Using the SR8 radical as an example of a "road car" is simply too outlandish for me to pass without comment, however.
It has no boot. It has no stereo. It also serves no other purpose than travel ludicrously fast and compromises everything to attain that. I admire it lots!
This is not a road car, it's a niche track car that can legally be driven to and from the track. If anyone uses this car as their daily, or even as their weekend warrior, I'd love to know how much their doctor, osteopath, chiropractor and orthodontist bills come to.
Road cars by my definition should have some form of usability in most weather, with protection from the elements, a bearable ride, some form of stowage space, with the ability to negotiate road humps without re-routing.
Using those parameters you encapsulate everything from superminis to hypercars. Pagani's, Veyron's, La Ferrari's and P1's can all be seen on occasion doing the rounds in London, I've yet to see a Radical.
I accept your view, even if I don't necessarily agree that that is a "road car".
And that is my own flaw.
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 13 Apr 2016, 08:47
by andylaurence
By that definition of road car, a Caterham isn't a road car - it has a pitiful roof, no comforts, no usable boot and usually no stereo. There are many other cars that fit this description that are quite clearly road cars. What you're describing is a daily driver, which is a subset of road car. The obvious definition of a road car is one that can legally be driven on the road. The Radical you've posted a picture of even has a roof and some storage space. You could retro-fit a stereo if you wanted....
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 15 Apr 2016, 08:52
by Cannonballer
FoxHound wrote:
Cannonballer wrote:If money is no object I wholeheartedly agree on the GTR. . But for the average man the Evo is great bang for the buck. The best deal might be an old school Miata.
A used GTR can be has for the price of a minimally specced junior German saloon.
Unless you are referring to the CLK-GTR in which case you need to weigh the cash to lurchase instead of counting it.
The Miata/MX-5 is cheap thrills... sorted chassis but just nowhere near enough power to mix it with proper sports cars.
I own 2 S2000 Honda's, the last being a leggy 130k miles example I picked up late last year for 3.5k sterling!
Everything works perfectly and it is a class beyond what the mx5 can do.
The 350z Nissan is a car you can also get cheaply and easily tune up to around 500bhp (greddy kits or turbos)for fairly low cost.
So if you looking at it on a budget there are 4 cars(in Europe anyway) to seriously consider...
Evo... Impreza... S2k... 350z.
I agree about the Euro or JDM Impreza, but I am in the US and we got a watered down version. I don't think that you can go wrong with any car on your list, it really depends on what you want.
Similarly in the US, a used GTR is going to cost at least 2x the price of any car on that list. If the cost is not an issue, I am fully on board. I think the GTR, when modified, is among the fastest car one can buy.
Regarding a Miata, properly setup, I doubt most people without significant track experience could find the limits. There is also something to having a car that that you can beat on, no worries about contact or breaking stuff because it is cheap and easy to repair. It is never going to be fast, but it is light enough that with some work on the engine (and probably a turbo) it can be respectable.
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 15 Apr 2016, 23:27
by VARIANT | one
andylaurence wrote:By that definition of road car, a Caterham isn't a road car - it has a pitiful roof, no comforts, no usable boot and usually no stereo. There are many other cars that fit this description that are quite clearly road cars. What you're describing is a daily driver, which is a subset of road car. The obvious definition of a road car is one that can legally be driven on the road. The Radical you've posted a picture of even has a roof and some storage space. You could retro-fit a stereo if you wanted....
Yup, toss in there every motorcycle on the road, particularly sport bikes. Obviously not meant for the road.
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 16 Apr 2016, 19:09
by Phil
Some people here are mistaking downforce for mechanical grip. Evos, STIs, heck my car... = mechanical grip.
Generally i would look at a track like Silverstone and see lap times of road cars.
I suppose one could also look at the list of fastest cars around the Nordschleife. Very bumpy, lots of corners, a very long straight. But lap times by just about all relevant roadcars.
I'd figure in the super league, the Zondas or Hyuera (or how you spell it) would be quite far up there in grip and downforce for roadcars.
Trackday toys, certainly radicals.
Btw; i've been on Track with a McLaren too; the MP4-12C has a lot of (mechanical) grip. Even beat some of the Caterhams in the tighter bends. Quite amazing. That's not downforce grip mind you, but still very impressive.
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 18 May 2016, 01:41
by Speed_Demon
2016 Dodge ACR highest downforce of any production car and the largest street/track tire contact patch.
1,800+lbs @ 177mph and 295/20r19 front/355/30r19 rear tires.
easily out ran the 918 and P1 on every track they both ran on...and doing it with 242 and 258 less HP. Has set reset the track record on every track it has ran on so far 13.
2016 Dodge ACR highest downforce of any production car and the largest street/track tire contact patch.
1,800+lbs @ 177mph and 295/20r19 front/355/30r19 rear tires.
easily out ran the 918 and P1 on every track they both ran on...and doing it with 242 and 258 less HP. Has set reset the track record on every track it has ran on so far 13.
another vote for the Viper. Such a shame that such a dominant car is expected to get canned after 2017...
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 22 May 2016, 06:24
by J.A.W.
Ferrari does not want the competition, from within its own group, perhaps?
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 19 Jun 2016, 19:44
by sennaboy
Let's see . . .
Porsche Boxster
Porsche Cayman
Porsche 911
Nothing even comes close.
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 20 Jun 2016, 02:58
by Pierce89
sennaboy wrote:Let's see . . .
Porsche Boxster
Porsche Cayman
Porsche 911
Nothing even comes close.
Is this a joke? My old m3 allows me to smoke my uncle and his Porsche Boxster around Barber.
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 21 Jun 2016, 18:46
by BanMeToo
J.A.W. wrote:Yeah.. I think this one - the Porsche 917 road car: http://www.gtspirit.com/2013/12/29/rema ... rsche-917/
..might just have that humble wee Scooby-do - done - like a proverbial 'dogs dinner'.. thread topic-wise..
wtf.
Awesome.
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 22 Jun 2016, 09:17
by Samraj_official
BanMeToo wrote:
J.A.W. wrote:Yeah.. I think this one - the Porsche 917 road car: http://www.gtspirit.com/2013/12/29/rema ... rsche-917/
..might just have that humble wee Scooby-do - done - like a proverbial 'dogs dinner'.. thread topic-wise..
wtf.
Awesome.
how did this even qualify as a road car?????(for name sake!!)
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 22 Jun 2016, 21:44
by SR71
Not only do we now have P1 GTR's on the street but Lanzante has taken a P1 GTR, added 40% more downforce and removed a few hundred pounds...
This has got to be one of the highest DF road cars ever for sure!
Re: Road car with the best grip and downforce
Posted: 23 Jun 2016, 14:28
by krisfx
SR71 wrote:Not only do we now have P1 GTR's on the street but Lanzante has taken a P1 GTR, added 40% more downforce and removed a few hundred pounds...
