[Guest]

not bad for a standard 177bhp 340r with its cat still on:

http://www.jimbocam.com/donington/v9/DVw-don9-evo-1.mpg

you can certainly see your cars extra acceleration though

 

[Guest]

Have to say the 340R cornering and braking looks impressive.

 

[Guest]

Not bad at all - it was a very good car. Took two laps to catch him, then I overtook him on the pit straight - you can see that on the video - then he filmed me through craner and then into Mcleans. I was practicing lines all day yesterday, and not running flat out - it was really slippy. What you didn't see (cos Jimbo ran out of tape) was me powering out through Coppice, and onto the back straight where we pulled a big lead, and out through the chicane - which resulted in the 340 spinning trying to keep up! From Redgate to Mcleans though there was nothing much in it - he cornered better (more bottle I think) and I powered out better (more power!). From Coppice to Redgate I would pull a big lead. The main reason for this was that I kept on screwing up Redgate all day. If you get your entrance into Redgate it comprimises all of Craner.

Also, during this lap, my seat frame broke, so I was moving all over the place! Steve from PE welded it for me on the spot (wow!) and I was back up and running in now time. He is going to have to build extra supports to stop it happening (gives you an idea of how hard we took the chicane!)

The power-to-weight of the 340R is not far of mine. Jimbo is alot more experienced at Donnington, and regularly does 1m27. I did 1m 25 yesterday, so am happy about that! Ed Moore was doing 1m 20 in my car (yikes! One day I will be that quick...)

U should come down one do instead of watching these videos all the time!

 

[Guest]

U should come down one do instead of watching these videos all the time!

LOL.. too right.. I should be around a lot next year. I tracked the 340r a little the year I got it but this year ive been total crap but then the car has been out of action for a fair bit and amp; i've been super busy at work and amp; a new baby !

Am looking forward to getting back into it but i'm not very fast so dont hold your breath . Hopefully I might do an airfield day or two in the EVO between now and the spring but im a bit worried about warping my discs and if it means shelling out for and AP set then I won't bother. Im particularly keen to catch up with ALan Nagle who used to run an RS450 but now has a 340 with ultra close box and is also supercharging it !

regards


Rich

 

[Guest]

Don't do an airfield in the EVO, unless it is Bruntingthorpe. It is SO hard on the car with the slow corners and rough surface. You could do your brakes and tyres in a day. Mind you, if you aren't going too fast, and it is sessioned - it will probably be ok. Take the 340R instead - it won't even notice the strain, and is a harder car to drive, so better to learn in! Then take them both to a track and compare and contrast - will be a totally different on track experience.

Recommend education mate! Ed Moore is brilliant. This time last year, I didn't know what an apex was and was truly SLOW. Now I am quite fast, and can do 1m25 at Donnington, 1m32 at Croft on my first outing - which is a major improvement and it is all thanks to Ed.

http://www.motorsport-events.co.uk

Top guy too!

If only I wasn't so big - I could try with all these cars then (340R etc).

 

[Guest]

Blade,

broken seat? sounds like the driver needs to shed a few pounds to improve his power to weight .

 

[Guest]

oli goon - unfortunately, you are not kidding!

I need to loose a good 4 stone to get my normal weight (yes, fat *******!).

Infact there is a standing joke at PE that the best and cheapest way to increase performance on the car is for me to go on a diet!

It is, after all 25kg which is about what I would get replacing the bonnet, wings, boot and other parts in carbon!!! That would cost thousands, this only costs some suffering for a few months!

Plus it would be nice to be able to see my feet when I am standing - I miss them

 

[Guest]

Blade....

I reckon my technique is pretty good and Ive done more than enough track driving (first one was 8 years ago) to get pretty smooth and methodical and my lines are probably my stongest point (so others tell me) but the thing I lack experience at is actually going fast round corners..... I don't know whats the other side of the limit so I always go 7/10ths into a bend and I can never really be arsed to try go any quicker 'cos it feels well fast enough for me. Im not that competitive as well so Im generally happy floating along neatly at my own pace - until some very aggressive standard elise or something like that goes past me

Take bridge at Silverstone for example.. I know that my 340r will take it at well over 100mph cos I was behind Tony Parramint one time when he did this sort of speed in an EXige but I was taking it at 85mph all day. I really didn't have the bottle to try any faster.

