Okay, I'm a little behind here (12 hour time difference) so please excuse me, also please excuse the new thread about the old thread.
I'll try and be clear about what went on during the 40 minute dice (please bear with me).
This was a very unusual situation where two cars were driven absolutely flat out on public roads over such a long period of time. I live in the South Island of New Zealand, it's about the same size as England and Scotland combined but has a population of only 1 million people, consequently the rural roads are almost deserted (we encountered only three other cars during the whole 'episode'.
The roads were a mix of very tight and twisty switchbacks, long sweepers and straights up to a mile or so in length. The surface was coarse volcanic bitumen, undulating and occasionally very bumpy. The weather was cold (8 degrees centigrade) and dry.
The driving style was 10/10ths (sometimes scary) by both drivers and my tyres were overheating 2/3rds of the way into the dice, promoting more understeer and a slightly looser rear end. I also broke a front wheel bearing over a particularly lumpy part.
There seems to be some consternation over my use of the term 'annhialated'. I'll try to explain.
In figurative terms I would guess that the F1 was taking between 3 and 6 seconds per mile out of me (visually it was about 10-20 car lengths). The greatest discrepancy was in the bends where the F1 turned in with so much more composure, less roll and at a higher speed. The grip levels were in another league too (my own tyres are only a month old) and this was the defining aspect. Put simply the F1 could hold a speed through any given bend that my Clio couldn't match. Combine this with tauter body control, earlier throttle application on the exit of a bend and far better 'in gear' sprinting ability and before I knew it another 2 car length gap had opened up.
There has been a lot of talk about power to weight, torque to weight and 0-100 times. I understand that there is only a second or so difference in that often quoted figure but anyone who has read independent performance tests on these two cars will know that the Megane murders the Clio with it's in gear acceleration, witness the third gear 40-60 times of 3 seconds dead for the F1 versus 5.5 seconds for the 172. In fourth it's an even bigger gap (4.1 seconds Vs 7.5 for the Clio from 50 to 70). The Megane F1 is very slightly lower geared than the Clio and as many have mentioned it has 81lbs ft more of torque. Testing times can vary from car to car and place to place but no standard 172 is ever going to come near the F1's intermediate sprinting times. I am pleased to say that on the straights it was closer than I would have thought possible, the highest speed that I reached was an indicated 203kph (127mph) and it seemed fairly level (I've got a horrible feeling that he could have gone quite a bit quicker though).
The only other variable is driver ability and I'd like to be modest here and say that I am no Sebastien Loeb. I am an enthusiast though, sometimes an 'over' enthusiast, and occasionally an 'up and over' enthusiast. The Clio is my 54th car, my 5th this year and I'll lose no opportunity to go for a bloody good blast in whatever car it may be. The driver of the F1 had balls the size of melons and wasn't afraid to give his car an absolute pasting despite the fact that it was brand new (meaning it will only get quicker with a few more miles), he confessed to me that it was the first time that he'd driven it in anger (weep)! Ultimately I believe that you could have put Juha Kankunen in the Clio and he wouldn't have kept up with the Megane. My car, by the way is very 'together', has covered 36000 miles, has full dealer history miles and has been well cared for. When I first drove it it took my breath away and I have no reason to doubt that all 170 nags are present and in good health. Likewise the chassis.
My Clio is an extraordinary little thing, so visceral, so punchy and so capable, made all the more so because it only cost 5000 pounds. The Megane is even more capable but I really don't like them, subjectively they leave me cold and visually they look like an Edwardian dress with wheels. Beauty is in the eye etc etc.
As I said in the first thread, the game has moved on and much as we would all like to think that our 172's/182's and Cups are invincible I'm afraid to say that they're not.
As for the Trophy, well that's another matter altogether.
I'll try and be clear about what went on during the 40 minute dice (please bear with me).
This was a very unusual situation where two cars were driven absolutely flat out on public roads over such a long period of time. I live in the South Island of New Zealand, it's about the same size as England and Scotland combined but has a population of only 1 million people, consequently the rural roads are almost deserted (we encountered only three other cars during the whole 'episode'.
The roads were a mix of very tight and twisty switchbacks, long sweepers and straights up to a mile or so in length. The surface was coarse volcanic bitumen, undulating and occasionally very bumpy. The weather was cold (8 degrees centigrade) and dry.
The driving style was 10/10ths (sometimes scary) by both drivers and my tyres were overheating 2/3rds of the way into the dice, promoting more understeer and a slightly looser rear end. I also broke a front wheel bearing over a particularly lumpy part.
There seems to be some consternation over my use of the term 'annhialated'. I'll try to explain.
In figurative terms I would guess that the F1 was taking between 3 and 6 seconds per mile out of me (visually it was about 10-20 car lengths). The greatest discrepancy was in the bends where the F1 turned in with so much more composure, less roll and at a higher speed. The grip levels were in another league too (my own tyres are only a month old) and this was the defining aspect. Put simply the F1 could hold a speed through any given bend that my Clio couldn't match. Combine this with tauter body control, earlier throttle application on the exit of a bend and far better 'in gear' sprinting ability and before I knew it another 2 car length gap had opened up.
There has been a lot of talk about power to weight, torque to weight and 0-100 times. I understand that there is only a second or so difference in that often quoted figure but anyone who has read independent performance tests on these two cars will know that the Megane murders the Clio with it's in gear acceleration, witness the third gear 40-60 times of 3 seconds dead for the F1 versus 5.5 seconds for the 172. In fourth it's an even bigger gap (4.1 seconds Vs 7.5 for the Clio from 50 to 70). The Megane F1 is very slightly lower geared than the Clio and as many have mentioned it has 81lbs ft more of torque. Testing times can vary from car to car and place to place but no standard 172 is ever going to come near the F1's intermediate sprinting times. I am pleased to say that on the straights it was closer than I would have thought possible, the highest speed that I reached was an indicated 203kph (127mph) and it seemed fairly level (I've got a horrible feeling that he could have gone quite a bit quicker though).
The only other variable is driver ability and I'd like to be modest here and say that I am no Sebastien Loeb. I am an enthusiast though, sometimes an 'over' enthusiast, and occasionally an 'up and over' enthusiast. The Clio is my 54th car, my 5th this year and I'll lose no opportunity to go for a bloody good blast in whatever car it may be. The driver of the F1 had balls the size of melons and wasn't afraid to give his car an absolute pasting despite the fact that it was brand new (meaning it will only get quicker with a few more miles), he confessed to me that it was the first time that he'd driven it in anger (weep)! Ultimately I believe that you could have put Juha Kankunen in the Clio and he wouldn't have kept up with the Megane. My car, by the way is very 'together', has covered 36000 miles, has full dealer history miles and has been well cared for. When I first drove it it took my breath away and I have no reason to doubt that all 170 nags are present and in good health. Likewise the chassis.
My Clio is an extraordinary little thing, so visceral, so punchy and so capable, made all the more so because it only cost 5000 pounds. The Megane is even more capable but I really don't like them, subjectively they leave me cold and visually they look like an Edwardian dress with wheels. Beauty is in the eye etc etc.
As I said in the first thread, the game has moved on and much as we would all like to think that our 172's/182's and Cups are invincible I'm afraid to say that they're not.
As for the Trophy, well that's another matter altogether.
