inanimate_object

[quote name='GarageBoy' date='Aug 19 2005, 03:54 AM']How do you shift those things? Just slam it? Isn't something gonna break? Thanks


[/quote]

It's a sequential which doesn't have a change to neutral between gears, so as long as you're at the right rpm/throttle when you change it's fine - on upshifts it's actually better for the 'box but downshifts are a little more tricky. Also with a dog box the dog rings take the brunt of the abuse and they're easily changed.



Silverseven, do you remember Justin Wilson who used to race for Jaguar F1 about 2 years ago ?



Mark

Cheers!

[quote name='GarageBoy' date='Aug 18 2005, 09:54 PM']How do you shift those things? Just slam it? Isn't something gonna break? Thanks


[/quote]



same way you ride a sport bike.

SilverSeven

[quote name='inanimate_object' date='Aug 19 2005, 12:46 AM']Silverseven, do you remember Justin Wilson who used to race for Jaguar F1 about 2 years ago ?


[/quote]

Isn't that the guy who looked like he was about nine feet tall? And he could barely fit in the car?



Last time I heard of him, he was with Minardi, though. Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong chap.

inanimate_object

That's the guy - 6' 3" IIRC, but he was the exception and his height is probably why he's not still racing in F1.



Mark

GarageBoy

Uh..don't you grab the clutch on sport bikes?

SilverSeven

Yeah, I was never too impressed with him. I mean, I know you have to be the best of the best to get to F1, but there was something about his style that just irked me to no end.



Somewhat on that subject, I went to a local used exotic car dealer who had an Elise. I was considering buying it, but I just don't feel the need to spend that kind of money on a car that has no utility at all. Not that I don't think it's worth the money, just that since I already have four cars, and the FD will probably out-handle the Elise with all the mods I have done, it just doesn't make sense. Anyway, I had a friend with me who is 6'7". He actually managed to squeeze into the passenger side, though just barely. If the top was off, he would be looking over the windsheild, not through it.



(I just realized how pointless and meandering that whole story was, but I'm going to hit CTRL+S anyway)

SilverSeven

So I spent all day yesterday with the Elise. The Elise blows. More on that later.

SilverSeven

So, after putting about 350 miles on the Elise Monday, I have to retract all previous statements about the Elise being good. It is, in fact, not good. It understeers like a bowling ball at low speeds, it's unpredictable at high speeds, there is way too much engine braking which makes smooth downshifts at high revs a very stupid thing to do, which wouldn't be so bad if there was room to heel/toe it, which there is not. It's engine is weezy over 100 mph, and waiting for that stupid second cam to kick in at 6200 is like waiting for a blind date who's two hours late, only to realize that the blind date is with your younger sister. And that's just the performance, which is supposed to be the best part. Actually trying to use it is even worse. Yeah, I know it's not supposed to be an everyday car, but it's barely a one a month car. The A/C is horrible, a fact made worst when you realize that when you run with the top off, all of the hot air from the radiator is routed directly into the cabin in the most direct route possible.



not worth the money. Not even close. It paims me to say that, because I still think that there's nothing for $50k that can match it, but I wouldn't buy one for $30k. Maybe I'll have to test the Exige if it come to these shores, until then, I'm gonna have to vote against Lotus.



Here are some pics of the day though.

Linky clicky linky.

Shane.Trammell

is this a hot, freaky younger sister, or a plain boring ugly one?

SilverSeven

[quote name='Shane.Trammell' date='Aug 24 2005, 02:45 PM']is this a hot, freaky younger sister, or a plain boring ugly one?


[/quote]

The one that seems hot and freaky, but is actually boring once you're there.