The definitive suspension thread

[Mike R]

Originally Posted by shimmy

Just watching tis vid Mike and a few points, I don't think I've ever had ABS triggered in the dry in the CSL, and I think the CSL average speed around every corner a Snett would be faster than the Cossie, and I even think the average speed down the straights would be faster.(no slicks allowed), you may get a faster top speed but that's it.

I think the big trouble is that big BhP drivers tend to point and shoot, thinking that they need all the bhp working when often they don't. Just look at our mx5s running in the CsCc beating cars with twice the bhp just by using the cars good
Outs to the max.

It's hard to judge corner speed from a camera without V-box attached (especially when the straight line speeds appear so high / combined with a smooth driving style ), but I know what you're saying as it is VERY difficult to judge just precisely how much corner speed to scrub off when you arrive at a corner 30mph faster than most things. Even with the 380mm 6-pot water-cooled WRC brakes, you end up just standing on them and (so far) always making the corner, but probably having scrubbed off 10-15mph more than you needed to (due to the not wanting to crash factor kicking in ). However, the good thing with the Cossie is that the second that you turn into the corner, you can just nail the throttle, so although entry speed might not be quite as quick as the CSL, exit speed is far superior due to the traction / acceleration advantage.

I appreciate that a lot of it is down to drivers (and having a "nice" car doesn't automatically bestow you with talent), but you can see from all the vids that the old girl is being held up in the corners as well by cars that are "supposed" to be capable of very high corner speed.

The only cars that I have ever had problem with is the high powered Radicals - I push them down the straights (as naturally they don't want to pull over ), and then when a fast corner comes, they don't even need to brake, so you go from being glued to their bumper to losing 7-8 car lengths (especially at the end of the pit-straight at Snetterton, which is a 100mph corner in a non-aero car, but 20-30mph faster in a winged car ).

I know you want to diss the Ford, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised at it's pace .