paging TOG

The only 4 wheeler I've failed to "perform" in on a track day was a
Caterham. Ok it was damp but lord only knows what they must be like as a
road car.

 

My boss loved the Caterham, reckons he's going to buy one soon as. I
much preferred the F1-style car. The Caterham's too close to the limit
all the time, if you **** up it bites back. The Formula Jag just wills
you to go faster and faster, on the throttle earlier, brake harder,
carry as much corner speed as you can. Amazing.

 

Is that what started you on the path to 911 ownership?

 

Do you mean the JP1 or the Formula Jaguar? I much preferred the latter,
it was so much lighter and more responsive than the JP1.

I see Rockingham do a "drive an F1 car" day. Almost two grand though.
Ouch.

 

**** all that. You need to take something appropriate to the 'Ring for a
weekend.

 

Mm. I s'pose they count. Just.

"You’ll get behind the wheel of either a 1996 Forti-Corse FG03 formerly
driven by Luca Badoer or an ex-Derek Warwick 1993 Arrows FA14-02."

Sparkling histories, the pair of 'em - one (10th place, last finisher,
four laps down) finish for the Forti (before they went bankrupt)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forti_FG03
and a grand total of four points for the Arrows (poor enough to lose them
their name sponsor)...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footwork_Arrows#Complete_Formula_One_results

 

Have you seen how cheaply a 2005 on M3 with under 35k miles can be had
though ;o)

 

Ah, both have the 3 litre V6 now.

I noticed that different people raved about different things. You loved
the JP1. I (and a PM colleague) adored the Formula Jag. My boss wants to
buy a Caterham. Our account manager from a supplier wants to get an M3.
Horses for courses.

Yeah. It's not too bad - slower, obviously - and the gear trace is
pretty much there except where the engine's bouncing off the limiter and
the instructor's already changed up, because I'm clearly paying too much
attention to things like track position when i should be hitting the
paddle.
The biggest difference was throttle position. The instructor's looks
like a square wave while mine's a bit more sawtooth. I'd like to think
I'd be a bit better if/when I do it again.

 

You need to use that bonus to good effect and up your budget a tad
http://www.cameronsportscars.co.uk/items/384?back=/stock

 

Probably the 225bhp from the S3 & TT.

 

Same motor as my car has, which makes 180bhp in stock form, 225 in
S3/Cupra R form. It's a punchy little engine that belies its capacity.

250 according to the spec sheet.

Everything but the Caterham has a paddle shift now. Works well, though
as mentioned previously I wasn't overly impressed by the delay on the
Porsche between pulling the paddle and it eventually engaging the next
gear.

Oh hell yeah. It was only on the last couple of laps that I realised
that the braking markers were very conservative and the right thing to
do would have been to brake hard about halfway been the marker and the
turn-in point, bang it down the gears quickly and then nail it through
the corner. Instead I was braking at the marker, changing down at
leisure in the copious free time that resulted before the corner,
feathering it through and then powering on past the apex. Like some kind
of poof.

I'll know next time.

 

My tame mechanic and mechanical genius [0] warns folks to stay away
from 996 models. He doesn't love the reliability of the motor.

As I said in another post in response to oggers, my pal with an M3 is
hating it as a road car, and wants to go back to the 335i, which is
not to be sniffed at, with twin-turbos and 300bhp and 300ft/lbs torque
as standard. With a Dinan kit, it can go to 400 and 400.


[0] He won the "most unlikely fix" award at LeMons last week, because
one of our cars was fucked, and the judge challenged him to make a
head gasket from a beer can...which he did, and the car went out and
did five laps at 100%

 

The Lapis Blue is a fabulous colour. Looks lovely with the grey
interior.

 

You can find a coupe or Cab for 18k or under.

In what way is it not a good road car? Only in the harsh suspension, that I
can think of. But your 330 has sports suspenders anyway.

Of course it will be a bit more expensive to run. No more or less than a 911
though. Who cares!

Use something cheap for your commuting if you do.

 

It surely is. They do the new 911 in something similar and it's stunning
with the black anodised interior

 

That may be true of the early models. But a last ed is just fine. I wouldn't
go for a 996 C2 though, the C4 does have good manners however.

Hardly a standard 335!
An M3 requires a bit of revving is all.

That's a big beer can...

 

you can get a 996 all the way up to a 2005 reg and anything from 04 on will
be solid

Have you tried those SMG's. I couldn't get on with it

 

Ah, right.

Breakdown atm is...

Caterham - manual box, clutch required
M3 - auto box with paddle, minimal latency on shift
911 - auto box with paddle, noticeable latency on shift
Clio, JP1 and Formula Jag - sequential box with paddle and quickshifter.

Sounds like enough's changed for you to need to go again.

 

Watneys Party 7.

 

I'm at the opposite end the spectrum don't even want to tie up a penny
in a car at the moment. I'm having trouble getting to grips with this
bangeromics thing. Was hoping to avoid replacing the car since I'm now
only a couple of miles from work and have a lovely cycle along a canal
to get to it. Not so lovely when it's raining though :-( .

Anyone recommend a nice comfortable disposable banger that'll still give
you a grin [1]?

[1] It's not worth firing up the Ducati, I can cycle to work in the same
time it takes to warm up the bike and put on my kit.