I need to do some pure limit handling training as opposed to just general circuit driving so that I become better at recognizing the limit and knowing what to do about it. Its easier in the evo as you say - in the 340r the cornering speeds are mental and if you get it wrong there's little or no window for correction. As you say its a hard car to drive at the limit. Before the limit though I find it kind of easier to drive but then I do know it so well and it also has zero weight to get in the way.

Cab you hire Ed moore for say at day at Brungtinthorpe ???

 

[Guest]

Jackal

You have hit the problem right on the head. It doesn't matter how good your lines are, if you do not have the confidence to push to 10/10 that will have the biggest effect on how fast you are. One of the problems with the types of car we drive is that the limits are very high and in some cases, the point of let go 9is quite sudden and at high speed. Until you have explored this in a safe environment, it is both scary and potentially expensive to risk ones pride and joy!

This is one of the reasons that I think airfields are a good idea. You can get it wrong without worrying about the car too much. I am sure some instruction in this sort of environment would really help. However, ultimately it does not matter how fast you are going but whether you are enjoying yourself.

 

[Guest]

Jackal, you can hire Ed anywhere for a day - that's what I do all the time. Infact, I hire him for the whole day, every track day.

If you want, next track day I go to, come along and you are welcome to try before you buy! . He can help you explore the limits anywhere.

Ed runs his own events, next Brunty one is 16th March.

 

[Guest]

BTW - my problem was both lines and bottle! Lines are getting better, as is the bottle - little at a time. Funny thing is if the lines are really good, and the smoothness is there, the speed sort of happens anyway. I did a balls out lap last time at Donny, did 1m25. I did a casual, good lines lap on Monday, did 1m25! It didn't feel fast. If I can keep my lines good as I up the pace, I guess I can get closer to Ed's great times.

I just love the improvement to be honest. It isn't often at this age you get to learn something new and do well at it. Fun, fun , fun!

I think the worst aspect for me is I hate being overtaken - don't mind it when I am practising lines, but hate it when I think I am going quickly -just reminds me I am not quick at all, particularly if the car is slower/less capapable. I also hate ####ers in expensive cars who treat the track as their private race track with no regard for people who maybe on their first track day. I like to hunt those people down and embarass them - and if I can't I get Ed to go out and embarrass them! Either way, they need to learn a lesson!

Ooohh, I am ranting...! Chill...

 

[Guest]

Simon, blade....

your right.. Im at a weird point where its kind of fun but not fun enough just tootling along doing most things correctly and smooth. In order to go to the next stage I need to push a lot harder on teh bends but I need some instruction in a safe environment before I have greater knowledge and fatter balls to start doing so.

If I push harder in a bend at the mo, whilst I suspect that the car will easily just deal with it, it doesn't feel comfortable for me cos suddenely the speed is very very alien to me (i.e. very very quick) and if something were to go amiss then I might be lucky and sort it out but then I might wake up in a breakers yard !

I found it a lot easier to drive cloe to the limit in my old 150bhp elise 111s but the 340r is just a different order altogether esp. with AO38's on - even Sutcliffe from Autocar said that the speed you can enter corners at is mind blowing or faintly comical even ! So to me it s just gonna feel very very scary !

I am very interestd in hiring ED.. whats his rate for a day blade ?
WIll have to wait till next spring though with the 340. His day at Brungtinthorpe sounds ideal as well.

regards


Rich

 

[Guest]

Well, he probably won't thank me for advertising his rate, so the best bet is to call him direct and discuss your needs!

Number is 07971 407479

Tell him I sent u (Tony Rodriguez, he doesn't know who Blade is!)

 

[Guest]

Blade...


thanx for your help. I may well try and tie in with you on a day next spring and have a session with Ed. That would be good - also give me a chance to get back into the swing of things.

 

[Guest]

Jackal, you not considered the 190BHP upgrade for your car? I was under the impression that most 340r owners did that? Maybe I'm thinking of the Exige. Heck I dunno!

 

[Guest]

Cookie..

firstly, its real expensive for just 13bhp and also it really craps on the mpg. Also, there may be a link between the 190 upgrade and all the fires that have been happenin to exiges and amp; 340's. ALso, I reckon that the cat replace pipe does most of it. I drove a 190 car and it was only a touch more frenzied at about 7/8000rpm - not worth it, no way.

When I tune it I'm gonna go straight to about 210-220bhp probably for less money and then add the ultra close ratio box.

The Exige - now thats different, they HAVE to have the 190 upgrade cos they feel dog slow ! I had one for 3 months as a loan car and it felt slower than my old 150bhp elise. Its way too heavy and no wonder people are supercharging them.