nearly caused me a heart-attack already, so I've given up on them for the time beeing. Think the M3 & R8 reviews will be more like TG since it's about only the car in question. Though I think I might make it sort of a group test.
