[Shotimes] Re: (OT) British perspective on the new Mustang

[Bob]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: James F. Ryan III
> Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2005 8:49 PM
>
> The Discovery Channel has a show called "Top Gear" hosted by a few really
> annoying Brits - they're "rubbish" (their word, not mine).
>
> Anyway, the really annoying fat old guy is always droning on and on about
> the Noble M12.  I haven't been able to determine if it's a production car
> (in the UK) or not but, one interesting note is that the UK version is
> powered by a 3.0L alumimun-block twin-turbo Ford Duratec V-6 that puts out
> 352 hp!!!!!  It does 0-60 in 3.7 secs, 0-100 in 8.8 secs, 1/4-mile in 11.9
> secs, and pulls 1.156g on the skid pad.  If you order one in the
> US you only
> get a rolling chassis and you must supply and install the engine/trans.
>
> http://www.1gracing.com/

I just saw a Noble M12 at a shop that was pre-teching the Mustang recently.
The chassis looked to be of very high quality.  He hadn't installed the
engine yet because he was waiting on parts, but it was indeed a twin turbo.
He said that it would be very difficut to work on once it was installed, so
he was making sure he was doing it right the first time.  He mentioned that
he would also be building an M300 that had a beefier engine and a 3.1 0-60
time.

>
> On a recent episode of Top Gear they did a test drive of a "thing" called
> the Ariel Atom.  It's an open-wheel tube-frame thing powered by a
> rear-mounted 2.0L Honda iVTEC engine (that puts out 220 hp) coupled to a
> Honda 6-spd trans and weighs an RCH over 1000 lbs.  The 300 hp
> supercharged
> version holds the world record for 0-100-0 mph at 10.88 secs.  Cost in USD
> is $62,000.  The company web site says that it is a production vehicle.

They also tested the Atom against the Radical CSR.  While the Atom was
easier to control on their tight 1 mile circuit, the Radical still beat it.
With a larger track, like the ones around here (CA), there is no doubt that
the Radical would leave the Atom in the dust in braking and power.

At a Thunderhill event last Spring, the Radicals were badly beating all the
competition in a for-fun track day race, until a former ALMS Porsche started
reeling them in one by one from dead last.  On the final lap, the Porsche
passed the leader in the midst of turn 2.  That was an impressive driver and
car.  I thought he'd wait until the straight, but no, he just drove around
on the outside in the middle of the sweeper.