I don't race or condone racing, but it is occasionally interesting to see what other cars do where safe to do so at sensible speeds.

I only put 1/2 car length between myself and a Proton Satira GTi the other day when flooring it from 30-60mph in second in the Scooby which is running 18PSI! I suppose I was only on the gas for about three seconds. Still a little surprised.

Then today in the Pug 406 3.0 V6 194bhp up hill off a roundabout an N-reg old shape M3 was in the inside lane two car lengths ahead. I accelerated through the gears from 25mph to pass, as I did so he went for it. I already had some advantage, but I was surprised that although I could hear he was revving the nuts off it I could still continue to pass up to about 60mph although it was getting more difficult (!) and then traffic in front obviously slowed things as did a speed limit reduction to 40mph. I don't know who was more surprised me or him but he gave a thumbs up and smiled. Didn't look like he was taking the ****. Now I did start accelerating first, and I was "on cam" so to speak and always in 2nd gear - she does pick up her skirt above 4500rpm and would give a UK scoob a run for her money (0-60 under 7 0-100 19) with low drivetrain losses and no turbo lag, but an M3 with over 110bhp more?

Just illustrates to me that half of it is who is on the throttle first and whether you are in the right gear at the right time. Nice for once to keep up with a much quicker car in an inferior one rather than being surprised how quick you average hot hatch is compared to even a modded Scooby! I thought the Scooby or I were going soft or something...

 

I've noticed that. But I usually give up before it starts getting stupid. If they want to do 90+ then I let em.

It IS far more to do with who's on the gas and in the right gear than outright BHP. If you are in a 'road race' It's also more to do with reading the traffic and how looney you are prepared to be to get past.

I've often though that a scoob/evo/cossie is too fast for its own good. The average road user is'nt prepared for how quick it actually is, and if you need to use 100% of the performance of the car on the road, then maybe it's time to slow down.

 

For this very reason I let the Proton past, and he did attack the next few roundabouts in the wet quicker than I would in the Scoob in traffic. I never push a roundabout in the slightest if there is other traffic on it as invariably the poor lane discipline would result in a nasty mess. I also suppose the to convincingly pull a lot of distance from someone you really have to be able to accelerate MUCH quicker and for a considerable time. Witness the small differences in 1/4 mile times as opposed to much larger differences in 0-100 times.

 

It's definately all down to being in the right gear and 'on cam'. I have fluffed a few of those 'opportunities'...or maybe it was just my MY00 ECU!

For a unreal world demonstration of the different levels of performance that exist, you have just made me recall the Mercedes 'publicity stunt' that they did at the British GP a few years back when they set an A-Class off, start the stopwatch and then wait 30 or 40 seconds before letting the C43 off. 30 or 40 seconds later it's the turn of the F1 car and guess what? They cross the line in reverse order!

 

Stephen I feel for you. An unmodded MY00 is a pig for turbo lag. Hate to think what the early models are like day to day - maybe I don't want a big turbo after all.... My car is now on boost from 1700rpm and at 18-19 PSI at 2400rpm, Dawes, exhaust and PPP, and even pulling away you really find it very difficult to bog down. Any V6 would waste a standard scooby below 2500rpm, and over 5500rpm I am sure that the Peugeot feels quicker than a std MY00. Vectra GSis and Alfa 156 V6s can be rather spritely and they always seem up for it when you are lagging!

 

John,

I used to have a Guiguaro Alfa GTV6 2.5 ('84 model) and it was brilliant at 2nd gear wheelspin when emerging from any junction!

Launch in 1st gear, put a bit of lock on, swap to second and then a lurverly 10-20m wheelspin ensued! I even got it to spin in third gear a couple of times in the wet if it had been dry for a while before hand and the road was a little greasy!

 

My cossie with around 350bhp....is quick..too quick for the roads,but i cant help seeing how it does against supercars...and am surprised at the results..only yesterday going to Bluewater i raced a TVR Griffith and kept up,couldnt pass but stayed on its ar$e..kept up with DB7's etc.....but i felt i had trouble passing a Mondeo Turbo Diesel....it just didnt seem to get blown away be me as much as i thought i should..LOL...Your right there isnt that much difference in certain areas,remember a tenth of a second advantage is winning!!!

 

John,

Maybe it's time for a decent ecu Dawes Phaaa.....

I remember a RR day a while ago, where one car was running a Superchip, with silly boost (1.5bar iirc) and Pat was running .9bar (iirc) + Pectel. Pats figures were FAR higher. As you know, it's not all about boost.

A car has to have a LOT more power, to just "drive" past another.

Mark.

 

John

I had trouble with a Reliant 3 wheeler once when I had my Astra 16v! I went to overtake him at my favorite overtaking spot and he caught me off guard and blew me away. I was gob smacked at how quickly it pulled away from low speeds.

It had to slow for the bend of course, so as not to fall over. LOL

What you really want to do is measure the difference by building a spy satallite (sp) from an old squeezy bottle and sticky back plastic. I know you're capable of it

F

 

Drove a 2.5 v6 Cougar for a day this week.

Shame it was auto, but that engine really does like to rev. Only had 9k on the clock too.

I really was suprised by how well it went.

 

Agreed Mark But my ignition advance and fuelling are also quite nice. There are no issues with the Scooby performance for what I want.

 

I know what you mean, followed a VW Bora TD Pump Duse recently - they have *serious* low and mid range torque - I'll let you know the results with the MY01 after I have the Link fitted by Bob and Branko on 2nd March LOL



[Edited by Dave T-S - 1/30/2002 9:13:03 PM]

 

I knew you were a closet diesel lover Dave!

 

I hate the stinky buggers - but you can't ignore the torque

 

My Bro in law has a Golf 115 PD and thinks its the quickest car on the planet,sure enough its got a wodge of mid range and feels like its going to take off but it runs out too quickly and you have to change gear. he was behind me one night when I was in the T5 and decident to try and overtake, I had anticipated that he was going to "Have a go" so as he got alongside I booted it, we stayed neck and neck for about half a second and he thought he had me until boost arrived and I said goodbye.

Has shut up since about bloody diesels, good as they may be a 110 bhp disadvantage is a big one.

 

Nothing like the punch in the back from a petrol turbo.