Colin Chapman Quote

[old-git]

I have just stumbled across a quote from Colin Chapman that confirms my anal obsession regarding weight is not silly, IMO

“Adding power makes you faster on the straights, subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.”

You were the man, Colin.

 

[stamford]

Can't argue with that at all!

 

[LPMorgan]

look at the lotus elise, small 2ltr but will out perform 90% of 2ltr cars besides the ariel atom lol

 

[old-git]

But not built by Colin. I don't think he would have allowed the Elise to look like it does, far too fussy.

 

[aston]

Amazing what superbike you can get for a few grand, so light and so quick

 

[old-git]

And so dangerous!

 

[LPMorgan]

suzuki gsxr 1300 will hit over 200mph

 

[LPMorgan]

bikes are only as dangerous if used properly, and dependant of car drivers looking at where they're going.

 

[T9 man]

I do appreciate a nice looking bike and what it is capable of performance wise, but you will never ever get me on one :amuse:

 

[MADRod]

I have just stumbled across a quote from Colin Chapman that confirms my anal obsession regarding weight is not silly, IMO

“Adding power makes you faster on the straights, subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.”

You were the man, Colin.

Well not really true. A light car with 400bhp may be fast intially but its Topspeed will be no different to a car with twice the weight when it hits the aero wall. Double its weight & give it 800bhp the bhp/ton will be the same but one wont be affected as quickly by the aero wall & simply disappear like a rat up a drain pipe.

 

[aston]

A heavy car will not make it around a corner as fast as a light car. American muscle v lotus Elise. Would prove this no doubt. Maybe I'm wrong as are the f1 boys

 

[old-git]

I'm not going to argue with Rod re aerodynamics as I know what he used to do for a living.

However, Colin was talking about roundy roundy race cars where max speed is very rarely reached, and then only for the odd second. So acceleration, deceleration and cornering are the important criteria here and this is where light wins out over heavy everytime. If this isn't the case then F1 has got it seriously wrong.

A 400bhp car weighing 1 tonne will have the same bhp/tonne as a 800bhp car weighing 2 tonnes, agreed. However, Colin Chapman's 1 tonne car will only weigh 900kg

 

[LPMorgan]

mini cooper vs camero during the 70's in btcc, mini had a lot less power but destroyed the yank when in the corners