Where's a 7 replica w/ aero?

[MHKflyer52]

I think you are chasing a red herring here. Yes, the drag on a se7en is terrible, but even if the total drag was on par with a contemporary car, the lack of hp will still put you at a disadvantage at high speeds.

 

Take two hypothetical cars with identical drag and power to weight ratios, but one car is 2.5 times heavier with 2.5 times the power. Car A weighs 3750 lb with driver and has 600hp, car B weighs 1500 lb with driver and has 240hp. Doing the math, both carry 6.25 lb/hp. Now assume both cars require 100hp to cruise at 100 mph. That means car A has 500hp available for acceleration from that speed, and car B has just 140 hp.

 

Running the numbers for available power to weight from that speed, car A has a still impressive 7.5 lb/hp, but car B now has a far more pedestrian 10.7 lb/hp. Bottom line, if you want to have the fastest car down the straight, you either need a car with a lot of hp, or you need to run at track days where those cars don't show up

 

-John

 

Very well stated. :cooldude:

[MoPho]

If what you're mainly concerned about is how fast you can go or which car is faster, you're kind of missing the point about these cars. They are not just about speed, they are about the experience. The fun in these cars is that they are challenging to drive, they slide a bit in the corners, they get light at speed, they're twitchy, they're physical to drive, etc..

I work for car magazines and have driven/ridden a lot of ridiculously high hp and fast cars and nothing (short of an ariel atom) compares to the sensations that the seven gives. My 7 with a measly 205hp is more fun/exciting at 80mph than driving a Ferrari/Lamborghini, etc at 150+mph!

Heck, a 7 with a 130hp is more fun than those cars.

 

 

(I don't race, just HPDEs afterall)

 

Exactly! You are not racing, therefore the only lap time that matters is your previous one, not anyone else's. Relying on hp to get you down the straight faster is a crutch that is not going to improve your driving. There is no challenge in buying hp to improve your lap time. And who cares if someone in a ZR1, etc blows past you on the straight, I guarantee you they are not having as much fun

 

 

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Edited June 14, 2010 by MoPho

[Mondo]

I have to agree with Mopho. I actually like my 7 over my previous sportbike because most the fun is under 3 digit speeds. It was too easy to just nail the throttle and get to silly speeds on the bike... though I do miss the ability to pass cars quickly and split lanes.

 

The biggest difference I notice is the faster you go on a sportbike, the more stable it becomes. Pretty intoxicating in it's own right. But I don't miss the sudden fear of coming around a corner, knee close to the ground, and finding a patch of dirt that's been kicked up right in your line. Or a car cutting into your lane (which may be a bigger problem with the 7).

[TheDingo8MyBaby]

And who cares if someone in a ZR1, etc blows past you on the straight, I guarantee you they are not having as much fun

 

I care - especially when you catch them up at the next corner. In all seriousness, I agree with MoPho though. This is always a problem with underpowered cars at hdpe's.

 

Another thought... when passing others on the track, is i tsafe to assume your average 7 will have better corning ability than the "competition?" (I don't race, just HPDEs afterall) If this is the case, wouldn't you opt for the better straight line speed in order to hold off those cars better in the straights that you just toasted in the corners?

 

It's not so black and white. If you have a long straight, perhaps yes. A lot of your speed can come from braking into a corner and carrying speed through it to accelerate out.

 

Are you really trying to "hold off" people in HDPE's or is this a hypothetical?

Edited June 14, 2010 by TheDingo8MyBaby

[Bster13]

The purpose of me buying a seven replica is to replicate what I experienced on both my touring bike and my track bike in one package. To me, "feel" is only part of the experience when driving. If the car was incredibly stable and had tons of traction control gizmos, dead quiet, then it'd be boring (Nissan GTR from what I hear?), even if I was passing everyone at a trackday. But... it is nice to have an easy to drive car to a certain extent to give you confidence. I guess I would like a balance. The way the car feels is important but less so that all out performance on the track as that is what I opted for on the racetrack with my bike (Yamaha R6) with my budget. If I was more about the experience or how the bike felt when I used to ride on the track, then I would of picked up a Ducati of some sort and called it a day.

 

It's certainly not a race, no trophy, but there is benchracing among buddies. I have no desire to trash a $20k+ car any time soon.

 

I fully realize there will always be someone with a "faster" car, more money to throw at it, and better driving skills, but I feel like the 7 is "the great equalizer" w/ regards to my first two points at a bang-for-buck price.

 

As for touring with the seven, as long as it has a decent tank range, good build quality and decent reliability, I am game, regardless of make. I could be driving a hopped up VW Bug and it would still make people approach the car and strike up a conversation.

