Top Gear: Caterham R500 beats Veyron!

[mopho]

Apparently they tested the R500 on Top Gear in the UK tonight and and the Stig hustled it around the test track faster than the Veyron

Word is that it was 1 degree C (32 F) when they tested it and couldn't get enough temperature into the tires, so it could possibly go faster.

Hopefully there will be some video available online soon

1:17.1 – Gumpert Apollo S
1:17.3 – Ascari A10
1:17.6 – Koenigsegg CCX (with Top Gear wing)
1:17.8 - Pagani Zonda F Roadster
1:17.9 – Caterhams R500
1.18.3 - Bugatti Veyron 16.4
1:18.4 - Pagani Zonda F
1:18.9 – Maserati MC12
1:19.0 – Ferrari Enzo


Here is some video of a private car doing 1:17.4 but it is not official nor is it on the production car tires

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[...m...]

...i was expecting it to pose the atom a serious challenge, but that was surprisingly fast - shows what fifty years of refinement can do for a fundamentally excellent design...it certainly looked beautiful gliding through those corners...

...how's it fare on higher-speed courses like the ring?..

[codymac]

Originally Posted by ...m...

...how's it fare on higher-speed courses like the ring?..

Nürburgring lap times - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I was impressed, but not terribly surprised. In the hands of a competent driver, they're incredibly quick. Nice to see the Stig having a go in one and it did look like he was having a bit of fun with it.

[jturrell]

Here's the video:

YouTube - Series Twelve Episode Six 2/8

Looks like a fun lap. Did this car have the sequential gearbox? I can't tell. This is amazing given the lack of aerodynamics on this car.

- Jake

[thegit]

R500CC has a sequential box. It is the well flogged press hack.

m

[mopho]

Here is the first part

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[mopho]

The car is so much fun to drift like that

[...m...]

Originally Posted by jturrell

This is amazing given the lack of aerodynamics on this car.

...i'm not sure if the top gear track opens up fast enough for aerodynamics to make a profound difference; it's pretty short...

Originally Posted by mopho

The car is so much fun to drift like that

...i knew it was fast, but when i first saw the slides i really didn't expect the caterham to turn in a top-five class time...

[Buz]

The Donkevoort (something like that) is the only Seven that I know of with a good time at the ring. It had a hard top, wings, and a VWAG 1.8t motor with a lot of power. It beat the Porsche Carrera GT by almost 15 seconds just a few days after Porsche set what they thought was a good lap time. Otherwise Sevens are nowhere near as fast on high speed tracks with a cd of like 1.1 and about 250hp.

[Noble]

RE: the video, I'd be more than happy to be seen behind the wheel of a Caterham. Dweeb or not.

Noble

[JWA]

Originally Posted by Noble

RE: the video, I'd be more than happy to be seen behind the wheel of a Caterham. Dweeb or not.

Noble

That must be a UK stereotype. There aren't enough here in the US to have developed one one way or the other.

[QuadCamSix]

Yea I would be more concerned with SUV's driving over my head than how much of a dweeb I looked.

While watching the lap I was also thinking he could have been quite a bit faster if he wasnt sliding so much.

[Randy Chase]

I want one. I will have one.

[ItsThaMonsta]

I wish top gear could get a CCXR in their hands.... that would put away any track records.

[mopho]

Originally Posted by ...m...

...i'm not sure if the top gear track opens up fast enough for aerodynamics to make a profound difference; it's pretty short......i

The car supposedly gets front end lift at speeds over 100mph, I've never had my car going faster than that, so can't confirm

These days, unless a car can do 180+mph it will not do a top time at the Nurburgring, it is a really fast track with some seriously long straightaways, it's a bit silly to use it as a benchmark test

knew it was fast, but when i first saw the slides i really didn't expect the caterham to turn in a top-five class time...

Yeah, it would have gone even faster if it was warmer outside. The Avon CR500's don't work so great when they are cold (they have a Treadware of 20).
By many accounts these tires aren't great track tires when hot either as they tend to overheat, but they are really excellent all round HP road tires

[Randy Chase]

After driving Nurburgring, I think it is a bad example for most cars because of the insanely long straight. A car that could do very well on a shorter (normal) track may fall on it's flat face on the Ring.

[jasper]

I had my caterham out at Texas World Speedway, which is a high speed track, and it hits a wall at about 125mph (on the speedo) on the banked straight. Also the front end gets light and starts to move around a bit, which makes braking and turning for the next corner a little dicey. Granted, I have the superlight america, which only has about 200 hp, a regular gearbox, and none of the junior aero bits on the nosecone, but I suspect this car wouldn't behave much differently just a little faster. I'm not yet bored or crazy enough to think I need an additional 60 hp, but maybe someday. The sequential gearbox looks fun, and the car is pretty easy to slide around in.

[Darth G-F]

Originally Posted by Randy Chase

I want one. I will have one.

I can't believe I had one and sold it... Now I want one again, go figure.

[mopho]

Originally Posted by jasper

I had my caterham out at Texas World Speedway, which is a high speed track, and it hits a wall at about 125mph (on the speedo) on the banked straight. Also the front end gets light and starts to move around a bit, which makes braking and turning for the next corner a little dicey. Granted, I have the superlight america, which only has about 200 hp, a regular gearbox, and none of the junior aero bits on the nosecone, but I suspect this car wouldn't behave much differently just a little faster. I'm not yet bored or crazy enough to think I need an additional 60 hp, but maybe someday. The sequential gearbox looks fun, and the car is pretty easy to slide around in.

I have found my speedo to be about 5mph optimistic. Do you have the 6 speed on yours? What about the a windscreen?

Yeah, at this point, I have little need for any more power

[choi0706]

dweebs!!!!