I'm a boy racer once more....

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BearFace

Active Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2005
Messages
303
...at 36 :bannana:

There was a thread recently in which Maff referred to an incident with a VW Golf GT TDi, during which his AMG momentarily failed to blow the aforementioned diesel hatch into the weeds. Of course, there was never any question about the AMG's superiority in performance terms, but that wasn't the point. Coincidentally, I'd actually sold my C230K Sport that very week after driving the Golf GT TDi 140 and now I'm the happy owner of a Shadow Blue one with 17" VW alloys. It really is the dog's wotsits, but I digress...

Yesterday I was heading back from a shoot with all my camera gear in the boot and so I was taking things fairly easy accross the Pennine A-roads. At least I was until a young buck in a Renault Clio Sport 182 (with over-the-roof stripes) decided to tailgate me. He was so close in fact, that had I simply backed off the gas he'd have hit me. Pillock...

Anyway, the kid in me took over (and although I drive quickly, I really don't race people these days...) and I decided to embarrass him. I thought that my torque advantage, driving experience (including years of track experience, albeit on bikes... :rock: ) and the surprise factor would at least give him something to think about, if nothing else. So I floored it...

Well initially he was out of the running, but his power kicked in and he pulled me into range, albeit surprisingly slowly. He managed to slipstream me and overtook VERY slowly, so when a corner came up, I backed off to let him in front. At this stage I assumed it was over for me, but he braked waaaay too early for the bend and I was past before he could do anything about it. I did a spot of left-foot dancing and kept the Golf on-torque through about a mile of twisty bends and watched with joy as Young Ayrton tried to wrestle with his lightweight, powerful and well-sorted hot hatch,only to fall victim to some terrrible understeer (the roads were damp), which sent him well into danger territory a couple of times. I was a good three or four hundred yards ahead of him by the time the road straightened, but by then I needed fuel and I pulled into a filling station feeling quite smug and slightly immature. Lovely.

I'd just exited the car when my new pal pulled up and wound his window down. I went over and he shrugged. He was genuinely surprised that I'd whupped his ass (not nearly as surprised as I was...) and he went on to tell me that the only car that'd beaten him in his Sport 182 previously, was none other than an AMG 55SL!!! Go figure, as they say...

I'm still grinning like a tw..... :D
 
Hope the camera gear didn't get thrown around too much!

No chance of surprising anyone in my SL, but I frequently do in the Sharan. It's about 100 kg lighter than standard (since all 5 rear seats live in my loft!), and with 204 bhp and 4Motion it's indecently quick away from the lights (for an MPV). Not ideal on the twisty stuff though :)
 
BTB 500 said:
Hope the camera gear didn't get thrown around too much!

No chance of surprising anyone in my SL, but I frequently do in the Sharan. It's about 100 kg lighter than standard (since all 5 rear seats live in my loft!), and with 204 bhp and 4Motion it's indecently quick away from the lights (for an MPV). Not ideal on the twisty stuff though :)

what do you put in the back if you dont need the seats! Elephants? :confused:
 
It's the driver, not the car. That's what's going to make A1 interesting.
 
SportsCoupeRich said:
what do you put in the back if you dont need the seats! Elephants? :confused:

Back has a cage for my dogs! Centre is empty for water containers / bike / awning / etc. when away at shows. No kids, so only need the two front seats :)
 
SportsCoupeRich said:
:D

Could get yourself a big engined pick up then! v10???

They're mostly pretty crude (and left hand drive). Apart from the price ;) I'd be more tempted by this :D

VianoV8.jpg


(Brabus Viano V8)

In reality I got the Sharan because it was the only full-size MPV available in the UK with 4WD. The vehicle I had before got stuck a number of times towing the caravan in and out of wet fields.
 
BTB 500 said:
Hope the camera gear didn't get thrown around too much!

No chance of surprising anyone in my SL, but I frequently do in the Sharan. It's about 100 kg lighter than standard (since all 5 rear seats live in my loft!), and with 204 bhp and 4Motion it's indecently quick away from the lights (for an MPV). Not ideal on the twisty stuff though :)

The gear was in bags and cases, so apart from them all being upside down, it was all intact. :eek:

The police use those Sharan 4x4s, don't they?
 
neilrr said:
It's the driver, not the car. That's what's going to make A1 interesting.

In the case of the A1 GP, I'd have to agree, although there was less overtaking than there has been in typical F1 GPs this season. Still, it's early days...

The Clio Sport 182 is supposed to be a very quick car, so I'd have expected to be soundly beaten by anyone with an ounce of ability. The Golf is what I'd describe as torquey and respectably fast (0-60 in about 9 secs, max speed 130mph), but those Clios weigh next to nothing (a good 400kgs less than the Golf...) and produce some serious horsepower. I guess experience won on the day... :D
 
BearFace said:
The police use those Sharan 4x4s, don't they?

Not round here, but possibly in other counties. Good (unique?) vehicle if you need tons of interior space plus mild offroad ability. Very stable towcar too, pulls my 1500 kg caravan at ... ahem ... 60-ish ;) although the fuel consumption can get a bit scary if you're pushing hard!
 
