I've never liked the show 5th Gear but I'm glad I watched this episode.
Driving the piss out of a Caterham on a wet circuit and the new Megane is suh-weet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F_QIp6054Q&feature=haxa_popt02us01
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Feb. 15, 2009 9:16 p.m. skullsroad New Reader
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Feb. 15, 2009 9:44 p.m. carguy123 Dork
Now that was sweet. Both looked cool in their own right.
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Feb. 15, 2009 10:16 p.m. PHeller Reader
Their review of the Ka got me craving the Fiesta, only to be let down by the reminder that we'll not see the two-door version. Bummer, because by 2011 I'll be done with college and wanting to move up in life.
Ford wants to sell cars, but the cars we want to buy.
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Feb. 15, 2009 10:35 p.m. ReverendDexter Reader
It would be really nice if the US, Japan, and EU could come together and agree upon consistent emissions and crash standards. I'm sure asking to have everyone drive on the right side of the road would be too much to ask for, though.
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Feb. 15, 2009 10:37 p.m. EricM HalfDork
It needs more tire, as in wider tires.
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Feb. 15, 2009 11:09 p.m. Luke Dork
I've never wanted a Locost quite so much as I do now, after seeing that. The Caterham just looked ridiculously fun.
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Feb. 15, 2009 11:56 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork
yes, I have to wonder how the 7 would havd done in the dry, with proper rubber against the more powerful and heavier renault
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Feb. 16, 2009 3:14 a.m. 7pilot New Reader
mad_machine wrote:
yes, I have to wonder how the 7 would havd done in the dry, with proper rubber against the more powerful and heavier renault
Tiff was messing around in the Cat.....TV.
My se7en has the same amount of power as the Cat. I don't have too much trouble escaping faster cars than the Reggie on wetter tracks. This is on wider less treaded tyres than those on the Cat. This is also with or without a limited slip diff.
Plus my driving skills would not add up to 1/1000ths those of Mr Needell
m
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Feb. 16, 2009 7:51 a.m. 914Driver Dork
The guy in the Catterham was working waaay too hard.
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Feb. 16, 2009 8:45 a.m. kreb Dork
What the berkeley? I find it hard to believe that the Caterham is such a twitchy thing as that. I have to agree that he was messing around, as any track driver worth his salt wouldn't spend nearly that much time sideways and weaving about. The other thing is that despite calling it a "track weapon" the Cat was equiped with skinny, tallish tires. Better rubber would have helped considerably.
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Feb. 16, 2009 9:22 a.m. Keith SuperDork
The Caterham was on what looked like all-seasons and were described as "standard road tyres". In the static shots of the car, they look pretty badly worn.
The R26R comes with Toyo R888s.
Yeah, that's a fair fight on a tight, twisty track. I've driven my Seven on crap tires, and it's a bit of a handful. Not as much as they were making out, but if you keep putting wet tires off into the dirt you're not going to make a fast time.
Put those cars on equivalent tires and the Megane would never have a look in.
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Feb. 16, 2009 9:41 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork
I can only say... all the more reason 5th gear is still one down on top gear
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Feb. 16, 2009 10:02 a.m. Keith SuperDork
This is what it looks like when you try to do a fast lap in a Caterham. If you're familiar with the Top Gear footage, notice how much visibly faster the car is than most. A Lamborghini looks like it's idling in comparison.
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Feb. 16, 2009 11:12 a.m. Treb New Reader
Wow. Nice video.
The 5th Gear car is a Roadsport -- near the bottom of Caterham's model range. The R500 on the Top Gear clip is near the top of the range.
The first recommended clip on YouTube is a CSR260 -- the top of the range. In that clip, it beats every car (then) on Top Gear's lap chart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6hjM1VrElE&feature=related
As Keith said, not exactly a fair fight in the Fifth Gear clip -- a low-spec model, on worn, crap tires, in the wet...
Still looks like fun, though
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Feb. 16, 2009 11:21 a.m. Keith SuperDork
I think the low-spec choice was reasonable. Really, it's the one that most people would consider for a track toy if they're also looking at an R26R. But if the Megane owners come swaggering up to trackdays and expect the Caterhams to have to let them by, they're in for a surprise :)
The Top Gear clip was chosen not because it was a super-fast car, but because it's more representative of what it's like to drive a Caterham on the track. Ignore the clock, look at how well-balanced it is.
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Feb. 16, 2009 2:29 p.m. Treb New Reader
Point taken on the no-drama drive in the top gear clip. YouTube suggested the other one--which is also both smooth and lightning-fast.
On the question of whether they're comparable cars, though... The roadsport is about 60% the cost of the Megane R26R. On an equal-price basis, you'd be looking at the Caterham Superlight R300 -- which is, compared to the Roadsport, lighter, more powerful, and comes with R-compounds and better suspension.
Matt
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Feb. 16, 2009 4:31 p.m. Luke Dork
Here's some in-car footage of a lower spec Caterham. On a dry track with meatier tires, it certainly does look much more composed, although you can tell the driver is still using plenty of opposite lock to keep it in line.
http://www.drivers-republic.com/dr_tv/index.cfm?videoid=b1a30ccdad074501bc087338de...
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Feb. 16, 2009 8:02 p.m. fifty New Reader
I read the wiki for the Megane - so the Nissan Sentra is the same platform? I don't see a FWD with Macpherson struts front / torsion beam rear having the same dynamics as a Caterham.
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Feb. 16, 2009 10:43 p.m. Keith SuperDork
Treb wrote:
On the question of whether they're comparable cars, though... The roadsport is about 60% the cost of the Megane R26R. On an equal-price basis, you'd be looking at the Caterham Superlight R300 -- which is, compared to the Roadsport, lighter, more powerful, and comes with R-compounds and better suspension.
Wow, that's an amazing spread. You've got the numbers - how much for a Roadsport and a bargain basement Megane? That might be a legitimate alternative to the R26R, a Caterham for the track and a econobox for the street.
I chose that R500 clip because it had such an effect on me when I watched it. Usually I'm watching the fast laps and just thinking "okay, okay, do something fun now". But when the R500 lap was shown, it was all I could do not to jump in the Seven and go screaming down the street. I've never seen them test a car that just looked so much fun.
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Feb. 16, 2009 11:55 p.m. Treb New Reader
From the manufacturers' british websites, prices in GBP:
Megane: 14,485 Megane R26R: 23,314
Roadsport: 16,995 Superlight R300: 24,995
Then again, you could just about get the R26R and the Roadsport for the cost of the Superlight R500: 37,995.
I just went and watched it again... you're right, good god that looks like fun.
