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Old 05-04-2007, 06:23 PM   #10 (permalink)
Overlander23
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Central Coast, CA
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It was a very technical article, but almost to a fault, IMO... Handling is one of those things that can't always be completely quantified. What works in one situation doesn't necessarily work in another. I'll concede that it can point out trends, though... and in general the article is fairly well balanced.

A subjective example from that article is steering weight. Of course, the Lotus was dead last due to its increased weighting the further off center you go... and in their tests this was seen as a negative. I think everyone here would agree that the Elise/Exige's manual rack is integral to the sublime handling feel of the car. So points off for that... but really?

Then you ask yourself, is the best handling sports car the one that goes around the track the fastest (in which case, power plays a big role), or is it the vehicle that is the most forgiving, or is it the one that involves the driver the most... It's all very subjective.

Out of curiosity... how fast do you think an Exige with the same power to weight ratio as a Porsche 911 GT3 would be around a track... in comparison with the GT3?
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2005 Lotus Elise (Type 25 clone, LSS, Touring, Supercharged)
1970 Austin Mini Cooper, 1971 Series IIA 88" Land Rover, 1999 Land Rover Range Rover 4.6 HSE Callaway #071
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