BTB 500 said:
Not round here, but possibly in other counties. Good (unique?) vehicle if you need tons of interior space plus mild offroad ability. Very stable towcar too, pulls my 1500 kg caravan at ... ahem ... 60-ish ;) although the fuel consumption can get a bit scary if you're pushing hard!

You know, I think I was pulled over by one a few years back in Manchester. It was white, but unmarked, and I can remember thinking it was quick because I'd just sprinted from the lights in my T5 Volvo and it almost kept station with me. :eek:

Might've been a Galaxy, but it was certainly pretty lively. I've seen a few marked ones around since then, too.
 
I had a new Clio 172 in 2002, it was very quick but has serious torque and oversteer...
A nice little car that could keep with most cars on the bends but you really had to be a good driver to get the best out of her.....
If your a good driver try to get a run in the 172 CUP around a race circuit, you will be surprised what machinery you will be overtaking!

Simon
 
If your a good driver try to get a run in the 172 CUP around a race circuit, you will be surprised what machinery you will be overtaking!

I can well believe it; the car I described in the original post was certainly quick. Y'know, I actually raced in the Ford Fiesta XR2 Cup in 1987-88, but since then my track experience has been solely on bikes. Wouldn't mind a bash in something up-to-date and set-up properly for the track, though...
 
BearFace said:
You know, I think I was pulled over by one a few years back in Manchester. It was white, but unmarked, and I can remember thinking it was quick because I'd just sprinted from the lights in my T5 Volvo and it almost kept station with me. :eek:

Might've been a Galaxy, but it was certainly pretty lively. I've seen a few marked ones around since then, too.

im sure the ones round here are the armed response units
 
fuzzer said:
im sure the ones round here are the armed response units

Yeah, I think the marked ones carry out both regular traffic and AR duties around here too. I was in Costco recently and two armed guys were next to me in the queue for the cafe. They were saying that instead of having a static unit, they just patrolled the a-roads as regular traffic cars until something kicked off. Probably a better use of rescources, to be fair.

They wear different uniforms though - they're more like a grey-blue overall with body-armour over the top and the gun-belt. They don't instantly look like traditional coppers, which is a bit unnerving when you clock their side-arms...
 
The armed response units in London are mostly Espaces, although I saw an unmarked black Chrysler Voyager with blacked out windows last week (hurtling down the wrong side of the Strand at about 80 mph).
 
BearFace said:
...at 36 :bannana:

I'm still grinning like a tw..... :D

If you think the 140 is good (which it clearly is!) wait until the 170 Golf TDI hits the road. I think 4motion might be a must on that to keep the torque steer in check.

By the way, what transmission do you have?
 
BearFace said:
...at 36 :bannana:

There was a thread recently in which Maff referred to an incident with a VW Golf GT TDi, during which his AMG momentarily failed to blow the aforementioned diesel hatch into the weeds. Of course, there was never any question about the AMG's superiority in performance terms, but that wasn't the point. Coincidentally, I'd actually sold my C230K Sport that very week after driving the Golf GT TDi 140 and now I'm the happy owner of a Shadow Blue one with 17" VW alloys. It really is the dog's wotsits, but I digress...

Yesterday I was heading back from a shoot with all my camera gear in the boot and so I was taking things fairly easy accross the Pennine A-roads. At least I was until a young buck in a Renault Clio Sport 182 (with over-the-roof stripes) decided to tailgate me. He was so close in fact, that had I simply backed off the gas he'd have hit me. Pillock...

Anyway, the kid in me took over (and although I drive quickly, I really don't race people these days...) and I decided to embarrass him. I thought that my torque advantage, driving experience (including years of track experience, albeit on bikes... :rock: ) and the surprise factor would at least give him something to think about, if nothing else. So I floored it...

Well initially he was out of the running, but his power kicked in and he pulled me into range, albeit surprisingly slowly. He managed to slipstream me and overtook VERY slowly, so when a corner came up, I backed off to let him in front. At this stage I assumed it was over for me, but he braked waaaay too early for the bend and I was past before he could do anything about it. I did a spot of left-foot dancing and kept the Golf on-torque through about a mile of twisty bends and watched with joy as Young Ayrton tried to wrestle with his lightweight, powerful and well-sorted hot hatch,only to fall victim to some terrrible understeer (the roads were damp), which sent him well into danger territory a couple of times. I was a good three or four hundred yards ahead of him by the time the road straightened, but by then I needed fuel and I pulled into a filling station feeling quite smug and slightly immature. Lovely.

I'd just exited the car when my new pal pulled up and wound his window down. I went over and he shrugged. He was genuinely surprised that I'd whupped his ass (not nearly as surprised as I was...) and he went on to tell me that the only car that'd beaten him in his Sport 182 previously, was none other than an AMG 55SL!!! Go figure, as they say...

I'm still grinning like a tw..... :D

well done... here is your medel....http://www.olemiss.edu/sciencenet/poronet/photo-biot-medal-2/Cowin-showing-medal-2.jpg :D
 
Seamster15 said:
If your a good driver try to get a run in the 172 CUP around a race circuit
I had one as a loan car waiting for my C. Didn't make the track but had some fun with it.... It's the only car I've ever kept earplugs in for 80 mile motorway trips.
 

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