motor

spicymustard · 05-20-2004, 09:06 PM

Ok I know that there is Lap Time topic that was recently reactivated, and there was a topic about cars that got screwed on times, but i thought that i would refine the topic/discusion.

After watching the SLR get 1:20.9 I am pretty pissed. Not only is the white stig a much better driver, but he also takes huge liberties on his line. If you watch the SLR round the track there are points where both inside wheels are completely over the imaginary curb/line.
The driving ability of new stig is aparent when you see how tidy he keeps the cars, where the old stig would drop the car into a huge oversteer, the new one seems to be more concerned with a fast time rather than looking cool.
I am most pissed with how screwed the zonda got. The Lambo did a relap to make up for their stupid water conditions on the first show, but the zonda did not. THink about this for a second, the lambo is 4 wheel drive and probably handled the wet conditions much better than the zonda. And look at the time drop between semi wet conditions with the old stig and the dry new stig time with the lambo, 5+ seconds!!! So the zonda should save more than that since its 2 wheel drive, that would make it faster than the SR3. HOwever i dont think it would be quite that fast, i do think that it would be close to the Carrera GT.

Radical SR3 - 1:19
Porsche Carrera GT - 1:19.8
Mercedes McLaren SLR - 1:20.9
Westfield XTR - 1:22.6
Lamborghini Murcielago - 1:23.7
Pagani Zonda - 1:23.8
Koenigsegg - 1:23.9
Noble 3.0 - 1:25.0
Lamborghini Gallardo - 1:25.8

TT · 05-20-2004, 09:20 PM

Well, I just think TG is not about lap times.. they just use them as a general guideline maybe... just to add another board to the show

but already the fact they had two Stiggs show is how much they care about them... we shouldn't consider those times as absolute data as they aren't... they just do it for fun.. with wet or dry tarmac, with various pressure conditions, temperature...
I don't really see the problem

05-20-2004, 09:48 PM

I'm with TT on this one- its not that serious just an indication, sure i want to know for sure who the new stig is but thats curiousity

Do you really think that all manufacturer data is truly accurate- short of getting and atmosperically contrrolled dome( finally a use for the millenium dome

) there is no way to remain truly consistant. they have these cars for a limited time an can therfore only test in the prevailing conditions which means it could be pissing down with rain or a bone dry track. And as for the drivers i don't think old stig deserves the criticism he's getting for being slow etc if you think you can do better just try- we'll see how quickly you kill yourself

tuffguy · 05-20-2004, 09:51 PM

still though, 3 seconds is a HUGE amount of time. the car has to account for a huge portion of that. is the new stig THAT much better? half a second better i'd believe, but he completely to that ish up.

Tomerville · 05-20-2004, 10:03 PM

yeah, that SLR time suprised me soo much...I was doubting something.

nejcdolinsek · 05-21-2004, 05:32 AM

Yes, I agree. The SLR was very fast. I wouldn't have predicted it being faster than the Zonda.

TG has to get the Enzo somehow... it would probably beat everything.

AlienDB7 · 05-21-2004, 06:25 AM

The lap time is not that much different from the "cool wall" they have on Top Gear. It's part of the show as entertainment. Jeremy uses the Stig to make fun of Tiff (same as how 5th Gear has Tom Ford and his not so funny humour). Afterall, they have to find a car that can beat the previous records. It'll be pretty boring if a car remains undefeated forever. I wouldn't be surprised if they did something to the track, do you guys notice the faster laptime for the stars in reasonably priced car?

PATo355 · 05-21-2004, 06:39 AM

Originally Posted by AlienDB7

The lap time is not that much different from the "cool wall" they have on Top Gear. It's part of the show as entertainment. Jeremy uses the Stig to make fun of Tiff (same as how 5th Gear has Tom Ford and his not so funny humour). Afterall, they have to find a car that can beat the previous records. It'll be pretty boring if a car remains undefeated forever. I wouldn't be surprised if they did something to the track, do you guys notice the faster laptime for the stars in reasonably priced car?

Hey common , if 5th gear is having Tom to compete with Clarkson they are fucking sick , Tom is just so dumb and stupid and anything but fun ... And the stig compared to Tiff is like comparing a Fiat with a Ferrari , i just agree with you that the LAP TIME is not differetn from the COOL WALL , very subjective to weather conditions , as the COOL WALL is subjective to Clarkson mood

Toronto · 05-21-2004, 10:25 AM

plain and simple the new stig is faster in my mind...

MercedeSChink · 05-21-2004, 10:38 AM

wait, TG did a review on the SLR again!? where can i get it!!!!??!

TT · 05-21-2004, 10:46 AM

on sleepy-fish or racingflix for instance

antonioledesma · 05-21-2004, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by AlienDB7

The lap time is not that much different from the "cool wall" they have on Top Gear. It's part of the show as entertainment. Jeremy uses the Stig to make fun of Tiff (same as how 5th Gear has Tom Ford and his not so funny humour). Afterall, they have to find a car that can beat the previous records. It'll be pretty boring if a car remains undefeated forever. I wouldn't be surprised if they did something to the track, do you guys notice the faster laptime for the stars in reasonably priced car?

the cool board, as much part of the show is run by JC and his mood. His excuse are his sensible trousers. Just look at the db9,seems to be a good car, but he didn't bitched about everything in other cars (ashtrays, sounds coming from the car, etc) but this paragraph belongs to other topic.

the lap times are just a guide to see how fast is a car, and are fun to watch.

with the new stig, I think he's a bit less old than the old one and that's why it seems to be faster. TT, AL123 say the truth, you can't compare cars in different days, you'll need the 5th gear tiff's tests that were in the same day, same driver.

SilviaEvo · 05-22-2004, 02:58 AM

Well, I just think TG is not about lap times..

Quote one of them, "0-60 Pointless now, Top Speed Pointless, the thing that counts is how fast it can lap a track"

abbor · 05-22-2004, 05:30 AM

The thing is, to find out how good a car is, a lap time is a very fine thing to use... But if I cant count on Top Gear, where should I turn... At least, when they get the Enzo, it's the new Stig that has droven both that and the SLR...
Why was the Carrera GT on the lap times over

Radical SR3 - 1:19
Porsche Carrera GT - 1:19.8
Mercedes McLaren SLR - 1:20.9

levensnevel · 05-24-2004, 07:50 AM

Sources which I consider to be reliable tell me that in case of the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren it wasn't the 'official' TopGear Stig who clocked that incredible 80.9 seconds lap. It was in fact the official works testdriver, Mercedes Benz didn't allow Der Stig to drive the SLR :shock: So .....