Then again, maybe I'm an old-school ape who's not happy with a car that doesn't try to tear your arms out of their sockets when your front wheels hit a rut (like mine does).
That's interesting. But I'll note it's a response to a comment that top speed is effectively a useless stat because you never get to use it.
Now, I've been on track days:
But ones where you try to go as fast as you want to - no lolly-gagging between corners, or cruising. The highest figure I've ever seen on a speedometer during a track day is 110mph (in someone else's car, and about 10mph faster than they managed) which is about 80% of the car's theoretical maximum. I got 85mph in the braking zone for the corner in the picture above (different day) and no-one saw anything over 95mph - even the supercharged MX-5, the TVR Chimaera and the two Elises - and the Chimaera would pull 165mph with ease with enough road to do so.
So unless you're talking about Paul Ricard, La Sarthe or the 'Ring, the notion that maximum speed figures are any more relevant on a track is quite inaccurate - you still won't get anywhere near seeing them, even if you're going all out.
You only reached 110mph in that length with a full race speed corner exit?
So I guess I'm talking about mid-range, and I'm not that bothered about going back and seeing why I was talking about this in the first place.
I mean, 1600m and 110mph? Even my brother's V6 Commodore which is lightly modified can get 150km/hr (probably more now he's getting an LSD) on the 1/4mile from a standing start. I'll take 200m off for a really safe braking approach for the hell of it, so still 1400m to accelerate from around 40-50km/hr after the corner I guess. What car was this?
Well my daily driver isn't power steered, so every time I drive a car with power steering it feels like nothing is going on, but with more time some cars do reveal themselves (MINI Cooper being a prime example). Trouble is, both Mk1 MX5s I drove had no power steering, and were wearing sticky racing rubber, and both times I drove them, it was raining. This meant heavy steering on fat tyres that felt dead, and also a bit of a wrestle to control any slides (which happened a lot). One of the cars in question:
I'd love to drive a basic, road car mk1, on it's standard wheels, with power steering, because I think it'd be a much nicer machine to drive.
[/off topic]
^ Isn't the most fun to drive? I've manhandled a 993 GT3, a HKS'ed CT9A Evo 8 GSR, a E46 AC Schnitzer'ed M3, a E39 M5, a Sky Red Line, and a C6 'Vette Z51 (pre-LS3). In my personal standpoint that the S2K is way more fun and rewarding to drive than all of these cars mentioned.
^ I got to say that its not all based on lap times on which is better or not, it is the reward of driving that vehicle that gives the total driving enjoyment. Sure, the Evo is faster than the STi, but its it more fun? No. Same case to the S2K, is it faster than the 996 GT3 and M3? No. But is it more tossable without worrying about the cost of anything later on? No. Is it more fun and rewarding? Definitley yes.
-> ...
^ Isn't the most fun to drive? I've manhandled a 993 GT3, a HKS'ed CT9A Evo 8 GSR, a E46 AC Schnitzer'ed M3, a E39 M5, a Sky Red Line, and a C6 'Vette Z51 (pre-LS3). In my personal standpoint that the S2K is way more fun and rewarding to drive than all of these cars mentioned.
-> You are saying that the S2K isn't all practical? Well it is a roadster, duh. But as a roadster, the trunk/boot of the S2K could swallow a hefty amount of cargo despite its small size, as exhibited by Fifth Gear:
Fifth Gear
-> And it doesn't mean if its dated or not, that doesn't really signify the total enjoyment of driving a true/real sports car. Best Motoring still hails it as the best driving car in the Touge (Kakeyoro Battle) even if the car is that old compared to its newer, faster competition.
^ I got to say that its not all based on lap times on which is better or not, it is the reward of driving that vehicle that gives the total driving enjoyment. Sure, the Evo is faster than the STi, but its it more fun? No. Same case to the S2K, is it faster than the 996 GT3 and M3? No. But is it more tossable without worrying about the cost of anything later on? No. Is it more fun and rewarding? Definitley yes.
-> That is why I sacrificed my 'Vette-killing WRX Wagon to a (semi)stock S2K just because the seer driving pleasure of driving such a thing. Not all cars can deliver that feat. And speed and track times isn't everything everytime.
S2Ks and Miatas' driving dynamics aren't really affected by the position of the top all that much. Certainly having the top up does not hurt the drive.
) and once was last weekend when an inch of rain fell in 10 minutes onto the field I was parked in.
