Happy Septebuary,
Quick little review,
Right on paper the Nissan should win... The Z. A lot more Powah more Torque... PD seems to agree with a heft 29 points more on their infallible performance scale.
***Round 1 *** The Price is Right... ***
Both in that kind of middle ground expensive but not exactly cheapy cheap cheap either.
The Option hits you for 200,000 kazulas
The Amuse has a laugh with 250,000 kazulas
Amuse 8 ... Option 10
*** Round 2 *** Looks only a mother could love ***
This is really based on how the shape looks compared to the original and maybe a comparison between the two.
Both are steroided out with lashings of carbon-fibre, polycarbonate and on first view they look very much like the cars they are based on. The Z is stretched out and slightly bloated wider but it maintains the shape of the Z car.
The Carbon R is simple with far less fuss over the shape, a big deep splitter at the front and a comedy Rear wing the Mad Hatter could have a tea party around and still have some room spare for when Alice rocks up.
For some reason the basic chunky shape of the Carbon R is better to me than the Stretched out Nissan Z.
Amuse 10 (18) ... Option 9 (19)
*** Round 3 *** Shivery Livery Delivery ***
How do you prefer your cars - Like a "Jack the Dripper" painting (*Jackson Pollock - American Artist) - Or Black with a white roof? Colourful or Monochromatic? Looking like a Clown or looking like a Pirate?
The Carbon R is so restrained, lashings of naked Carbon fibre I fully expected the Japanese to pixelate it.
(Phwoar - filthy exposed Kevlar weave, what a strumpet!)
Amuse 10 (28) ... Option 7 (26)
*** Round 4 *** Horns and Lights ***
The Option has fully functional headlamps - not that you need them to blind any fool who looks at it. The Amuse needs no lights! This is a stealth vessel for slipping in and out of harbour without alerting the local governor or the Royal Navy ships at anchor.
Beep beep - The Option however has no horn. The Amuse fits its filthy Pirate car with a Horn which censors the buffoonery it spouts. "BEEEP"
Hmmm wonder what it said? Well I have C3PO - and he knows several million forms of communication, "Yes yes, oh this vehicle speaks very much like an Astromech droid... and let's translate that..."
"Death be a Hooker from Campeche, and her weapon of choice, be Crabs of the Caribbean!"
Oh dear, is this car a Carbon R2-D2 unit?
Drawn Round
Amuse 10(38) ... Option 10(36)
*** Round 5 *** Fear my Powah ***
Pretty easy to work out that the Z gets the meat of the engine area and it is focused for a peak power output, The Carbon R has nice amount of engine power but it has a much thicker power curve, which although commendable doesn't help it in this round where peak power is all that counts...
Option - 759bhp
Amuse - 512bhp
savage display of power 247bhp more... that is redonkulous! How can this car lose?
Amuse 7(45) ...
Option 10(46)
This was harder to score as the Option has Hidden Figures, anyhow I managed to find out just how heavy the car was and you'll be amazed at the result. (Click here for more!) The Carbon R was much more obvious... so let's see who is Skinny Pete and who is Minnesota Fats.
Option - 1440kg
Amuse - 1123kg
Ouch, 317kg more... that is virtually 700 Imperial English pounds... That's astounding! I feel a bit sorry for the Option as 1440 isn't that bad really, but the Amuse makes the Option look like it ate the normal meal
and the vegetarian
option, turning it into Fatty Mac Fat Fat.
Amuse 10(55) ... Option 6(52)
*** Round 7 *** Motegi Twin Ringu ***
Did a 4 lap race here. Both cars were stock but the driver aids ripped out. The Option was first up and wasn't too bad, got the win easy enough but I had trouble with the brake area. I overshot a few corners like I actually enjoy being dragged backwards out of the gravel by a tractor.
The Amuse was much easier for me to drive. the Power curve from the engine may lack the height of the Option, but it is thick and has some guts low down. It was also a bit more supple in the corners and the "predictable" power curve let me get up to speed right off the bat.
Amuse - 1m58.8
Option - 2m00.2
Amuse 10(65) ... Option 9(61)
*** Round 8 *** Tokyo R246 ***
This power circuit should suit the Z, but who knows? Captain stopwatch knows!
Amuse - 1m45.4
Option - 1m46.1
And to rub it in I had a hoot in the Amuse can you spell P-O-W-E-R-S-L-I-D-E.
(I should have taken a picture of the rubber I left on the track and said it means "Opposite lock" in Japanese Kanji. カウンターステアリング )
The Option was, hard work, you have to get the corner entry just right - and you have to get it right very early - if you are taking in too much speed you understeer to the outside of the track. The Amuse was a marauder on the Asphalt, and that thick powerband lets you muck about like you are swinging on a rope with a knife in your teeth about to attack a Spanish treasure ship.
With added lightness, the Amuse Carbon R rewards the brave with a broadside of smoky oversteer. Yesterday.
Final Score ... Amuse 10(75) ... Option 9(70)
Wow - the "Zee" was very eager out of corners, but the big weak point was brakes twice I skittered off into the gravel and a few more times I was not ready for the lack of retardation in the braking area. (So maybe Ryk's fault...)
The "Arrgh!" was a proper pirate Caaaargh, black and white Jolly Roger livery. It has a far more civilized power curve with much more "guts" to the revs than the ever so peaky "Zee"
Hmm both are fun to drive but the Carbon R just felt more wild and fun, the Option needed alot of codling into corners.
Last word goes to the Carbon R "Beep!"
"That Option Z, be dressed like a floppy haired Frenchman, Yar."
For me the winner was the Amuse Carbon Yaaargh!
).
!) Race Car 125K, 485PP