 

@TheDingo8MyBaby. "Hold off" as in just turn a better lap time. Certainly not like this: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJIBQw1b%20...%20re=related][/url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJIBQw1b%20...%20re=related

 

If I am holding someone up I'm certainly not going to try and "hold them off." I can point someone by like the best of them. :hurray:

Edited June 15, 2010 by Bster13

[WestTexasS2K]

A stock 7 will outrun most cars at HPDE events. You may get a zo6 or Porsche get by you but they won't blow you away unless you have some really long straight.

 

An Ultralite or SuperStalker should run in front most of the time. I have been able to outrun ZO6 and GT3s with street tires on pretty regular basis. There are always exceptions too.

[Bster13]

Thx WestTexasS2k. I can see how my initial post may of come off as saying "a seven can't cut it, why hasn't someone done some aero to it already because top speed is obviously it's weak point." But in actuality, I was more so wondering why the tinkerers of the community haven't tried to slap on some more fiberglass in order to make the car more slippery at speed...not because it needs it at an HPDE, but because they are some real tinkerers on this forum and wonder if anyone has tried it already.

 

But...it is nice to know there won't be much to leave you behind at an HPDE within reason, given that the driver is up to task. :cheers:

 

A stock 7 will outrun most cars at HPDE events. You may get a zo6 or Porsche get by you but they won't blow you away unless you have some really long straight.

 

An Ultralite or SuperStalker should run in front most of the time. I have been able to outrun ZO6 and GT3s with street tires on pretty regular basis. There are always exceptions too.

[slngsht]

The cheapest way to fix the problem is to find roads with lots of corners

That's avoiding the problem

[MoPho]

That's avoiding the problem

 

Says Mr Pull over I think I am going to be sick :jester:

 

 

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[slngsht]

Says Mr Pull over I think I am going to be sick :jester:

 

 

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Very fair, and totally true... that was impressive. I know for sure on that type of road, my car is not setup to keep up with your cat. just not as agile.

 

Slightly more open though, and :smash: Come on out to some twisty mountain roads around here to play

 

Frankn7 has had its fair share of passengers needing a break. I can make 'em start reaching for crap even on a straight line :bigear::jester:

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Very fair, and totally true... that was impressive. I know for sure on that type of road, my car is not setup to keep up with your cat. just not as agile.

 

Slightly more open though, and :smash: Come on out to some twisty mountain roads around here to play

 

Frankn7 has had its fair share of passengers needing a break. I can make 'em start reaching for crap even on a straight line

 

I must say I can't believe I didn't puke at the dragon :lol:

 

I must also say that 100mph in my Duramax is boring, while 100mph in Frankn7 is quite exhilirating. Crap, did I admit to having it going that fast in front of Mazda? :leaving:

[bball7754]

This article might be relevant to the conversation. Apologies for the image quality.

 

Steve

[Bster13]

Great article! I now need to get my eyes checked though.

[Silk]

John Meyers LS1(?)-powered Stalker. Second overall (I think) at the last Run N Gun.

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af100/GatewayCobraClub/RNG%20Pics/8-15-09621.jpg

[snookwheel]

That's the one I was thinking of! :drool:

[MoPho]

Very fair, and totally true... that was impressive. I know for sure on that type of road, my car is not setup to keep up with your cat. just not as agile.

 

Slightly more open though, and Come on out to some twisty mountain roads around here to play

 

 

 

But being agile on tight roads/tracks is what these cars are all about. If I wanted to go fast in a straight line or on gently curved roads I would have bought a hot rod, or worse............

 

 

....A Corvette! :willy_nilly: http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/1209.gif

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds to me that the OP already has the perfect car meet his expectations, an Evo. http://www.websmileys.com/sm/sad/533.gif

 

 

 

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[rnr]

But being agile on tight roads/tracks is what these cars are all about. If I wanted to go fast in a straight line or on gently curved roads I would have bought a hot rod, or worse............

 

That's what they are all about for you. The beauty of Sevens is that they are infinitely modifiable and can be made to fit each owners needs. There are plenty of us out there who bought them for the power and not necessarily the handling.

 

IMHO the Elise has better handling and feel than my Seven but I still love the combination of power, handling and price that the Ultralite provides.

[Bster13]

My EVO with upgraded suspension has been wonderful DD, but I envision it would get spanked by the lighter 7s in the corners. Is ~does~ still put a smile on my face and I'll likely keep it in addition to the 7. :hurray:

 

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v193/90/8/17506531/n17506531_30968113_6948.jpg

 

Sounds to me that the OP already has the perfect car meet his expectations, an Evo. http://www.websmileys.com/sm/sad/533.gif

[TonyI]

I've always kinda liked the Black Brick.....and the other ones kind interesting also...

 

Cheers

Tony

[MHKflyer52]

The Morgan AERO 8 is some what like a aero 7 but with a lot of creature comforts and a very big price tag.